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Between 2003 and 2007, I spent three and a half
years in India. Last year, in spring, I decided to take a six-month
intensive course in Ayurveda at Arsha Yoga Vidya Peetam Trust in
Coimbatore. This was undoubtedly a good choice and my stay there was
an invaluable and intriguing experience.
Even though it takes years to do in-depth studies
of Ayurveda, I learnt a great deal about this ancient Indian
medicine in Coimbatore. What particularly appeals to me in the field
of Ayurveda is its holistic approach. We (especially people in
Western countries) often tend to aim at “turning off” pain or other
symptoms immediately without any consideration of the causes for our
ailments. Ayurveda, however, endeavours to find the cause and “pull
the root” of a disease instead of scratching on the surface by
removing mere symptoms. The cause of an ailment may be found
somewhere completely different from where symptoms are detected.
Different patients with the same symptoms don’t necessarily get the
same Ayurvedic treatment. Treatments are always based on the
patient’s body constitution. As I’ve experienced, Ayurvedic
practitioners generally allot plenty of time to their patients’
consultations, which is, in my opinion, essential and can’t be taken
for granted in our “fast-moving” society. In such a society, lots of
people only react when they are no longer feeling well, and,
therefore, I strongly believe that more emphasis ought to be put on
the preservation of health. This is one of the main principles of
Ayurveda. It teaches us how to maintain health (before we get sick!)
and what to do to keep the human body fit in order to prevent
disease. During my course I learnt how important it is in this
regard to stick to a proper diet (which, of course, makes perfect
sense). I also found out how closely Ayurveda and Yoga are
inter-related; they are much more than mere medicine or philosophy,
they are, especially in India, considered a way of life.
During my courses in Ayurveda and Yoga in India,
I was particularly interested in the connection or relation between
body and mind. Thanks to the teachers at Arsha, numerous questions
could be answered in this highly interesting realm. I appreciated
the fact that the course schedule at Arsha allows students to focus
on fields they are particularly interested in, even though it can be
rather difficult for a student to make a choice, especially if they
don’t have any previous knowledge of Ayurveda. The teachers at Arsha
(and the rest of the staff) were, in general, very knowledgeable,
dedicated, helpful and good-hearted. The course was well-balanced
with theory (Ayurveda, Yoga, Sanskrit, Astrology) and practical
classes.
It’s nice to see that more and more allopathic
doctors are taking an interest in Ayurveda (and vice versa!). I
strongly believe that both seemingly completely different fields of
medicine are very helpful and I thoroughly hope that bridges can be
built between the two. Modern civilization brings along new medical
challenges which can be tackled more successfully if allopathic
medicine and Ayurveda go hand in hand.
My stay in
Coimbatore (as well as in India in general) has, there is no doubt
about it, broadened my horizons and given me a new perspective on
(my) life. Once again, I would therefore like to express my
heartfelt thanks to everyone at Arsha for teaching me so many things
and for being such kind acquaintances and friends. |
