Ayurvedic Medicine Guide: The Natural Drugs in Ayurveda Therapy

Mortar and Pestle

The holistic approach of Ayurveda treatment deals both with providing prophylactic therapies and natural herbal drugs that help you maintain your natural wellness, as well as preventing ailments you might develop.

Ayurveda is therefore a complete science that has been authenticated since times immemorial, and the ancient knowledge of which upholds natural wellness!

Two Types of Medicine in Ayurveda

There are two types of medicine in Ayurveda. Prophylactic and wellness-enhancing Ayurveda medicines are mainly the health tonics that would support as well as boost your natural wellness. These Ayurveda medicines or natural herb formulations aid in maintaining your physical and mental stamina, add on to your external beauty and radiance, and also provide natural nourishment to your bodily tissues.

Of these wellness-promoting therapies, there are Rasayana Ayurveda medicines that virtually aid in better functioning of the mind and body. Vajikara Ayurveda medicines are the natural herbo-mineral formulations that support as natural aphrodisiac.

Mortar and PestleThe second type of medicine in Ayurveda are disease-combating medicines. These are the natural Ayurveda medicines that work on the principle of terminating the underlying illness of a patient. Not only this, as Ayurveda is a natural holistic therapy, Ayurveda medicine is centered at relieving the patient from the disease is also at the same time targeted at prevention of relapse of the disease.

Ayurveda medicine redeems the holistic natural form, wherein all the drugs and formulations that are proposed as Ayurveda medicine are fundamentally in oneness with nature. This means Ayurveda medicine has to be absolutely natural.

Ayurveda Medicine as Dravya

Ayurveda pharmacopeias is mainly a collection of Ayurveda medicines broadly termed as dravyas, which comes for extensive use in Ayurveda natural wellness and disease management. These dravyas are primarily natural extracts but may be available in a number of forms, such as the natural minerals that are extracted from within the earth. These Ayurveda medicines relate to natural components like gold and natural salts.

There are other natural products that are essentially health promoting assets. These Ayurveda medicines comprise of natural herbs and medicinal vegetation that are naturally gifted with properties of wellness-enhancement and disease annihilation. Tall trees, short trees, herbs, shrubs, creepers, and climbers all come in this category of Ayurveda medicine. For example, mango, bael, arjuna, rose, basil, mint, giloy, and wheat.

Another variety of Ayurveda medicine come from natural sources, like honey from honey bees and ghee prepared from cow’s milk.

Ayurveda Medicine as Adravya

Ayurveda therapy encompasses all natural modes that confer alignment of the human body with the basic natural elements that coexist within as well as without. For this reason, the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda furthermore surpasses the limits of substantial medicine, and rather embraces nature in its purest form using other means that practically work as Ayurveda medicine.

Close up of Yellow PetalsWithout intake of Ayurveda medicine, some lifestyle modifications are advised in Ayurveda therapies that are generally recommended as prerequisite to Ayurveda treatment.

These are mainly those very modes that make you one with the nature and work on the principle of imbibing natural elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth within the body system.

The non-medicine therapy of Ayurveda is embarked on by a number of means, such as:

  • Fasting completely or on special Ayurveda herb diets
  • Sun bath and exercising in fresh air
  • Massage therapy
  • Laughter therapy
  • Sleep and mental relaxation techniques
  • