Ayurveda Article - Vaidya Visits For Everyone

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YOUR FIRST VISIT TO A VAIDYA

 

What to Expect

 

Ayurvedic physicians follow a healing tradition that dates back

thousands of years--5,000 years at the very least. Their text-books

are written in Sanskrit, and the body of knowledge that the

enlightened sages of those ancient times left behind is truly

astounding in its depth and volume.

 

What this means, in modern times, is that a vaidya today (ayurvedic

physicians are called vaidyas) is required to be more than a healer--

he needs to be a good communicator.

 

This also means that your first visit to a vaidya is going to be an

experience with a difference.

 

What is a vaidya?

 

A person earns the title of vaidya when he has, through training,

acquired deep ayurvedic knowledge about the physical, mental, and

emotional aspects of healing. This is because in ayurveda, disease is

not treated on just the physical level--it is always seen in the

context of a person's overall personality and circumstances--which

includes factors like profession, family life, seasonal influences,

and daily habits. Therefore, vaidyas study the whole field of life,

individual and cosmic, not just the field of medicine.

Because they look for personal, unique causes of imbalance, vaidyas

do not employ conventional diagnostic tools like the blood-pressure

instrument, thermometer etc. They hold your wrist and take your

pulse, for it is the wave of your pulse that is their most reliable

source of information about your individual physiology and balance

needs.

 

How vaidyas diagnose imbalance

 

Pulse diagnosis is known in Sanskrit as naadi vigyan. You could call

it a healing art or a science--whichever way you look at it, it is

fascinating.

 

Indiana-based Maharishi Ayurveda physician John Peterson, who

combines ayurvedic healing with his practice of modern medicine,

describes pulse-diagnosis beautifully: "It (pulse diagnosis) is so

intimately communicative that some healing occurs even while I am

taking the pulse. The patient is relieved and is comforted by the

settled attention she receives and then gives back to herself. The

doctor feels refreshed. While taking the patient's pulse I must refer

to my own pulse, a self-referral process that infuses bliss into the

physiology. It's always the joy of the doctor to be able to take the

pulse."

 

Vaidya Ramakant Mishra, Director of Research and Product Development

at Maharishi Ayurveda, describes the finer points of pulse-diagnosis

thus: "I take the radial pulse with three fingers, which represent

the three basic energies or doshas--Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The first

finger feels Vata, the energy/dosha responsible for movement, space

and air. The second finger feels Pitta, which represents the elements

of fire and water. Pitta governs areas where there is heat, digestive

enzymes or metabolism -- areas where transformation is at work. The

third finger picks up Kapha, representing water and earth: Kapha

governs structure and fluid balance and has the qualities of

heaviness, slowness and thickness."

 

Besides pulse-diagnosis, the vaidya makes observations about your

personality, mostly without you even guessing he is making them. "I

notice your face, your eyes, your irises and conjunctiva, the texture

of your skin -- or obvious tightness in some areas of the face or

neck -- I notice it all. Using all the senses is what makes the

seemingly simple examination so comprehensive," explains Vaidya

Mishra.

 

How vaidyas heal

 

Based on his findings, a vaidya makes his healing recommendations,

primarily relating to your diet and lifestyle.

 

Diet in particular forms a vital part of ayurveda's healing strategy,

because vaidyas know that the right foods taken at the right time and

in the right manner can correct most imbalances. You can expect to

receive a list of food no-nos, as well as suggestions on what to

cook, how and when to eat it. Feel free to ask questions and seek

clarifications as the vaidya gives his advice.

 

Besides diet, the vaidya will talk about your daily routine. Having

already received information from your pulse and personality about

your possible imbalances, he will ask you some targeted questions.

Don't be surprised if he says something surprisingly accurate

like, "Have you been sleeping late?" He knows because his diagnostic

methods are very subtle and deep.

 

When the vaidya tells you to re-adjust your bedtime or drink more

water during the day, heed his advice. These seemingly small things

can be precise and permanent solutions to even chronic problems. Dr.

Peterson recalls curing a woman with severe digestive problems just

by recommending that she drink warm water every 30 minutes.

 

Finally, you will benefit tremendously from an ayurvedic consultation

if you read up a bit on the basic concepts like the three doshas and

the six tastes by surfing http://www.mapi.com or by subscribing to

Maharishi Ayurveda's highly informative free online newsletters on

every aspect of ayurvedic healing.

 

Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended

to replace standard medical care or advice.

Copyright MAPI, 2002.

 

For more information on Ayurveda or to to free newsletters,

plaese visit <http://www.mapi.com>