This book examines the history and evolution of Ayurveda and other indigenous medical traditions in juxtaposition with their encounter with colonial modernity. Through the lens of hereditary folk and Ayurvedic practitioners, it focuses on Kerala's heterogeneous medical traditions and presents them against the backdrop of the geographical, historical, sociocultural, ethnographic and regional contexts in which they developed and transformed. The author explores the world of Kerala's last traditionally trained hereditary practitioners (folk healers, poison therapists, Sanskrit-speaking Muslim Ayurvedic practitioners and the legendary Brahman Ashtavaidyan physicians). He discusses the views of these physicians regarding the marked difference between their personalised ancestral methods of treatment and the standardised version of Ayurveda compliant with biomedicine that is practised by doctors today. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, this book will be useful to researchers and scholars of medical anthropology, health and social medicine, sociology and social anthropology, the history of science and modern Indian history, as well as to medical practitioners interested in alternative and traditional medicine.

Ayurvedic Rituals: Wisdom, Recipes and the Ancient Art of Self-Care is your introduction and practical guide to the Ayurvedic philosophy, showing you how a deep connection to yourself and Mother Nature will help you achieve harmony in your body and mind. In this guide, Ayurvedic Diet & Lifestyle Consultant Chasca Summerville introduces this ancient practice to us in a modern setting. Chasca teaches us how we can achieve optimal health and happiness by tuning into Mother Nature and living an Ayurvedic lifestyle: rising daily with the sun, eating a seasonal plant-based diet, using natural/toxin-free personal care products, nurturing our mind and body through meditation & movement, and accessing the apothecary that the plant kingdom offers in abundance. Ayurveda is decadent self-care, it's for anyone wanting to deepen their yoga or meditation practice and it's for those who want to achieve a life of great health, deep fulfilment and serenity. Featuring sumptuous photography, Ayurvedic Rituals includes seasonal recipes, herbal teas, natural beauty recipes, self-care rituals, a plant-based first-aid kit plus methods to reduce stress & anxiety, improve digestion & gut health, and techniques to access deep rejuvenating sleep. Routines and rituals spread throughout the book will help you feel relaxed, happy, healthy and deeply connected to the natural world. This ancient practice will help you find a sense of peace and vitality so you can glow from the inside out.

This book examines depression as a widely diagnosed and treated common mental disorder in India and offers a significant ethnographic study of the application of a traditional Indian medical system (Ayurveda) to the very modern problem of depression. Based on over a year of fieldwork, it investigates the Ayurvedic response to the burden of depression in the Indian state of Kerala as one of the key processes of the local appropriation or glocalization of depression. More broadly, Lang considers: What happens with the category of depression when it leaves the West and travels to South Asia? How is depression appropriated in a South Asian society characterized by medical pluralism? She explores on the level of ideas, institutions and materialities how depression interacts with and changes local worlds, clinical practice and knowledge and subjectivities. As depression travels from 'the West' to South India, its ontology, Lang argues, multiplies and thus leads to what she calls 'depression multiple'.

This book examines the history and evolution of Ayurveda and other indigenous medical traditions in juxtaposition with their encounter with colonial modernity. Through the lens of hereditary folk and Ayurvedic practitioners, it focuses on Kerala's heterogeneous medical traditions and presents them against the backdrop of the geographical, historical, sociocultural, ethnographic and regional contexts in which they developed and transformed. The author explores the world of Kerala's last traditionally trained hereditary practitioners (folk healers, poison therapists, Sanskrit-speaking Muslim Ayurvedic practitioners and the legendary Brahman Ashtavaidyan physicians). He discusses the views of these physicians regarding the marked difference between their personalised ancestral methods of treatment and the standardised version of Ayurveda compliant with biomedicine that is practised by doctors today. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, this book will be useful to researchers and scholars of medical anthropology, health and social medicine, sociology and social anthropology, the history of science and modern Indian history, as well as to medical practitioners interested in alternative and traditional medicine.

