spadreams guide - authentic ayurveda

Authentic Ayurveda

AAAyurveda - Knowing the secrets of inner balance is the key to a long and healthy life.This brochure would like to take you to the fascinating and diverse world of Ayurveda.

The Journey to Your Inner Self

ContentsAYURVEDA – WHAT IS IT ? Pg. 1

THE PILLARS OF AYURVEDA Pg. 3

Doshas - Bioenergy Fundamental Principles

Who Am I? - Ayurvedic Types of Constitution

Health and Disease in Ayurveda

AUTHENTIC AYURVEDA EXPERIENCE: Pg. 5

Experience Authentic Ayurveda: Original Ayurveda Treatment “Panchakarma”

Diagnosis

Treatments

Nutrition

SPADREAMS QUALITY CRITERIA Pg. 7

Original Ayurveda Treatment with SpaDreams

Health, Vitality and High Spirits through Ayurveda

GLOSSARY Pg. 8

A Bief Glossary of Key Ayurveda Terminology

Bibliography

Over the past two decades, native to India, Ayurveda health teaching has made an exemplary career in the West. Ayur-veda is “in”, and not without reason because the therapies of Indian health teachings are very versatile. Ayurveda is suita-ble both for healing and to prevent disease, for rejuvenation, revitalization or simply to increase well-being. With its holistic approach, involving personal lives of individuals, Ayurveda is taking on greater significance in the Western society to reduce many types of stress and its consequences.

However, the popularity of Indian health science also means that there is now a flood of various Ayurveda offers that do not always have anything to do with authentic Ayurveda. To the layman, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know and select the right offer for themselves. One of the reasons is certainly that Ayurveda as a complex health care system is not easy to recognize by itself. It uses its own language and hosts a variety of forms and interpretations.

SpaDreams has offererd Ayurvedic treatments for over 20 years, in the countries including India and Sri Lanka, where Ayurveda was originated. We would like to share with you our expert knowledge acquired over the years, to give you a better overview of the most important aspects and compo-nents of the Indian health science.

SpaDreams Ayurveda Guidebook

SpaDreams - Original Ayurveda Guidebook1

ContentsAYURVEDA – WHAT IS IT ? Pg. 1

THE PILLARS OF AYURVEDA Pg. 3


Who Am I? - Ayurvedic Types of Constitution


AUTHENTIC AYURVEDA EXPERIENCE: Pg. 5


Diagnosis

Treatments

Nutrition

SPADREAMS QUALITY CRITERIA Pg. 7



GLOSSARY Pg. 8

A Bief Glossary of Key Ayurveda Terminology

Bibliography

AYURVEDA - a name that is attached to the charm of the unknown and exotic. Anyone who is interested in health has at least heard the word before, but what lies behind it exact-ly? An initial approximation is provided by the translation of the term. The word “Ayurveda” is derived from the Sanskrit, the ancient standard language of India and is composed of the words “Ayus” for “life” and “Veda”, meaning “knowledge”, “wisdom” together. Ayurveda is therefore nothing less than the “knowledge of life”.

The foundation of this knowledge is the realization of the wholeness of life. According to the Ayurvedic understanding, the body cannot be seen in isolation from the soul and the person is not separated from its environment. There are innu-merable interactions and complex relationships. Ayurvedic diagnosis and therapies therefore take into account all areas of human life such as emotions, mind, body, behavior, living environment, social life and influence of daytime and seasons in their interaction.

The treatments of Ayurveda are many. They are based on sound nutrition science tailored to the personal constituti-on of the individual and herbal medicine with over 3,000 different plants and herbs that comprise a variety of cleansing techniques (e.g. Panchakarma), an oil massage and many other beneficial treatments – all combined with a spiritual yoga and meditation practice.

Providing well-being and preventing disease is always its main concern but, in the context of an authentic original Ayurve-dic treatment, diseases, especially chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or high blood pressure, can also be cured or alleviated. Ayurveda is a multi-talented science!

Ayurveda is millennia-old art of healing. The roots of Ayurve-da date back to the time of the Vedic civilization of ancient India more than 5,000 years ago. There are few historical documents about the Vedic period of the Far Eastern healing

arts. The starting point of the few texts from that period is the meditation review of the Rishis, the sages who passed on their knowledge orally. Only in the centuries around the birth of Christ, in the so-called Upanishadic period, also respectfully called the “Golden Age” of Ayurveda, developed what we call Ayurveda today. During this time, the most important classical texts emerged: the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, which still form the basis of Ayurveda.

