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There is a spiritual
source in
India
, which is at this time exerting a powerful influence on the Western world.
When the Beatles first
incorporated an Indian string instrument called the sitar in the first notes
of their classic song Norwegian Wood, they would forever change the sound
and direction of pop music. They were beginning a love affair with Indian
mysticism and music that would take them on a historic pilgrimage to the
ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This was followed by encounters with
the hip and beautiful personalities of the 1960s who visited the ashram such
as Mia Farrow, Donovan and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Reintroducing the
world to
India
’s mysticism.
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Constraints of modern
medicine have led to a growing interest in ancient proven healing methods.
Western medicine is organized around the theory of diseases, which believes
that a person becomes sick because he or the contracts a disease.
Each
disease is seen, as an independent entity that can be fully understood
without regard to the person it afflicts or the environment in which it
occurs. Thus, conventional treatments are treatments of diseases, not of
people.
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In contrast to the
Western system of medicine, traditional systems of healing in
India
, as in other ancient cultures, approach sickness as a dynamic event in the
life of an individual. It is the result of disharmony between the sick
person and his or her environment. Under this approach to understanding
illness, the ‘disease’ itself has no independent reality. The
therapeutic focus is always on the person who is ill and the context in
which the illness occurs, rather than on the disease itself.
More and more people are
moving away from modern medicines and turning towards traditional, also
referred to as ‘alternative’ systems of medicine, for enhancing health
and treating illness. While drug based treatments of modern medicine are
often the best choice to cure infections and other acute health problems,
they fail to provide a satisfactory solution to people suffering from
ailments like arthritis, back pain, allergies, harmful effects of stress and
other chronic diseases.
India
has a rich heritage in the areas of traditional or natural medicine. The
earliest mention of Indian medical practices can be found in the Vedas,
around the second millennium B.C. The earliest Sanskrit treatises on
Ayurveda (a traditional system of medicine in
India
) were the ‘Samhitas’ of the great ancient physicians Bhela, Charaka and
Susruta. A systematic and scientific approach was adopted by the sages of
the times, leading to the development of a system that is relevant even
today. The legendary Jivaka, a famous physician of Buddha’s time is also
reported to have performed remarkable cures involving deep surgery.
Natural system of
medicines, which focused on holistic healing, developed in other ancient
cltures as well. In ancient
China
the physicians developed the system of ‘Yin Yang’ while the Greeks gave
birth to the ‘Unani’ system of medicine. Through the passage of time,
these systems of medicines found their way to
India
.
Today, one can choose
from various systems of alternative medicine be it acupuncture,
aromatherapy, meditation, Ayurveda, Unani medicine, mud therapy, Pranic
healing, Reiki, Tibetan medicine and many more.
Nature has given us
abundant resources to help us replenish our bodies and restore it to health.
It is time for us to reclaim our trust in these healing processes of life.
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Health Resort
