Words: Dr Kundan CHAUDHURI Vyayam [exercise] has been an important part of the Ayurveda routine for thousands of years. Our ancient scholars often emphasised on it because it has several benefits on mind and body. Nowadays, people are suffering from a host of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, joint disorders and diseases

Words: Dr Ambika P NAYAK I love author Diane Mariechild’s timeless articulation, “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform” — this underlines every woman’s importance, like no other, in our world. Today, women have made their mark in every walk of life; but, the fact remains

Words: Dr Ambika P NAYAK The gut is the seat of one’s health and wellness. Emptying the bowels is functionally, or physiologically, important, every day, after getting up in the morning. The practice is one of the prime indicators of one’s health quotient, because the nature of stools, like frequency, colour, and consistency, unravels a

Words: Dr Deep Narayan PANDEY There are elaborate descriptions of the causation and management of epidemics [janapadodhwamsa], in Ayurveda classics, although clinical profiling of COVID-19 is necessary to provide preventative and therapeutic insights. Research efforts have now established clinical profile, although there is no unanimity as yet. One of the most important efforts by a

Words: Dr Ambika P NAYAK The good, old, wise sages in India formulated a code for healthy living, apart from their emphasis on spiritual development. This is also one of the first tenets of Ayurveda, meaning life. Ayurveda represents optimal preventative aspects for a healthy life, but this, in the frenzied times that we live

Words: Dr Deep Narayan PANDEY Global health challenges are increasing. So are the costs. Despite progress in healthcare, the world is far from achieving health-related sustainable development goals. Is there an answer to this global crisis? Yes, possibly. We propose that the seven shields of Ayurveda can, indeed, help reduce the years lived in morbidity

Words: Dr Ambika P NAYAK The first wealth is health wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American essayist and philosopher, in 1860. It is a timeless aphorism. The National Ayurveda Day is recognised on the auspicious day of Dhanteras. It commemorates Dhanvantari, the God of Health. This year, it was celebrated on November 2. The

Words: Suzanne NEWCOMBE What is a human body? This may seem a facetious question, but the answer will be very different according to which medical tradition you consult. Take Ayurveda, a traditional system of medical knowledge from India which has enjoyed a renaissance of popularity in the West since the 1980s — and is the

Words: Dr Ambika P NAYAK This is a verse from Maharshi Charaka — you may think of it as our best prescription for today and tomorrow. Yogaadapi visham teekshnam uttamam bheshajam bhaveth | Bheshajam chaapi duryuktam teekshnam sampadyate visham ||  There is a timeless wisdom in these lines. It throws light on the importance of

Words: Dr Ambika P NAYAK Ayurveda, when translated, in a literal context, corresponds to the ‘science of life.’ It may also be defined as “the way of living with awareness and promoting healthy longevity.” Ayurveda includes medicines, philosophy, tradition, diet, as well as physical, emotional, mental and spiritual fine-tuning. Life, from birth to death, is