Ayurveda is an ancient science that originated in India thousands
of years ago and is practiced still today. It was a by-product of the elements of Indian culture and its
quality of absorptive cohesiveness. Ayurveda has not been a part of mainstream Indian culture as has
been believed and proposed by many authors and promoters of Ayurveda. The distinct element of Indian
culture has been its flexibility to integrate diverse cultural elements and Ayurveda is a complex
product of this trait resulting out of assimilation of different cultural strands and medical insights.
In its initial evolution, Ayurveda faced the tension between the competition of superiority of ritual
practices versus the scientific use of herbs. What is practiced today is a result of the development of
a paradoxically conservative yet progressive culture.
The practice of Modern Ayurveda is also a culmination of scientific research and experience of nature giving a scientific discipline of medicine that is steeped in religious tradition as well as natural medicine based both on tradition and experience. It is a complete medical system that deals with health in all its aspects including physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, while giving utmost importance to diet, lifestyle habits, and treating and managing specific diseases. Panchkarma treatment forms an important part of the detoxification regimen of Ayurvedic practice. It leads to the complete detoxification of the body and is now a major inclusion in the therapies provided in multiple wellness centers.
