I have become very interested in Ayurvedic medicine over the last few years. I recently read a great book written by Deepak Chopra about Ayurvedic medicine, and I wanted to tell you about it. I found this book to be a wealth of interesting information and definitely an excellent resource for me to consult in the future. If you’re interested in Ayurvedic medicine, then this is definitely a great place to start.

This book has a great treatment of the history of Ayurvedic medicine, which is essentially preventative medicine dating back several thousand years ago to practises in ancient India. Interestingly, the word Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit words meaning life and knowledge, or the science of life. Chopra comments that an even more accurate interpretation of the word, and a more precise reading, would be “the knowledge of lifespan”.

The book describes the guiding principle of Ayurvedic medicine, which is the principle that the mind exerts the greatest influence on the body. Arising from this principle is the concept that eliminating illness from the body requires bringing our mind and awareness into balance, which then extends to putting our body into balance. According to Ayurvedic medicine, this state of greater balance of the mind and awareness can create a greater state of overall health in the body.

I also learned that the principles of Ayurvedic medicine have different implications depending on a person’s “doha”. There are three kinds of doshas: kappa, pitta, and vatta. Each of these three doshas are described in detail throughout this excellent book. I learned that I am a pitta type, which has important implications for my ideal diet and lifestyle. All of this information is very well described, which makes this a great resource for someone wanting to learn about Ayurvedic medicine, identify their dosha type, and plan out a diet and lifestyle that best suits that type.

That’s all from me for now! Happy reading… 🙂