Through self-transcendence and self-knowledge, yoga focuses on spiritual wholeness. In contrast, Ayurveda emphasizes psychosomatic wholeness through health care that facilitates self-transcendence and self-knowledge clarity. Yoga’s hallmark of balance necessitates proper attention to the mind and body when practicing this ancient science and art. If we do not give the body the care it needs, it will eventually die from disease. One of the obstacles to successfully completing the yoga process is illness. If you doubt this, try meditating when you have a toothache or a stomachache. You can meditate in this state, of course, but it will never be as good as a meditation session without the feel of pain or ache in your body. Mental disturbances can stem from imbalances within the body, which can be caused by various factors such as physical illness, injury, and poor lifestyle habits and these somatic imbalances can then lead to further imbalances within the mind, creating a negative feedback loop. Therefore, mental training should support both the development of a desire for self-knowledge and the upkeep of a robust and healthy body.
Ayurveda and yoga are closely related sacred or spiritual sciences based on India’s Vedic tradition. The Vedic science of Ayurveda treats mental and physical health. Yoga is the Vedic science of self-knowledge that relies on the health of the mind and body. Both fields have always been used together and developed together. Even though they are undeniably beneficial, yoga and ayurveda are much more than just a system of physical healing or exercise. Ayurveda and classical yoga both take a holistic approach to the human beings, treating not only the physical body but also the mind and spirit. Both emphasize the need to shift from maintaining good physical health to expanding one’s consciousness to new heights. This is known as the yoga and ayurveda of the five sheaths of the physical body: Annamaya Kosha (physical sheath), Pranamaya Kosha (physiological or energy sheath), Manomaya Kosha (psychological or the mind sheath), Vijnanamaya Kosha (wisdom sheath), Anandamaya Kosha (bliss sheath).
One of the most extraordinary spiritual sciences ever discovered is yoga. It gives our lives as a whole a profound meaning, like a huge, multifaceted diamond. It is one of the few spiritual traditions that has consistently developed over the past 5,000 years. Multiple higher powers are made available to us both internally and externally by comprehending the human and natural worlds in all their facets. Yogic practices cover every aspect of our existence. Physical postures, ethical principles, breath control, sensory techniques, affirmations and visualizations, prayer and mantra, and intricate meditative practices are all included in this category. The inspiration for yoga comes from the teachings of Himalayan sages, who lived ten thousand years before this cycle of civilization or the age of the earth. It is said that ancient spiritual traditions of advanced civilizations that have since vanished, can be found in yoga’s teachings. The distillation of the wisdom of numerous ancient sages led to it.
Ayurveda is an evolving teaching that, like yoga, has a long and interesting history. Ayurveda is suitable for people of all ages due to its diversity and ongoing development. One of the world’s leading holistic medical systems is Ayurveda. It addresses every facet of health and wellness: mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical. It includes yoga and meditation practices, diet, herbs, exercise, and all healing methods. Ayurveda gives each person and culture the insight to create a way of living that is in harmony with the natural world and the higher self because it has a unique understanding of the individual’s nature. It promotes all creation’s optimal health and development by comprehending the natural laws. Ayurveda is emerging as one of the most significant global systems of mind-body medicine, following in the footsteps of yoga, which can be found all over the world. It enables us to live in harmony with the larger universe by allowing us to comprehend nature’s language, resulting in self-evolution for the benefit of all creation.
Ayurveda glorifies society, all of creation, and the planet itself, in addition to containing the secrets of individual healing. Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences that came into existence concurrently and have been influenced by one another numerous times over time. They are an essential component of the supreme system of Vedic wisdom, which advocates that our minds and hearts hold the key to cosmic knowledge and that the entire universe is one essential whole. The related Vedic or yogic sciences of astrology, architecture, music, and even language can be brought together to provide an even broader perspective, as yoga and ayurveda work together to provide great benefits on all levels. Yoga is the primary science of self-knowledge. It focuses on self-knowledge and this usually happens through meditation, which takes us out of the world of suffering and ignorance. Yoga shows us how to transform our outer, ego-bound identity into the eternal -essential self, living deep inside of us. The Vedic knowledge of our true nature which is beyond time, space, death, and suffering is the key to all spiritual development.
