Study of Ayurveda

Study of Ayurveda in ancient India

In ancient India, an Ayurvedic physician is called by the Sanskrit name ‘Vaidya’, means a knowledgeable person or one who heals the illness from its root. To become an Ayurvedic physician one has to learn under his preceptor (Guru) for many years staying at the teacher’s residence. This system of studies is called the ‘Guru Kula system’. The student starts the day of learning as early as 3 AM (the best time for philosophic subjects). The entire Ayurveda is told in the poetic form of Sanskrit verses. (even today this method of teaching and learning is followed). It is mainly for the purpose of memorising easily. The classical text called ‘Astanga Hrdaya’ is composed of 7120 verses. To give an example how they experiment and learn in the different branches of Ayurveda – E.g.: In surgery, While teaching the manoeuvre of giving careful incision and scraping, the student is given a urinary bladder of animal filled with water (imagine a thick balloon filled with water). To take the blood vessels and the different layers of bladder by careful incision and scraping without breaking it. And to learn the method of *probing* in surgery, he is given a ripe Jack fruit (a big fruit having a lot of seeds). By making 4 holes in 4 directions and there by to search (probing) and to take the seeds one by one with a flexible probe, by giving minimum injury to the flesh of the fruit. (remember a time when no X – ray technology exists). Apart from the learning process, these types of exercises will sharpen the concentration of the student. Later he is taught dissection on a dead body and later on to assist the teacher and finally when the teacher observe that the student acquired sufficient knowledge in the subject by repeated experiments and examination to be inducted to practice independently. This type of curriculum exists during the then times for different branches of Ayurveda. This shows that how carefully a student is taught to transform theory to practice. In the course of the studies, the teacher and the students will enter into rational arguments on specific subjects that were a part of the curriculum.

Ayurveda studies in the Present day

In the last century University degree programmes were introduced with a 5 1/2 years degree course (B A M S – Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery). During the first 18 months of the course, one has to study Anatomy (including dissection of Human body) Physiology, Sanskrit and the basics of Ayurveda, Philosophy of Ayurveda (Padartha Vig-na-na) that gives the idea to think with subjective correlation. The following 2 parts of 18 months deal with the therapies in detail, about a thousand different herbs and its herbal preparations and detailed studies on Preventive medicine, Toxicology, Pathology, Gynaecology, Surgery, Paediatrics, Ear Nose and Throat diseases etc. Totally more than 4800 hours of studies in 54 months. After the completion of the course at the University, a mandatory practice of 12 months on different branches in Ayurveda.

It will be worthwhile to give a familiar example to note, Why one need expertise in doing therapies? * Shirodhara * a therapy done in almost all Ayurvedic centre. Ayurveda insists that one has to examine the Body type (on dosha basis), deranged dosha (Vikruthi), stage of the illness and then to determine the type of Herbal oil or decoction or herbal milk or herbal buttermilk to be used. Following to that on the day of the therapy you have to select the time of therapy, consider the season of the year, the mental makeup (sathwa), indicated food habits and regimen for the treatment. And finally during the treatment you have to decide from what height the pot has to be set above the forehead (normally 2 finger width) but specifically to be decided individually by carefully considering the above varying factors and the duration of the therapy (can also be made accurately by the pulse reading). And there are conditions and in individual this therapy is contraindicated. Many of these factors apply to other Ayurvedic therapies too. In brief we can say that ‘ doing a therapy’ is only the tip of the iceberg. Remember during shirodhara we are influencing the Prana vata and Udana vata. Means if it is not done properly it can cause eventual problems. The immediate signs may be loss of sleep, headache, heaviness in the head, feeling of emptiness in the region of heart and consequently it can cause insomnia, tremors, memory loss, loss of balance on quick movement, mental aberrations. Care has to be taken especially for Vata constitution people.

Ayurveda studies in Europe:

In the current scenario of Alternative health care system in Europe and especially in Germany, Ayurveda is emerging with a profound meaning not only in wellness and preventive sector but also in healing disorders. We can divide the Ayurveda studies to be done in 3 different stages or for 3 different groups.

1) Ayurveda for all – a pattern of studies aimed at healthy living. In the current dietetic pattern we are giving importance to the food articles and not to the person who is consuming that Ex: Some people like to take a cup of milk in the morning, to a few it can cause even diarrhoea, for some may have nausea even to the idea of having milk in the morning. So identifying food articles according to the constitution is of utmost importance. Also the incompatible combination of food (Vi-ru-dha Aa-hara) Ex: Milk is considered to be highly nourishing food but when it is combined with banana or sour fruits can eventually cause skin and gastrointestinal problems. And every spices using in Indian food is an herb. Ex: if a person is having acidity can use a pinch of fenugreek powder, a pinch of cumin in the food can reduce gaseous distension of the stomach. Many grand mothers in India know how to manage primary diseases occurring in the family. So a curriculum aiming at a thorough understanding about yourself and the food you eat. And the understanding of regimen like yoga will be adequate.

2) Ayurveda for wellness- This curriculum will invariably include the above. And as we see in Germany most of the practitioners come under this category. It is clearly stated in the classical texts that Ayurveda can help the healthy individual to remain healthy and the other, the cure for illnesses. The former suffices the need here. Here the curriculum has to be set, so that a study of fundamental principles of Ayurveda, the various wellness treatments like the different kinds of massage, shirodhara with an inevitable intermediate lessons aiming at knowing indications and contraindications for each therapies such details like as it is given in the example of Shirodhara earlier.

3) Ayurveda for healing –This course will be meant for health care individuals. Ayurveda can be combined with other systems of medicine. Ex: When a person is undergoing long-term antibiotic therapy, some may have problems of the stomach. The fundamental principles enable the physician to determine that who is prone to have this complication and who will not. The concept of Ayurveda can be used widely in the practice without compromising on the system they already practice.
So someone intending to study Ayurveda for clinical purposes had to learn it from the basics of Ayurveda, the different branches of Ayurveda in detail. The time and involvement is the part that counts. To give an example, more than hundred different herbs are told to be useful in Cardiac illnesses. To assess which herb is appropriate for the person by considering at least 10 different factors is quiet challenging. The more the approximation you get to the point of accuracy the better the result will be.
And for them who intend to involve with Ayurveda have to remember that the objectivity you find in other sciences (For example a fracture you see in an X – ray.) may elude from Ayurveda occasionally, for the reason that Ayurveda mainly deals with processes in the human body. Understanding processes means you study patterns by keeping the unique organisation (a state of dosha balance) of the person at the background. In other words Ayurveda considers the human body as a network where the systems and structures are embedded and is acting in a circular pattern with the Vata dosha (roughly speaking the nervous system) at its core. Here no structure is important than the process but the structure makes the process to happen. For example we say, Vata body type people can have a dry skin because vata is having the property dryness. Here dryness is not the quality of the component or the structure skin but a ‘sign of a pattern’ expressed through the structure skin. The former is a linear thinking where the latter a circular thinking process.

Prasanth Raghavan (B.A.M.S.)
Ayurveda Berater
Ayurveda Praxis in Bad Harzberg
www.ayu-center.de