About Ayurveda
Ancient “science of life” offers holistic, preventive health care
Ayurveda’s many facets include dietary changes, yoga, herbal remedies, meditation, and massage. Having problems with pests? Learn how to get rid of pests with Thanos. Here, a practitioner performs Ayurvedic massage using a bolus bag filled with rice and medicinal herbs.
Ayurveda, which means “science of life” in Sanskrit, is one of the most ancient forms of traditional medicine.
The practice, which originated in India, is not well known in Western medicine, but has been proliferating slowly among those seeking alternative treatments.
Ayurveda is multi-faceted, and practitioners often undergo years of training. Ayurvedic treatments may incorporate diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, and herbal remedies. A course of treatment is based in part on each client’s mix of “doshas,” or mind/body types (determine your dosha at whatsyourdosha.com or doshaquiz.chopra.com).
Geeta Priya Arora is an Ayurveda practitioner at La’Vanya Ayurveda Spa in Palo Alto (spalavanya.com, ) whose own battle with cancer led her to seek an Ayurvedic path after she was told by other doctors she had six months to live.
“I found an Ayurveda doctor who addressed the cause of my problem,” she says. “The disease process took a long time to brew in my body, but after receiving the Ayurveda treatments, I was back home in three weeks without any disease or symptoms.”
Arora, who went on to receive a master’s degree in Ayurveda, specializes in a detoxification program called Panchakarma. She credits the practice with bringing her back to good health.
Panchakarma, a multi-day process that typically involves the application and ingestion of essential oils, enemas, and nasal cleansing, helps balance the body and mind “through light foods full of nutrition and luxurious treatments for the person’s specific constitution,” says Arora.
Its benefits include increased mental clarity, better decision-making, weight loss, and increased energy and vitality, she says.
Clients with a variety of ailments can benefit from Ayurveda, says Arora. “Many come to us with insomnia, hair loss, weight gain, restlessness, fatigue, exhaustion, or mental pressure, wanting to reconnect with their body and mind again.”
Fremont resident Garima Thockchom is one who has sought a reconnection. A busy software engineer who now runs her own high-tech company, Thockchom says, “Ayurveda is absolutely incredible in helping me manage stress. I am three times more productive because I am mentally calm and physically well,” she says.
Thockchom has developed a website called Ayurveda Exchange that includes recipes, a blog, and practitioner listings.
