Ayurveda is the ancient Indian holistic medical system, based on achieving physical and mental harmony with nature, which has been practised for more than 5000 years. Ayurveda means “science of life” (“Ayu” meaning life and “Veda” meaning science), and was first recorded in the Vedas the world’s oldest surviving literature.
All early Ayurvedic writing is based on the Samkhya or Sankhya philosophy of creation (“Sat” meaning truth and “Kha” meaning to know). Ayurveda was created during a time of great enlightenment, when the sages of ancient India discovered truth by means of religious practices and disciplines, including Yoga and meditation, techniques that are being increasingly appreciated in the West today. They believed in a close relationship between man and the universe and the flow of cosmic energy in different forms between all living and nonliving things.