Ayurveda – Healing in Nepal
Translated, the word Ayurveda means “the science of life” and has been a part of the culture in Nepal for approximately 5 000 years. Ayurveda is an alternative and natural form of medicine in Nepal, and over the years many schools and health facilities have opened across the country. Visitors are urged to explore this unique form of medicine in Nepal and take the opportunity to experience Ayurveda as part of the country’s culture.
Ayurveda uses the body’s energies to explore the balance of a patient’s life and to restore harmony and purity to the individual. It combines traditional Ayurveda herbal treatments, yoga and meditation to restore health, focus and peace. In the various practices of this tradition, some treatment centers focus on the cure and prevention of illness to promote longer and healthier lives and body strength. Nepal is the biggest Ayurveda center in the world, as most of the 1600 different herbs that are used in the medicines and treatments are medicinal plants that are unique to Nepal.
Yoga, which means “Unity”, plays a significant role in the practice of Ayurveda, as it improves posture and awakens awareness to the body. It is a spiritual path that treats both the body and the mind, and has various paths that together stimulate the patient and brings healing in different ways. The art of Yoga, therefore, incorporates techniques of breathing called Pranayama, Dharana works on the concentration, consciousness is touched on through Samadhi and meditation takes the form of Dhyana. To look at the soul and personality, Yoga uses Niyama to improve observations of one’s self, to practice self-restraint through Yama and to withdraw all your senses by practicing Pratyhara.
It is easy to see how Yoga, meditation and Ayurveda work together to improve each individual. The most commonly practiced form of meditation that used in Ayurveda is Vipassana. It is one of the oldest forms of meditation and creates a positive attitude to past experiences and present problems that plague people. It helps a patient to look into their lives and surroundings more clearly and with greater perspective.
Over the past few years, Ayurveda has grown into an industry within Nepal, with overseas scholars flocking to the teaching institutions to gain more knowledge in this ancient form of medicine. It is a healing process in which the physicians only assist and support nature’s healing properties, to restore balance in the lives of those who are ill with stress and the daily strains of a modern civilization.
