Ancient Indian Ayurveda

Ancient Indian Ayurvedic therapy is a traditional holistic healing system that has been passed down for more than 5,000 years. The core logic is to achieve health maintenance by adjusting the balance of the individual's body, mind, soul and natural environment. It is not a "metaphysical witchcraft" spread on the Internet, nor is it a "miraculous treatment" that can cure all diseases. Its active ingredients have been verified by some modern medicine, and there are also many controversial points that need to be regulated.

In the past two years, I spent half a month in a seaside town in southern Sri Lanka. I stayed in the small courtyard of Pushpa, a local Ayurvedic doctor. Herbal medicines such as myrobalan, amla and basil were planted in half of the courtyard, and coconut trees were planted in the other half. There were two calico kittens lying under the shade. The smell was a bit like a traditional Chinese medicine store in China, mixed with the sweetness of coconut, and not so bitter. Pushpa is the inheritor of the traditional Ayurveda school in South India. His family has been doing this for generations. Most of the people who come to see him are nearby residents, and there are almost no tourists carrying cameras.

It’s interesting to say that a local office worker in his twenties came that day. He wore black-rimmed glasses and his eyes were as blue as if he had been punched twice. He said that he had endured the project for three consecutive months and suffered from constipation and insomnia. The acne on his face had disappeared and grown again, and he had been drinking probiotics for several months to no avail. Pushpa felt his pulse, then looked at his tongue and the whites of his eyes, and said that he had a Vata (wind type) constitution imbalance. Without prescribing any expensive medicine, he scooped half a can of homemade ghee from the kitchen pot to him, and asked him to drink half a cup of warm milk on an empty stomach every morning. Don't watch short videos while eating, chew each mouthful of rice 20 times, and turn off the lights before going to bed before 10 o'clock. I was still muttering to myself that this was too perfunctory, but the young man came back half a month later, his face brightened by more than one degree, and said that the constipation was gone, and he could now sleep by touching the pillow.

Oh, by the way, I have also stepped into the trap of Ayurveda myself. Two years ago, when domestic internet celebrities were promoting oil pulling, I followed the trend and bought an imported brand of Ayurvedic sesame oil, saying that I could hold it for 15 minutes and spit it out every morning. It could whiten teeth and remove moisture. As a result, after three days of use, my mouth was full of oral ulcers, which was so painful that I couldn’t even drink my favorite bubble milk tea. Later, when I asked Pushpa, I found out that I have a typical pitta (fire type) constitution and I tend to get angry easily. Sesame oil is warm in nature, which for me is like adding fuel to the fire. Oil pulling is a traditional technique, but not everyone can use it. People with a Kapha (water-earth) body type can use it to improve oral inflammation. If I have a pitta body type like me, I have to control the frequency of oil pulling with cool coconut oil. Nowadays, online sellers don’t mention physical fitness. They just push it blindly when they catch people. It’s just cutting leeks.

Pushpa is actually very disgusted with the fact that many commercial organizations now package Ayurveda into high-end SPA programs, with medicated oil massages costing thousands of dollars each time. He said that they are just for tourists to enjoy. The cost of real Ayurveda intervention is very low. Most of them are to adjust the diet and rest, and at most add some common herbs, such as Trichosanthes, turmeric, etc., which can be bought in the local vegetable market, and are not that mysterious at all. Of course, there is a big gap in understanding between different schools. Many of the popular Ayurvedic systems in North India are also tied to healing programs such as yoga and singing bowls. Pushpa didn’t say it was bad, he only said, “It’s for people who need it. People here just need to eat well and sleep well.”

Don’t think it’s all good. In fact, there has always been a lot of controversy. Previously, the Indian Food and Drug Administration inspected a batch of substandard Ayurvedic medicines, with mercury and lead content exceeding the legal limit by more than ten times. Pushpa said that the traditional craft does include the "Rasha" technique, which mixes trace minerals and herbs and is harmless to the human body if operated in a standardized manner. However, many small workshops nowadays are in order to make quick money and the processing technology is not in place, which can easily lead to problems. The WHO has long promulgated production specifications for Ayurvedic medicines. The safety of compliant products is guaranteed. We are afraid of those three-no products under the banner of "ancestral secret recipes."

There are now many academic verifications of Ayurveda. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of curcumin and the gastrointestinal regulation effect of Trichosanthes have been confirmed by clinical experiments. There are also medicated oil massages for osteoarthritis. The pain relief effect is similar to that of some topical analgesics. These are real and effective parts, and there is no need to beat them to death with a stick. But if someone tells you that Ayurveda can cure diabetes and cancer, just turn around and walk away. They are pure liars.

I still keep a small jar of Tri-Fruit Powder at home. If I eat too much and suffer from indigestion, I will drink it. When the season changes and my skin becomes dry, I will also apply some coconut oil with turmeric on it. It is really useful. To be honest, whether it is Ayurveda or other traditional healing systems, they are essentially life and health guidelines summarized by the ancients. They actually have a lot in common with our traditional Chinese medicine’s diet and health logic. Just use what suits you. If it doesn’t, don’t make up for it, don’t deify it, and don’t treat it as worthless. That’s enough.