remedies are prepared in varying mediums, according to the predominant dosha being treated. Often herbs given to balance vata are given in warm milk, those for reducing pitta in ghee and those to reduce kapha are prepared in honey. Sometimes minute doses of minerals such as salt are also mixed with the herbs. Remedies take the form of pills, powders, decoctions and alcohol extracts and most contain several ingredients all carefully tailored to individual needs.
(Above, and above right) Ocimum sanctum, or holy basil, has long been used in the Ayurvedic healing tradition.
Ayurveda Today
The value of Ayurveda is proved partly by its timelessness, since it has existed as an unbroken tradition for thousands of years, despite a number of setbacks. Following the rise of the Mogul Empire in the 16th century, the dominance of Unani Tibb medicine led to the partial repression of Ayurveda in India. In the 19th century, the British dismissed it as nothing more than native superstition and in 1833, they closed all Ayurvedic schools and banned the practice of Ayurveda. Great centres of Indian learning thus fell apart and Ayurvedic knowledge retreated into the villages and temples. At the turn of the century, however, some Indian physicians and enlightened Englishmen began to re-evaluate Ayurveda, and by the time India had become independent in 1947, it had regained its reputation as a valid healing system. Today in India Ayurveda flourishes alongside Unani Tibb and Western allopathic medicine and is actively encouraged by the Indian government as an inexpensive alternative to Western drugs.
Bacopa monnieri, also known as brahmi, is used in Ayurvedic treatment.
In recent years Ayurveda has increasingly attracted attention from medical scientists in Japan and the West and the World Health organisation has resolved to promote its practice in developing countries. Here in the West, the popularity of Ayurveda is growing daily as more and more people recognise its immense value, not only in the prevention and treatment of disease, but also for its comprehensive recipe for a better, healthier way of life that addresses all facets of our existence: mind, body and spirit.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine is a system of healing as ancient as Ayurveda with an unbroken tradition that can be traced back to around 2500 BC and includes oriental traditions from Southeast Asia that originally came from China. The first, maybe mythical herbalist was Shennong, who imparted his knowledge of hundreds of medicinal and poisonous plants to farmers.
A Chinese herbal medicine cabinet.
Illustration from Bencao Gangmu. This 15th century pharmaceutical encyclopedia features 1,892 medicinal substances.
The first major text, the Shen Nong Bencao Jing (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Materia Medica), dated around 1000 BC in the Han dynasty, describes 365 medicines, over 250 of which are herbs, their physical actions and applications. Later additions to herbal knowledge followed the style and format of the Classic, placing emphasis on taste, the herb's heating or cooling nature, which organs and meridians it primarily affects, dosage ranges, degree of toxicity, and overall effects of the herb on specific patterns of symptoms.
The Shen Nong divided medicines into 3 categories:
1. Superior herbs which are the main remedies for returning the body and mind to health;
2. Middle level tonic herbs which boost energy and immunity;
3. Low level, more powerful herbs that should only be taken in small doses for specific symptoms.
The Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) was compiled in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty, by Li Shizhen, and lists all the plants, animals, and minerals used in Chinese medicine at the time. It includes herbs that are still used including opium, ephedrine, rhubarb, and iron and is still a major reference book today.
Qi flows through meridians, or energy channels, in the body; stimulating acupoints along them rebalances energy flow.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Today
As in Ayurvedic medicine, these early texts are still studied and their precepts adhered to by modern practitioners of Chinese medicine. At the same time, Chinese medicine has continually been developed and refined in response to cultural and clinical advances and ongoing research. It survived through the rise and fall of several dynasties, and still exists happily in China alongside Western allopathic medicine, providing healthcare for the majority of the Chinese population. It continues to grow in popularity in the West despite occasional bad press concerning the adverse effects of certain Chinese herbs.
The Life Force
The Chinese, like the Indians, regard the human body and all its functions as a microcosm of the macrocosm. All forms of life are seen to be animated by the same essential life force called qi. By breathing we take in qi from the air and pass it into the lungs, and by digesting we extract qi from food and drink and pass it into the body. When these qis meet in the bloodstream they become known as human qi, which circulates around the body as vital energy. The quality, quantity and balance of qi in each person influences their state of health and lifespan, and this in turn is affected by factors such as the season, climate, lifestyle, diet and air. Wind, dampness, dryness, heat, and cold can derange the internal balance of the body, obstructing the movement of qi in the organs. Disturbance of internal wind causes vertigo, unsteady movement, and trembling; dampness causes increases phlegm and oedema, dryness causes drying of mucus membranes, cold decreases circulation and slows metabolism, while excess heat leads to inflammation.
Qi flows through a network of channels, or meridians, throughout the body, and can be stimulated and balanced using acupuncture, acupressure, diet and herbal medicine. The body is also composed of moisture, which is the fluid in the body that protects, nurtures and lubricates the tissues and blood, which is the basic material from which bone, muscle, nerves, organs and skin are made. For the body to be adequately healthy qi, moisture and blood need to circulate within a network of channels that connect all parts of the body. All illness is seen as a result of either depletion or congestion of qi, moisture and blood caused by unhealthy diets and lifestyle, stress, tension, overwork, lack of exercise or any other thing that impairs the ability of the organ networks to function properly.
A Chinese herbalist's vase.
Yin and Yang
The principles of Chinese medicine originate in traditional Taoist philosophy, China's most ancient school of thought. Central to this philosophy is the idea of fluctuation and mutability, explaining natural phenomena in terms of the constant ebb and flow of cosmic forces. Yin and yang, the two primordial cosmic forces, are concepts that are familiar to many. Yin symbolises passive, yielding force that is cold, dark, negative,
