In an era when people frequently visit their doctors for prescriptions for almost any ailment, it can be difficult to grasp how Ayurvedic medicine works. This post starts a series devoted to the science and sets the stage for understanding why it so relevant today.
For many Americans, journeying back just a few generations leads to a more simple way of life in which “grandma’s wisdom” (as a metaphor for common sense or tried-and-true principles) kept the family healthy. It set the bar for diet and lifestyle habits. It was employed to remedy common ailments. During this earlier time, conventional medicine was an acute care system. Doctors were fewer and farther between. And they were expensive. Visits were reserved for major events like a life-threatening accident, a broken bone or a heart attack.
It was “grandma’s wisdom” that guided preventative care and promoted the objective of not getting sick in the first place. It also enabled family members to avoid many chronic diseases by making the right lifestyle choices. Plus, when someone was “under the weather,” as in fighting a cold or flu, it dictated what tea to fix and what soup to eat. “Grandma’s wisdom” recognized that the body needed ample sleep to recover. It understood that if the body was nourished and rejuvenated the right way, it would repair itself. If—and only if—its measures failed, a doctor took control.
Over subsequent decades, conventional medicine advanced with a sharp, upward trajectory to revolutionize acute care over and over again. Bypass surgery. Organ transplants. Disease eradication. Progress continues to be miraculous. Yet, the fact remains that conventional medicine is not rooted in solving everyday problems. This is evident in rising health care expenditures. According to the CDC, 75 percent of our health care dollars are spent on treating chronic conditions and diseases. The vast majority of these are consequences of diet and lifestyle decisions—or the health issues that “grandma’s wisdom” would have easily set straight in days gone by.
“Grandma’s wisdom” taught that the body needed wholesome food, plenty of sleep and the right amount of physical activity to sustain health. What most people don’t realize is that this knowledge embodied the science of Ayurveda.
It wouldn’t have been difficult for past generations to understand Ayurveda. They lived it. They went to bed early and got up with the sun. They ate “three squares” a day. They kept themselves young by continuing to be active and by enabling their bodies to do the work they were designed to do. Ayurveda has been teaching this common sense approach for thousands of years, but in slightly different terms. Over the next few weeks, we will begin to explore this through a series of educational postings. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, here are a few questions to ponder. Are we expecting too much from a medical system historically based on acute care? Why has so much of “grandma’s wisdom” fallen by the wayside? Please share your thoughts.
