Traditional indian systems of ayurveda & yoga

Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences founded in ancient India. These methods have been practiced for a couple of thousands of years, for the sake of healing the body, soothing the mind and bringing a person towards harmony. Ayurveda is a bit more focused on the body health, while yoga aims to clean the body and mind from the collected negative energy. Practiced together, these two sciences complement each other and balance the different forces within the body in order to prevent and treat ailments.

Ayurveda is a holistic system of traditional medicine. The name Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words: āyus, meaning "longevity", and veda, meaning "knowledge" or "science". Literally translated, ayurveda is a science of longevity. Ayurveda is widely practiced today, even in a western world, although it originates from the Vedic culture of ancient India, around 1500 BC.

Unlike the yoga, ayurveda doesn’t include any physical exercise. Ayurveda is occupied with natural healing of the body by the application of different herbs, oils, massage techniques, etc. Ayurveda is based upon the theory of five essential elements, all of which compose the Universe and human body within it: earth, water, fire, air and ether. The goal of ayurveda therapy is to modify one’s diet and bodily state in such a way to eliminate the factors that don’t suit the most active element in its body. This actually means that ayurvedic therapist carefully tailored their treatments for each individual patient.

Yoga is another ancient Indian practice of natural healing that originates from more than 3000 years ago. The Sanskrit word yoga has can easily be translated as a union, conjunction, joining, controlling, etc. Yoga is far more than just a physical exercise. The real aim of yoga practice is to establish a harmony between the different elements of the person: their body, mind and soul. Moreover, yoga has some fantastic benefits as it relaxes the muscles and relieves chronic muscular pains, improves the blood circulation, and relieves the stress. There are many different schools of yoga, but the modern western notion of yoga is typically associated with hatha yoga. Traditional yoga is a holistic path that includes disciplines, physical postures, purification procedures, poses, breathing and meditation. Hatha yoga, however, consists of mostly asanas, the body positions, understood as physical exercises. Along with the postures, yoga practitioners wish to lengthen, control and regulate their breath in order to develop mental, physical and spiritual strength. Almost everyone can practice the beginner’s yoga, regardless of age, living habits or health status. However, more advanced postures normally require the guidance of an educated teacher.