A single-source reference on the most important and best-investigated Ayurvedic herbs This book examines the clinical information available on more than 60 Ayurvedic herbs to determine how their use in traditional Indian medicine is supported by modern scientific study. Plants are grouped according to body systems and each entry includes a description, information on the source plant, distribution and traditional use, active chemical constituents, relevant pharmacology, and details of clinical studies and safety findings. This unique book also includes a brief history of Ayurveda, examines the history of drug development and evaluation in ancient India, and identifies current trends resulting from scientific investigation. Worldwide interest in Ayurveda is growing quickly, especially in the United States, Europe, and Japan. But until now, information on Western-style clinical trials on Ayurveda herbs has been scattered and no single source for descriptions, comments, and references has existed. Ayurvedic Herbs presents the first critical validation of Ayurvedic medicine, extensively referenced for physicians and clinicians interested in alternative and adjunctive therapies. This unique book is essential for making informed choices on herb use, offering clinical trial data, results of pharmacological studies, and safety information. Ayurvedic Herbs examines: gastrointestinal agents hepatoprotective agents respiratory tract agents cardiovascular drugs urinary tract drugs antirheumatic agents skin and trauma care agents gynecological agents antidiabetic agents CNS agents rasayana drugs dental and ophthamological agents and much more Ayurvedic Herbs includes cross-references to chapters when a particular plant has more than one indication and watercolor illustrations of twelve major herbs.

A hip, sensual Ayurveda bible for the modern woman, this life-changing guide distills ancient teachings into a spirit-infused yet pragmatic approach to your physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Teacher and yoga instructor Katie Silcox is a leading expert on Ayurveda. She knows that bringing ancient wisdom into our modern lives does "not" mean sacrificing the occasional rendezvous with red wine, fashion magazines, and other sensual pleasures. In "Healthy Happy Sexy," Katie offers not only a philosophy of life but a time-tested (we're talking thousands of years ) method for living your most radiant, healthy, and sexually vital life possible.
Covering everything from how to get the perfect poo to glowing skin to deeper sexual fulfillment, here is a complete guide to women's health. It offers evocative questions, journaling exercises, simple but deep meditations, and natural recipes and remedies for common health and beauty needs. By engaging in these lifestyle choices, you will experience ancient practices that resonate with the way we live our lives now.
Combining Ayurvedic wisdom with practical tools and her lively, playful, and down-to-earth voice, Katie provides a method to heal, entertain, inspire, and remind you that you are one sexy goddess.

Ayurvedic Medicine clearly and comprehensively presents the unique theories and traditions of Ayurveda making them accessible to the health practitioner of today. With a brief history of traditional medicine in India and discussion of principles, treatment strategies and traditional Ayurvedic pharmacy and pharmacology, the book offers an essential overview of the culture in which Ayurveda has developed and the scientific basis behind this holistic approach. It details over 100 plant profiles of Ayurvedic herbs, with images of fresh and dried plants, and 50 traditional formulas, including characteristics, usage, combinations, contraindications, and safety and dosage information for each. This essential resource explains the traditional medical system of Ayurveda, and provides guidance to students and practitioners on how to incorporate herbal medicine into their life and practice.

By offering an empowering personal program of self-care in recovery, this book provides guidance for everyone affected by widespread modern 'addictiveness'. The book explores Ayurveda's understanding of both the problem of our 'one addiction process' and its solution. It offers holistic techniques that enhance any of the traditional recovery pathways and beyond any of the common diet/exercise dogma from mainstream media. It covers the stress/addictive tendencies of the doshic types, and links this to how stress affects metabolism, the main determinant of health. The program offered in the book is an integration of the philosophy, psychology and physical practices of Yoga and Ayurveda to help people shift their life trajectory. With Yoga of Recovery, author Durga Leela presents a complete resource for working with individuals recovering from addiction.

People seeking psychiatric healing choose from an almost dizzying array of therapies--from the medicated mud packs of Ayurveda, to the pharmacopeia of Western biomedicine, to the spiritual pathways of the world's religions. How do we choose, what do the treatments offer, and how do they cure? In Mudpacks and Prozac, Murphy Halliburton investigates the very different ways in which Ayurvedic, Western, and religious (Christian, Muslim, and Hindu) healing systems define psychiatric problems and cures. He describes people's embodied experiences of therapies that range from soothing to frightening, and explores how enduring pleasure or pain affects healing. And through evocative portraits of patients in Kerala, India--a place of incredible cultural diversity that has become a Mecca for alternative medicine--Halliburton shows how sociopolitical changes around the globe may be limiting the ways in which people seek and experience health care, with negative effects on our quality of health and quality of life.