Like a strong and well-built machine, man’s physical and mental body can withstand certain abuses before manifesting symptoms of protest. Unfortunately, it has become common and widespread practice in the West to ignore the basic rules of health and think that a pill here and a pill there, which do nothing more than alleviate symptoms, can bring wellness. The truth is quite different. The body’s pain is a warning, like the red light on the dashboard of a car. Taking this to that chemical component to relieve symptoms is like using a hammer to smash the red light. Forcing a solution to a problem will only make it worse, instead of appearing to be helpful. Many of the chemicals that are ingested produce no benefit to the body, cannot be eliminated, and therefore simply accumulate in the system. These medicines are combined with additives contained in food (and ingested at a rate of about 12 kg per person per year, approximately). This can lead to a gradual poisoning of the system, with effects that may not be apparent for years. Man is just beginning to be aware of the number of diseases brought about by a technologically advanced society. This is not to say that modern medicine is not necessary, but believing that doctors have absolute knowledge for every health problem doesn’t make perfect sense. Many consultations with various specialists and psychologists could be avoided by leading a healthy life. To fully realize one’s potential, it is essential to maintain a healthy body. If the physical machinery is not in good condition it cannot be a suitable instrument for daily activity, meditation and service to others. Some think that a yogi should reflect his austerity by a skeletal figure and a haggard face. But, in reality, excessive austerities indicate, rather, an inordinate concern for the body, as its energies are directed toward higher mints.
Ayurveda is primarily a self-healing science with the goal of curing mental and physical ailments. This does not imply that Ayurveda is a self-healing practice that does not require the assistance of therapists or physicians. In fact, according to Ayurveda, physicians are necessary for dealing with the variety of health conditions and the complexity of diseases. Self-healing in Ayurveda refers to the process of attaining balance and harmony within the body, mind, and spirit. The ultimate goal of Ayurvedic self-healing is to restore wholeness and well-being to the individual, by addressing not just physical ailments, but also emotional and spiritual imbalances. Ayurveda aims to promote physical and mental well-being and partial cures for mental and physical ailments. However, self-knowledge, the highest form of self-healing, is the ultimate objective of classical Ayurveda, just as it is the ultimate goal of classical yoga. Ayurveda teaches us how to achieve optimal health for the purpose of providing the holistic foundation and sufficient energy for the yogic pursuit, not for the purpose of increasing our external pleasure. Prana, or the life force, is the common concept that unites yoga and Ayurveda. Yoga is prana intelligence looking for growth and change. The healing art of Ayurveda aims to unite previously established life systems. Yoga and Ayurveda work together to provide total discipline, transforming our lives on all levels from the physical to the deep spiritual, with extraordinary vitality and creativity.
In the West, yoga and Ayurveda are commonly referred to as “yoga”. There are yoga classes in every city and neighborhood. Asanas, or physical postures, are the most obvious aspect of yoga for many people. Even though yoga asanas serve as an excellent entry point into the vast temple of yoga, they are neither the primary structure nor the primary object of yoga. People who study yoga eventually come into contact with its more expansive and spiritual practices, like mantra and meditation. In a similar vein, Ayurveda is now recognized as a specialized natural medicine system in the West. Nearly every city now has an ayurvedic center. Numerous well-known books and periodicals have presented the concept of various ayurvedic structure types. However, ayurvedic diet and physical practices are only one component of the system. The other and possibly more significant aspect is the inner healing of the subtle body, which can be accomplished through yogic practices and meditation. Ayurvedic therapies are also offered by some yoga centers, and the two sciences are frequently studied together. However, the significance of yoga’s connection to ayurveda may go unnoticed by many people who initially take up the practice as a sort of physical model. This also applies to a lot of yoga teachers and yoga therapists who haven’t been trained in ayurveda.
Yoga has traditionally dealt with the spiritual aspect of life in India. Ayurveda, on the other hand, prescribes lifestyle regimens and treats mental and physical illnesses. In ayurvedic medicine, yoga has traditionally been prescribed as a form of therapy or exercise. In theory and practice, classical yoga therapy is ayurvedic. Those who want to use yoga for healing should keep this in mind. They should not disregard the advantages of incorporating ayurvedic insights into yoga therapy. They should acquire an understanding of the ayurvedic influences that are present in yogic practices, and not attempt to define yogic healing solely in terms of contemporary psychology or modern medicine. The study of yoga and ayurveda together is very important for both fields because it helps us understand life in its entirety and how we express it. We all have the same goal, both individually and collectively, to restore the wholeness of the body, mind, and spirit.
