Ayurveda is the most ancient form of medicine in the world, and the forerunner of all other great systems of medicine. Ayurveda literally means knowledge of life, and its guiding principles are believed to have been handed down from the Hindu gods to the great seers. The written texts of ayurveda date back 3,500 years and the incredibly complex and advanced concept that embody them still form the basis of much Indian medicine today.

In ayurvedic philosophy, everything in the universe is composed of five elements, the Panchamahabhutas. These combine into three doshas (the tridoshas) or bio-energetic forces that govern our health and determine our prakrti, or physical constitution. The three gunas- or psychic forces- determine our mental and spiritual health. Ayurveda is a holistic system of health care that teaches us to balance these energies in order to achieve optimum health and well being and to preserve life.

The Tridoshas (or three doshas) are the primary and essential factors of the human body that govern our entire physical structure and function. They are called vata, pitta and kapha, and they are derived from the five basic substances, the Panchamahabutas.

Each dosha has a predominance of one of the five bhutas. Vata consists of the combined predominance of vayu and akasha (air and space). Pitta consists of tejas and jala (fire and water), and Kapha is formed by jala and prithvi (water and earth)

When we are healthy, our three doshas are in balance, or in a state of equilibrium.

Many of the physical and mental phenomena ascribed to the nervous system by modern physiology can be identified with vata. Similarly, the entire chemical process operating in your body can be attributed to pitta, including enzymes, hormones, and the complete nutritional system. The activities of the skeletal and anabolic system (those aspects of the metabolism involved in constructing the physical body) can be attributed to kapha - suggesting that the entire physical volume in a living organism is in fact a result of kapha.

The three doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha - are responsible for health and disease. When they are in balance and in a normal state they bring about good health, growth, strength, complexion, mental stability and happiness. When the three doshas are unbalance, or in an abnormal state, they cause various types of disease.

Unbalanced vata causes rheumatism, arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, circulatory problems, stomach pain, and constipation.

Unbalanced pitta causes acidity, skin eruption, irritability, anger and hysteria.

Unbalanced kapha causes obesity, drowsiness, nausea, bronchitis, asthma, heaviness in the head, and loss of memory.

There are 80 types of disease caused by abnormal vata; 40 types of disease caused by abnormal pitta; 20 types of disease caused by abnormal kapha.

Ayurvedic therapy centres are gaining popularity now-a-days and are being established in many developed nations like Germany, Switzerland, US, UK and Japan.