With the spread of Buddhism (from about the 6th century B.C.), Ayurveda experienced a boom and many Ayurvedic universities and hospitals emerged. During the 200 years of colonial rule of England, from the mid-18th century, the Ayur-vedic teachings were defamed as backward and completely suppressed. All Ayurvedic universities were closed. Only in the second decade of the 20th century under Mahatma Gandhi, did Ayurvedic colleges emerge again. After the inde-pendence of India in 1947, Ayurveda was finally awarded the status of an official system of medicine.

Ayurveda - What Is It?

SpaDreams - Original Ayurveda Guidebook 2


The key to understanding Ayurveda lies in the doctrine of the three doshas. According to them, in the human organism, there are three basic energetic forces at work. They control all physical and mental functions of an individual and are cal-led Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The various functions of the three doshas arise from their characteristic properties that can be derived from the five basic elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth. Connected among themselves, the elements form the three doshas. VATA consists of the elements air and ether, and is considered the absolute life energy. Features: lightweight, flexible, fast, subtle, cold, dry, rough.Functions: controls all voluntary and autonomic movements, affecting the muscles, regulation of the internal organs, circu-lation, respiration and all excretion processes. It also affects spiritual capacity, clarity and alertness.

PITTA is associated with the elements of water and fire, and is considered the metabolic principle. Features: hot, light, flowing, liquid, sharp, piercing, slightly oily.Functions: regulation of body temperature, digestion and metabolism, blood formation, skin and eyesight, intellect and emotional expression.

KAPHA is formed from the earth and sea. Our resistance to disease is dependent on this dosha. Features: heavy, cold, soft, sweet, stable, slow, oily, smooth, firm, languid. Functions: responsible for body structures and fluid balance, regulates mental stability and harmony as well as memory functions.

Who Am I? Ayurvedic Types of Constitution

Everyone brings together all three doshas in themselves. In that respect, one can have one, two or all three doshas predominate. The dominant doshas characterize personal properties, the physical and mental characteristics of a human being. Accordingly, in Ayurveda there are different types or constitutions. A total of seven types of constitutions are distinguished: Vata, Pitta, Kapha, Vata-Pitta, Pitta-Kapha, Vata-Kapha and Vata Pitta Kapha.

The constitution describes the strengths and weaknesses, providing information about susceptibility to illness and explains different reactions to food, sensations and climate or living conditions. In the treatment and prevention of diseases, therefore, the determination of the constitutional type plays an important role.

The Pillars of Ayurveda


Main Features of the Vata type:Lighter body constitution and light weight, tendency to dry skin, aversion to cold and windy weather, irregular hunger and irregular digestion, tendency to constipation, capacity for enthusiasm, quick action, quick wit and good short-term memory, tendency to worry and to sleep disorders.

Main Features of the Pitta Type:Medium-heavy build, normal skin, aversion to heat, extreme hunger and good digestion, prefers cold food and cold drinks, does not like to skip meals, tendency to red hair, freckles, and moles, works systematically and in an organized way, average perception and memory, good speaker and sharp intellect, more adventurous and courageous character prone to impa-tience, easily excitable.

Main Features of the Kapha Type: Sturdy and heavier build, tendency to smooth and oily skin, light feeling of hunger and slow digestion, strong rather dark hair, strength and endurance, approaches things methodi-cally and slowly, calm and balanced personality, slow learner, good long-term memory, deep and long sleep, hard to get worked up.

The characteristics and properties of the different constitu-tional types listed are, of course, only a selection. Only an experienced Ayurvedic physician can create a comprehen-sive analysis of your constitution.


In Ayurvedic teachings, the dynamic balance of the doshas is essential for health. When Vata, Pitta and Kapha are fully functional and their interaction functions well, balance prevails in the organism: The person is healthy. If one or more doshas get off balance, this results first in mood disorders and, in the longer run, in illnesses. But how can doshas be-

come imbalanced? Since our body is closely interwoven with its environment, according to ayurvedic understanding, we are constantly exposed to influences that alter the balance of the doshas. All changes in our environment such as daytime and seasons, food and weather, work and sleep, stress and all actions affect our well-being and can bring the doshas out of balance.

The goal of any ayurvedic treatment is to restore the balance of the doshas and to detect and treat disorders as early as possible, that is, before the outbreak of a disease. Initially, only relatively small changes in diet or individual Ayurvedic treatments like an oil massage to return to the original balan-ce are sufficient. If the problem has progressed, an original ayurvedic treatment proves itself as very effective with focus on Panchakarma.

