Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a holistic approach to living - a sort of lifestyle choice, putting much emphasis on leading a healthy life rather than just curing diseases. There are a variety of natural therapies and treatments all based on medicinal herbs, plants and minerals. The ancient sages and wise men of India widened the scope of Ayurveda by learning about the secret medicinal powers of a wide assortment of plants and minerals found in the terrain. Besides the herbal remedies, Ayurvedic physicians of ancient times were able to perform surgeries with meticulous precision.
The ancient healing system of Ayurveda originated in India during the Vedic times. The word Ayurveda means ‘the science of life’. Rig Veda and Atharva Veda written in 5000 B.C are the earliest written works on Ayurveda. These texts mention about health and diseases. Comprehensive works on Ayurveda - Charaka Samhita and Susrutha Samhita were penned down somewhere close to 1000 B.C. These works elaborate on various types of diseases, therapeutic preventive and curative measures, and injury treatments besides suggestions for a healthy living.
Kerala boasts of an unbroken legacy of fine tuning and perfecting the art of Ayurveda. Kerala’s unique geography and its remote location down south flanked by the towering Western Ghats made it possible for Ayurveda to evolve into a more sophisticated and refined science here. The bio-diversity of Western Ghats with plethora of rare medicinal herbs and plants also made it possible for Ayurveda to evolve into greater perfection. The state of Kerala is now synonymous with wellness – widely acclaimed as “The land of Ayurveda”.