People seeking psychiatric healing choose from an almost dizzying array of therapies--from the medicated mud packs of Ayurveda, to the pharmacopeia of Western biomedicine, to the spiritual pathways of the world's religions. How do we choose, what do the treatments offer, and how do they cure? In Mudpacks and Prozac, Murphy Halliburton investigates the very different ways in which Ayurvedic, Western, and religious (Christian, Muslim, and Hindu) healing systems define psychiatric problems and cures. He describes people's embodied experiences of therapies that range from soothing to frightening, and explores how enduring pleasure or pain affects healing. And through evocative portraits of patients in Kerala, India--a place of incredible cultural diversity that has become a Mecca for alternative medicine--Halliburton shows how sociopolitical changes around the globe may be limiting the ways in which people seek and experience health care, with negative effects on our quality of health and quality of life.

Ayurveda addresses the well-being of the entire being - physical, psychological and spiritual - in an approach to health and healing that is as relevant to the modern world as it was to the ancient world from which it emerged. Herbs and minerals, nutrition and purification, affirmative ways of living are a few of the ways in which Ayurveda treats not just the ailment but the whole person, emphasising prevention of disease to avoid the need for cure. The Ayurvedic principles and practices outlined in this book form a sound basis for accessing optimal health in balance.

Plants constitute an excellent ecosystem for microorganisms. The environmental conditions differ considerably between the highly variable aerial plant part and the more stable root system. Microbes interact with plant tissues and cells with different degrees of dependence. The most interesting from the microbial ecology point of view, however, are specific interactions developed by plant-beneficial (either non symbiotic or symbiotic) and pathogenic microorganisms. Beneficial interactions are caused by symbiotic and non-symbiotic bacteria and a highly specialized type of fungi, the mycorrhizae. The pathogenic and detrimental interactions of microbes involve viroids, viruses, bacteria and fungi, and lead to infectious diseases affecting only the plant kingdom. Microflora composition of any agro-ecosystem is governed by the equilibrium created by the associations and interactions of all flora and fauna found in the community. In soil, microorganisms live in close proximity and interact among themselves as well as with existing plant communities in different ways, which could be beneficial (mutualism, commensalism, proto-cooperation) or neutral (epiphytic). These microbial interactions govern the functioning and stability of agro-ecosystem, playing significant role in the production and productivity crops. Hence, this book on Plant-Microbe Interactions is aimed at bringing out the recent developments in this field including the molecular mechanisms and proteomics involved in the establishment of Plant-Microbe Interactions. The book reviews the enormous diversity of plant associated microbes, and their molecular mechanisms, small molecules and proteomics involved in the establishment of their mutual interactions. Utilization of these rhizosperic, phyllospheric and endophytic microbes as nutrient providers, in combating phytopathogens and ameliorating the stressed and polluted soils is also explained. Importantly, the book also throws light on the unanswered questions and future direction of research in the field. It illustrates how the basic knowledge can be amalgamated with advanced technology to design the future bio-formulations. This book will be useful in providing latest information in this topic to Scientists, Researchers, Ph.D and PG students working in the field of Plant Sciences.

The basic aim of this manual is to provide useful resource materials for training young students and faculties working in the area of plant systematics. The manual provides updated information on basic as well as applied aspects of plant systematics on various groups of plants like Algae, Lichens, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. 1 to 3 describe the various approaches and methods to study microbial and fungal diversity, which is basically a very useful precursor to the students and young researchers. 4 and 5 provide deals with the multi-dimensional approaches in Lichen systematics. The book progresses upwards through the plethora of information on the diversity and systematics of Algae, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms ( 6-10). 11 to 15 contain on the plant methodological details identification, approaches and methods of Flora, revision, monograph and development of herbarium. This information is very important for the students and young faculties who intend to pursue their researches in plant taxonomy. 14 and 15 particularly provide all the relevant information on the International Code of Plant nomenclature including cultivated plants. These s per se are very significant for the amateur as well as serious readers of plant taxonomy. Plant taxonomy and biosystematics is a dynamic subject, as it derives information from various other disciplines like palynology, seed morphology, pharmacognosy, molecular biology, etc. We have, therefore, broaden the scope of this book by including the s on palynology, seed morphology, molecular systematics, biostatistics, ecological and remote sensing methods for diversity analyses, and pharmacognostical tools for identification of herbal drugs ( 16-22). The knowledge and information on these applied aspects of biology in relation to taxonomy will certainly infuse the interest in readers, who are pursuing plant taxonomy as their scientific pursuits. 23 and 24 describe the various methods of characterization and evaluation of ornamental and medicinal plants. The last (25) of the book provides the information about CSIR-NBRI Botanic Garden and its various repositories, which could be of great interest to the readers from the perspectives of plant conservation.