The Pillars of Ayurveda



“Panchakarma” is the name given to a special Ayurvedic cle-ansing treatment (“fivefold purification”), which rids the body of harmful deposits and restores balance of the doshas.Areas of application for an original Ayurvedic treatment on Panchakarma base can be: rheumatism, cardiovascular diseases, chronic headaches, anxiety and insomnia, stress, burnout, chronic infection of the bronchial tubes and sinuses, metabolic disorders, elevated blood lipids, adult-onset diabe-tes, allergies, post-treatment of severe operations and after chemotherapy, tinnitus, and high blood pressure. In order to achieve ideal treatment results, we recommend that you schedule at least two, ideally three, weeks of Panchakarma therapy.

Diagnosis

Upon your arrival at the hotel or resort, an extensive checkup first occurs by an Ayurvedic physician who uses various me-thods such as pulse diagnosis. The Ayurvedic physician can accurately determine via the pulse, in what state your doshas are and where there is an imbalance. By a conversation as well as the assessment of your physical characteristics such as skin, hair, nails and eyes, he will determine your constituti-onal type and also create a custom treatment plan based on this information. His job is to select the best for you from the plethora of possible applications of Panchakarma therapy and to steadily monitor and adapt therapy during treatment.

Treatments

The Panchakarma therapy is divided into three main phases:

• Purvakarma - Preparatory Measures • Panchakarma - The Five Main Treatments • Paschatkarma - Post-Treatment

Purvakarma – Preparatory MeasuresIn the first, preparatory phase, the doshas and the associated metabolic waste products (Ama) in the tissue are activated. This is done first by using ayurvedic herbs and spices (Agni Diepana-Pachana). In addition, oily substances are used, which are administered internally and externally. For internal use, you take the morning purified and partially medicated butter, called ghee. The ghee penetrates into the cells where it liberates the disturbed doshas. In the phase of external application, you are massaged with soothing oils. Due to the oil massage, toxins stored in the tissue are excreted. Among the most important massages are the full-body massages (Abhyanga), the full-body peeling massage with a mixture of barley and chickpea flour (Udvartana) and the dry full body synchronous massage with raw silk gloves (Garshana).

Authentic Ayurveda Experience


In addition to these forms of massage, other preparatory me-asures include a number of oil treatments such as Shirodhara oil affusion (Snehana). At the end of the first phase, the toxins dissolved by the oil treatments are flushed out of the tissue with the aid of highly sweaty measures such as herbal steam treatments and transported into the gastro-intestinal tract (Swedana).

Panchakarma - Five Time CleansingSubsequently, with the help of effective cleaning techniques of Panchakarma, all excessive doshas released from the tis-sue cells are rejected as toxins. For this purpose, five different methods are used:

1. Vamana - therapeutically induced vomiting 2. Virechana - laxative therapy 3. Vasti – enteric enema 4. Nasya - nasal and sinuses treatment 5. Raktamokshana - blood purification therapy

It has to be said that elements such as the therapeutic vomiting or blood purification therapy, particularly in Western patients, are more rarely or never used. The purification is, in most cases, by purging (Virechana) or performed as an enema (Vasti).

Pashatkarma – Post TreatmentThe effect of Panchakarma therapy is mostly felt in the phase of regeneration afterwards. With the measures of the Paschatkarma, body and mind, after the intensive treatment, are strengthened with certain plant recipes, light oil mas-sages and a structural diet tailored according to the type of constitution. Also Rasayana, soothing treatments of the Ayurvedic rejuvenation treatment, yoga and meditation play an important role in the post-treatment.

Nutrition

An extremely important role in balancing the doshas in a Panchakarma therapy assumes the diet. Ayurveda attributes an important therapeutic significance to digestive capacity (Agni). It is considered to be “life flame”, turning the food into the body’s own energy and structural components. “Agni” is granted even more importance than the type of food to be digested. They should be balanced and especially meet an individual’s constitutional type. Balanced, in the Ayurvedic sense, means all flavors (sweet, sour, salty, hot, bitter, tart (or astringent)) must be included. In the context of an original Ayurvedic treatment, your therapist will create a food plan specially tailored to your body type.

