Best Ayurveda Courses in Rishikesh, India

In Ayurvedic philosophy, people are born with a specific constitution or Prakriti. It is a combination of physical and psychological characteristics which are different for each person.

The Prakriti is characterized by three qualities or doshas. The Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas have a specific impact on bodily functions. The doshas can experience imbalances, which produce different symptoms related to each specific dosha. These elements of human physiology and psychology are affected by various internal, external, and environmental factors. While an individual’s underlying Prakriti remains unchanged throughout life, its surface can be swayed by things such as a poor diet, physical exertion, chemical, or germs.

The Ayurvedic health theory encourages the prevention of illnesses by following a lifestyle tailored to each person’s unique constitutional type. It recommends maintaining health through daily and seasonal regimes, meant to foster balance.

Ayurveda is the pathway to creating balance to attain perfect health. It helps us understand the interaction between body, mind, and soul, thus enabling us to extend our life span and enhance our well-being. The purpose of Ayurveda is to know one’s true self. Ayurveda acknowledges that our mission on Earth is to remember who we are and to take care of our physical beings while we seek liberation. When the harmony of body, mind, and spirit is reached, we gain freedom.

In your Ayurveda Course, you will learn in-depth about one of the most important parts of Ayurveda, the doshas. The Tridosha are the three biological units of the living body, which are responsible for its total functions. They are the result of a combination of the panchamahabhuta, or the five great elements that constitute the building blocks of life. The Tridosha control psychological and physiological bodily functions and, in equilibrium, uphold a person’s health. However, they are susceptible to imbalances, which cause disorders and illness. These vital elements of the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases are listed below:

Vata or wind:

Governs all motion in the body. It is composed of ether and air, which make it light, dry, mobile, and cool. People with a predominance of Vata in their body tend to exhibit these characteristics. When the Vata dosha is offset, it causes weight loss, constipation, arthritis, restlessness, and digestive challenges.

Pitta or fire:

Governs all processes related to conversion and transformation throughout the mind and body. Pitta is primarily composed of fire, which makes it hot, light, sharp, and fluid. It also contains water and thus is not moist nor dry. People with a predominance of Vata in their body exhibit these characteristics, often in the shape of a fiery personality and oily skin. Pitta imbalances commonly manifest in the shape of infection, inflammation, rashes, ulcers, heartburn, and fever.

Kapha:

Governs growth in the body. It is composed of water and earth, hence why it is moist, heavy, static, soft, cold, and sticky. People with Kapha energy are generally thicker and have denser bones and skin. They also have moist, soft skin and full, thick hair. Kapha imbalances are related to obesity, some types of cancer, bronchitis, lung congestion, and fluid retention syndromes, among others.

Ayurveda is based on the belief that nothing suits everyone and everything suits someone. In short: everyone is biochemically different and unique; hence why it is impossible to develop a nutrition plan that suits us all. People with a Vata nature typically require more grains, dairy, nuts oils, salt, and spice in their diets. Vata types need nourishing foods, which do not often come from a vegetarian diet. They are also advised to avoid too many salads, fruits, and beans.Pitta types need more raw vegetables and mildly spied foods.

Furthermore, people with a Kapha nature benefit from lighter and hot foods, such as vegetables and spicy meals. Kapha types should avoid sweets, dairy, nuts, wheat, and rice.Finally, Ayurvedic medicine relies on the principle that all good health starts with proper digestion and nutrition. Therefore, in your Ayurveda Course, you will learn how to design a dietary plan tailored to your or your patient’s unique physiology. It also promotes a sattvic or life-supporting routine, in order to achieve a happier, healthier and more vital life.

Ayurvedic herbal medicine dates back thousands of years and has been refined through practical application and experience. It is based on the theory of the Tridoshas, which are dynamic combinations of the five great elements. As such, Ayurvedic herbal medicine does not seek to treat and alleviate specific diseases and disorders, rather, it is a comprehensive healthcare system that prescribes a way of life.

The purpose of an Ayurveda practitioner is to balance their patient’s unique body/mind constitution. Through your Ayurveda Course, you will be able to identify your patients’ Ayurvedic constitutional type, as well as diagnose the cause of the imbalance and decide on the herbal remedies which apply to their condition.

In addition to the knowledge provided by the Tridoshas, the Ayurveda practitioner anchors themselves in the science of Herbal Energies. This system classifies herbs based on their therapeutic and biochemical properties, as well as their energies, tastes, and the organs and channels affected. Each herb has therapeutic properties, based on its energy.

The Ayurveda practitioner prescribes herbal remedies based on their properties or energy/quality. These are determined based on the twenty attributes, which present themselves in ten pairs of opposites: slow/sharp, oily/dry, cold/hot, slimy/rough, dense/liquid, soft/hard, static/mobile, subtle/gross, cloudy/clear and heavy/light. Herbs are further divided according to six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Everyone needs the six tastes in their daily diet, however, one of them usually predominates.