The essential oils are present in the specific cells called as glandular cells present in the plant part that may be anywhere on plant body. Upon rupture of these glands aroma come out which are volatile in nature and combination of all chemical constituents are fragrance what we get sense. Essential oils are used in perfumery, aromatherapy, cosmetics, incense, medicine, household insect repellent cleaning products, and for flavoring food and drink. They are also valuable commodities in the agricultural industries as anti-feedants, repellents, botanical insecticides, natural herbicides and growth boosters are still open to fascinating realms of research. All information's are confined in scattered manner and hence an effort has been made to collect all information's and compiled together and represented in this book in a simple manner to serve the basic concept to the readers. This book complied with five s' viz. 1. Introduction 2. General extraction method for essential oils 3. Market statistics for importance of essential oils 4. Individual medicinal and aromatic plants 5. New aromatic plants and their future research.

The objectives of the book is to highlight the relevance of traditional medicine and way towards ethnopharmacology, to share research achievements and innovations in herbal science, to evaluate and review opportunities for advancing herbal drug research in the region, to provide a platform to map an agenda for the development of phytomedicine, to address issues concerning conservation of medicinal plants. The book has been compiled with 30 articles based on the original research work by eminent academicians and scientists of the country on different areas of phytomedicine. Recent trends and techniques involved from the search, documentation, processing, sustainable utilization and conservation of medicinal plants are the highlights of this book. It will provide a unique opportunity to boost up the knowledge in various aspects of medicinal plant research.

Ayurveda is one of the World's oldest and most comprehensive systems of natural medicine, and is particularly useful for addressing the chronic conditions Western medicine finds difficult to treat. This authoritative book provides a comprehensive introduction to Ayurvedic medicine for the practitioner or student. The authors describe the foundations and principles of Maharishi Ayurveda in detail, and drawing on the latest scientific research into its efficacy, show what it can offer clinical medicine in the West. Topics covered include pathogenesis and diagnosis, diet and digestion, toxic build-up, purification therapies, the effects of the emotions and thinking on health, and the practical applications of Transcendental Meditation. This updated and expanded second edition describes specific Ayurvedic treatments for a range of common medical conditions, and also contains information on more general Vedic approaches to health and wellbeing. This book will provide complementary and alternative health practitioners with a solid base on which to build their understanding of Maharishi Ayurveda, and will also be of interest to mainstream health professionals wishing to learn more about the efficacy of this ancient healthcare system.

Dr Lad teaches a systematic method for identifying the causes of illness and the stages in which a disease unfolds. This paradigm of cause and effect (etiology and pathogenesis) is the key to understanding how disease can be prevented through awareness of the subtle energetic disturbances that precede structural or functional damage. Sharing from a wealth of clinical experience, Dr Lad presents principles and methods of assessment using a combination of the most helpful Ayurvedic and modern techniques.

The Indian population has used Ayurvedic herbs for centuries, but now modern scientific work has led to recognition and acceptance at a global level. The major cause of the increased popularity of Ayurvedic medicine stems from recent scientific validation and its potential in lifestyle management. This growth in research in India and worldwide has created the need for a resource covering the scientific development of Ayurvedic herbs for practice during the postclassical period. The Modern Ayurveda: Milestones Beyond the Classical Age explores a host of topics essential to understanding the surge of scientific work now being conducted on this ancient practice. A one-point source for the modern explorer attempting to appreciate the transformation of Ayurveda from an empirical to a rationalist understanding, the book enumerates more than 400 Ayurvedic herbs with compiled information including their botanical name, common Ayurvedic name and family, their attributes, chemical constituents, phytochemical markers, pharmacological actions, and their interactions and toxicity. It explores current research methodologies for the evaluation of efficacy and safety of herbal medicine and discusses the contemporary international regulatory status of herbal drugs. Ayurvedic medicine can be better understood and utilized through the application of modern scientific analytical tools for standardization, modern pharmacological tools for safety and efficacy evaluation, and the application of biotechnology to elicit the mechanism of drug actions. Bringing Ayurveda into the 21st century, this volume will inform further progress and open new doors to treatment.