Authentic Ayurveda Experience



Since its foundation over 35 years ago, SpaDreams has established itself as a leader in healthcare holidays through high quality services, personalized service and a high level of advisory competence. For over 20 years, we have offered original Ayurvedic treatments. During this time the Ayurveda program has been continuously extended and meets the highest quality standards:

• SpaDreams attaches great importance to the distin-ction between original Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Wel-lness. Single, gentle Ayurvedic treatments such as oil treatments or massages are referred to as “Ayurveda Wellness” and are administered without prior medical diagnosis for regeneration, rejuvenation or purely to feel good. All hotels and resorts we offer are marked appropriately in the SpaDreams catalog depending on whether they offer original Ayurveda or Ayurvedic Wellness.

• All our hotels and resorts offering original Ayurveda, for example, in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates but also in Poland and Germany, are speciali-zed in Ayurveda.

• The treatments of the original Ayurvedia are carried out under the supervision of an experienced Ayurvedic physician.

• At the beginning of Ayurveda treatment, the doctor creates an individual treatment plan for you after a com-prehensive initial examination.

• With all our Ayurveda hotels and resorts, we have long-standing contacts and secure jointly directly on site

regular quality standards. Through continuous cooperati-on, trust has arisen between SpaDreams and its partners from which you benefit from the best service before and during the treatment.

• In order to relieve you and so that you can focus on your Ayurvedic health, SpaDreams offers a transparent, all-inclusive package that includes all travel components: arrival, Ayurvedic food, Ayurvedic treatments and reme-dies as well as medical care and yoga.

• An original Ayurveda treatment should be carefully prepared. We are happy to help you there! Our team of experts will advise you individually and help you in selecting an appropriate treatment.


No matter what motivation you have to perform a classical Ayurvedic treatment, whether you want to relax from eve-ryday stress and do something for the body and soul, have specific troubles or simply want to learn about the exciting world of Oriental traditions: an authentic original Ayurveda treatment can make a change for the better in your life and will be an unforgettable experience. With its centuries-old knowledge of the connection between body, mind and nature, Ayurveda gives you a deep understanding of human existence and gives you new health, vitality and high spirits for life.

SpaDreams Quality Criteria


A Brief Glossary of Key Ayurveda Terminology:

Abhyanga: full body massage with warm oil.

Agni: digestive fire; universal principle, which refers to both the metabolic activity and the human vitality.

Ama: metabolic waste products and toxins deposited in the cells.

Dhatu: body tissue; there are seven different types of tissue distinguished.

Dosha: bioenergetic regulation system that determines the functioning of the human organism. There are three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Garshan: full body dry massage with raw silk gloves.

Ghee: heated and melted butter fat; considered to be the elixir of life.

Kapha: the Dosha derived from the elements of water and earth; responsible for body structure and fluid balance.

Marma: connection point between matter and consci-ousness; on the skin, there are 107 marma points that can be stimulated by touch.

Nasya: one of the treatments of Panchakarma. Consists of a series of oil massages, herbal steam bath of the head, compresses and nasal irrigation.

Ojas: fine material metabolic end product that is pro-duced with proper digestion.

Panchakarma: Ayurvedic cleansing treatment that rids the body of harmful deposits and restores the balance of the doshas.

Pinda Sweda: Full body massage with warm rice cereal decoction.

Pitta: Dosha derived from the element of fire; responsible

for digestive and metabolic processes and the heat balance.

Prana: life-giving respiratory and nervous energy.

Shrotas: body channels that serve for transport of mate-rial.

Udvarthana: full body rub massage with a slurry of oils and cereals, which is performed simultaneously by two therapists.

Vasti: cleansing enemas.

Vata: Dosha derived from the elements of air and space responsible for the motion sequences in the body. Regulates the activity of mind and body and controls the other two doshas.

Bibliography:

Scherer, Dieter: The big book of Ayurveda: Health in line of our energies, Heinrich Hugendubel publishing, 2002

Schrott, MD Ernst: Ayurveda for every day: The gentle hea-ling art for Perfect Health and wellfare– The latest practice book, Wilhelm Goldmann publishing, 14. ed., 2002

Schrott, MD Ernst/Schachinger, MD Wolfgang (publishing): Ayurveda Manual – Fundamentals and treatments: Under-standings the traditional healing practicallz explained, Karl F. Haug publishing, 2005

Schutt, Karin: Ayurveda – Feeling young for a lifetime, 6th edition, Gräfe and Unzer publishing, 2004

Kirschner, Monika/Schwertfeger, Bärbel: The Ayurveda Boom – Insidertipps and background information, Egmont vgs publishing 2004

Glossary

8 SpaDreams - Original Ayurveda Guidebook

spadreams guide - authentic ayurveda

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