Herbs are the ˜medicinal plants” used in treating and curing ailments as well as enhancing the well-being, vigor and vitality of an individual. Other than this, herbs have also been associated with providing seasoning, flavoring and essence to the food items. Today, herbs find immense usage in the field of medicine, food industry and also in manufacturing of beauty products. The simple herbs that can be grown in the kitchen gardens find meritorious and handy use in treating day to day maladies. And particularly In the recent years, herbs have found a lot of acceptance worldwide. This is because these are easy to use, safe with no side effects and are essentially an asset that puts our bodies in harmony with the nature.
Herbs Around the World
Herbs have been always popular all over the world and with different communities. There are illustrations in The Bible about the use of various herbs for the benefit of health of the body. In Genesis, God has said, “I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth. And every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat”.
It is no doubt that today the herbs are believed to be pure and natural sources that assure the fruit of good health. It is a known fact now that the herbs help to cleanse and purify the body and also help the body in preparing its own defense system against a disease. Not only this, herbs also provide nutrition to the body. Unlike the synthetic drugs, herbs might not produce instant results, yet in the long run, these offer a way to put the body in tune with the nature.
Ayurveda Philosophy of Herbs as Healers
According to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, herbs may be used both in the form of food as well as medicine. And rightly so, herbs provided by Nature make the part and parcel of most of the Ayurveda medicines.
Ayurveda claims the usage of herbs to be authentic as it gratifies and supports the very basis of the holistic healing. The basic aim of Ayurvedic therapy is firstly to restore the health of a healthy individual, and secondly to do away the affliction of the diseased one. Therefore, in order to achieve either of these objectives, a herb comes into use.
Ayurveda Treatment with Herbs
Ayurveda treatment rests on four pillars viz. doctor, patient, helper and drug. Drug is generally referred to the herb, which comes in extensive use in treating a disease.
Herbs are used on the principle of the existing properties, which tend to either increase or decrease the basic body humors present in the patient’s body. The three doshas or body humors are vata or the air, pitta or the fire and kapha or the phlegm. A balance in all the three humors ensures health. Yet, if either of the three is distorted i.e. increased or decreased than their normal limits, this results into production of a disease.
Ayurveda Herbs as Healing Drugs
The herb works on simple principle that it generally tends to increase the humor which is similar in properties to that existing in the herb.
The drugs which more importantly are the herbs are believed to be made up of Panchmahabhootas or the five basic elements viz. earth, water, fire, air and ether. Similarly, our body is also made up of these five basic principles. Therefore, the herbs come to use in curing an ailment that crops up in the body.
This further attributes to the presence of taste, after taste, properties and actions of the particular drug. These can be acknowledged by the help of the five sense organs viz. the smell, taste, sight, touch and sound.
Ayurveda Herbs Usage
Herbs have a prominent place in Ayurveda. Earlier, when they were brought into general use, they had been identified and believed useful both for making a healthy diet and sometimes for curative rationale. Yet, nowadays they are being used principally owing to the natural medicinal properties they imbibe. Thus, they are used both for dietary as well as medicinal purposes. There is a differentiation between the herbs that are used as food, and those that are used as medicine. Herbs which form a part of food are regarded as ‘Aahar Dravyas,’ and those in therapy which are used as medicines are called as ‘Aaushad Dravyas’.
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About the Author:
Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant at Herboveda and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.
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