This is an easy-to-follow guide to the ancient Indian system of health and diet by body type, with over 150 photographs. You can learn how to understand and use the ancient Indian healing system to promote spiritual harmony and physical health. You can discover your body type - Vata, Pitta or Kapha - and how to maintain complete well-being through diet, massage, herbs, crystals and exercise. It includes step-by-step sequences for crystal infusions, massage techniques, and tonics recommended to restore the body's balance. It is a fascinating introduction covers the origins of Ayurveda, its influence and the different branches of Ayurvedic medicine. It offers advice on Ayurvedic self-help in the home with treatments for common ailments, such as insomnia, headaches, colds and skin problems. The traditional healing system of India, Ayurveda is increasingly popular throughout the world. Literally translated, it means 'life knowing' or 'science of life', and is one of the oldest recorded health practices still used today. It is a complete health system for mind, body and spirit. Rather than treating symptoms, it treats the whole patient, working holistically to prevent and treat disease. This accessible book explains how you can discover your body type and how the elements express themselves within you. It then takes you through the dietary requirements, massage techniques and appropriate oils, herbs, crystals, gems, exercise and tonics recommended for each body type. Whether you are looking for a complete holistic healing system or simply need to regain a sense of balance and harmony, this is the ideal guide to using and understanding the powerful system of Ayurvedic medicine.

This book is a concise, easy-to-understand practical guide on Ayurvedic wellness and spiritual healing techniques that can be implemented at your own pace and in the comfort of your home. It can be used by anyone who is interested in holistic and natural methods for healing and longevity of life, using the wisdom from the 5,000-year-old Indian science of Ayurveda. The book contains a self-diagnosis questionnaire to determine your "dosha" or constitution, a guide to your perfect diet, stress reduction techniques, and much more. The guidebook is unique in that it presents an exclusive measurement method for portion control, natural food products and recipes conducive to various metabolic types, and information on the many spices and herbs used in Vedic healing. It is a distinctive, all-encompassing treatise for self-healing to bring about a complete mind-body-soul transformation!

'An excellent masterpiece that brings the ancient timeless wisdom of Ayurveda, in a very simple and practical way, to our modern day-to-day life' - Dr Vasant Lad, Director of The Ayurvedic Institute Ayurveda is a 5000-year-old system of medicine that takes a much needed holistic approach to life and wellbeing. Through balancing the three energy forces in the body known as 'doshas', Ayurveda goes beyond the boundaries of conventional practice to reveal your unique physical, emotional and mental needs. Expert practitioner Geeta Vara BSc and PGDip in Ayurvedic Medicine, gives simple, daily applicable rituals and wisdom that can be personalised to suit you, including guidance on food as medicine, detoxification, movement and meditation. By teaching us to reconnect with our natural bio-circadian rhythms, Ayurveda will lead you out of the doctor's surgery and on a journey towards self-healing. WITH THIS BOOK, YOU CAN: * Discover your mind/body type * Better understand the epicentre of your health - the gut * Learn to identify early signs of imbalance * Transform your diet through taste and mindful eating * Be empowered to take a preventative approach to healthcare * Tackle personal health problems including: stress and fatigue, immune system issues, gastro-intestinal problems, disturbed sleep, migraines, weight management and more

Dagmar Wujastyk explores the moral discourses on the practice of medicine in the foundational texts of Ayurveda. The classical ayurvedic treatises were composed in Sanskrit between the first and the fifth centuries CE, and the later works, dating into the sixteenth century CE, were still considered strongly authoritative. As Wujastyk shows, these works testify to an elaborate system of medical ethics and etiquette. Physicians looked to the ayurvedic treatises for a guide to professional conduct. Ayurvedic discourses on good medical practice depict the physician as highly-educated, skilled, moral, and well-mannered. The rules of conduct positioned physicians within mainstream society's and characterized medical practice as a trustworthy and socially acceptable profession. At the same time, professional success was largely based on a particular physician's ability to cure his patients. This resulted in tension, as some treatments and medications were considered socially or religiously unacceptable. Doctors needed to treat their patients successfully while ostensibly following the rules of acceptable behavior. Wujastyk offers insight into the many unorthodox methods of avoiding conflict while ensuring patient compliance shown in the ayurvedic treatises, giving a disarmingly candid perspective on the realities of medical practice and its crucial role in a profoundly well-mannered society.