In Ayurveda, health is not merely the absence of sickness, but the state in which mind, body, and spirit live in a happy state. A healthy living being has a balance between the doshas, with adequate functioning of the Dhatus (body tissues), Agni (metabolic enzymes and digestive functions), Mala (metabolic by-products and excretory functions) and gratifications or Indriya (sensory modalities), Manah (mental faculty) and Atma (self).

According to Ayurveda, everything in the universe, and thus, in the human body, is comprised of five great elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. They are mixed in a variety of proportions and make every part of matter unique. The five great elements create the dynamic flux that moves the universe and thus constitute the base for all diagnosis and treatment in Ayurveda.

They are the three essential components of the mind and make up the Manasa Prakriti or psychological constitution. The Triguna are: Satva, Rajas and Tamasa. Much akin to what happens with the Tridosha, the Triguna are mixed in a unique way for each person. Rajas and Tamas are susceptible to imbalances, caused by stress and negative desires.

In Ayurveda, seven bodily tissues compose the human body. They are: sukra (reproductive tissues), majja (bone marrow and nervous tissues), asthi (bone), meda (fatty tissues), mamsha (muscle tissue), rakta (formed blood cells) and rasa (plasma). Each body tissue is formed from the previous tissue in ascending order of complexity. When food is ingested, it is digested until it becomes a liquid in the small intestines and becomes ahara rasa, or food essence. It then is transformed into rasa dhatu, then into rakta dhatu, and so on, until it is finally transformed into sukra dhatu.

They are the waste products of food and the dhatus produced during the normal digestive and metabolical process. The three primary malas are purisa (faeces), mutra (urine) and sveda (sweat).

In Ayurveda, five elements form the building blocks of life. These are Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth and are listed from the subtle, light, and intangible to the heavy, dense, and gross.

Ether or Akasha:

It is the space in which everything happens. Ether is the source of all matter and the space in which it exists. Its chief characteristic is sound, which represents the entire spectrum of vibration.

Air or Vayu:

It is existence without form. Air is the gaseous form of matter, which is mobile and dynamic.

Fire or Agni:

It possesses the power to transform the state of any substance. It creates the impulses of our nervous reactions, our feelings, and thought processes. It is a form without substance.

Water or Jala:

Represents the liquid state and defines change. It is also necessary for the survival of all living things. Water is a substance without stability.

Earth or Prithvi:

Represents the solid-state of the matter. It characterizes stability, permanence, and rigidity. Earth is considered a stable substance, represented by body parts such as bones, teeth, and tissues. According to Ayurveda, humans are the union of the five great elements and the immaterial self. Hence why, by understanding the dominant elements in an individual, one can anticipate the factors that will influence their mind and body.

Panchakarma -"five treatments" in Sanskrit- is a detoxification program for the mind, body, and consciousness. It strengthens the immune system and restores balance and wellbeing by cleansing the body from vitiated Doshas and a toxic substance called Ama, left by disease and poor nutrition. Panchakarma therapy is typically performed in three stages:

Purvakarma:

It is a preparatory step that helps the body discard toxins by removing them from the stomach and tissue and guiding them to the alimentary canal.

Pradhanakarma:

It is a highly individualized treatment, based on the needs of the patient, depending on their Ayurvedic constitutional type, doshic imbalances, age, among others. The specialized Ayurveda Practitioner decides if the patient requires all or only parts of the therapy.

Paschatkarma:

Post-treatment care, which includes the diet regime and general guidelines to live a healthy life. Pradhanakarma involves the five treatments which make up the core of Panchakarma:

It is painless, drug-induced emesis. Vamana is especially used in Kapha-related illnesses, such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, psoriasis, etc.

Virechana :

It is a medicated purgation therapy. Virechana removes Pitta toxins from the colon and gallbladder, where they accumulate. It is useful in treating illnesses such as vitiligo, headache, elephantiasis, herpes, etc.

Vasti :

It cleanses all three accumulated Doshas: Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. Vasti consists of cleansing the patient’s colon with a herbal enema decoction. It helps alleviate spleen disorders, colic, kidney stones, and other Vata disorders, as well as low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, among others.

Nasya :

It is the administration of medical oils or powders through the nose, in order to clean Kapha toxins from the head and neck. Nasya is excellent for chronic sinusitis, headaches, throat diseases, epilepsy, migraine, etc.

Rakthamokshana :

It is only used in rare conditions and excluded from general Panchakarma. Rakthamokshana removes impurities from the blood through leech therapy and other methods.

Depending on your level of knowledge and the other students in your course, Dr. Amrit will adjust the information covered and course material so that it is most beneficial for everyone.

Ayurveda is prevention-oriented, free from harmful side-effects, and capable of treating the disease at its source. It can legitimately claim to be both scientific and truly holistic, employing 20 systematic approaches to health from the angles of mind, body, behavior, and environment. These therapies do not conflict with either conventional or complementary methods, so they can be successfully employed alongside other systems of healing if desired.

The power of this Ayurveda Course is Yogi Dr. Amrit Raj’s approach to health, that it looks beyond the changing physical structure of the human body to the value of the intelligence that directs and orchestrates this continuous flow of matter.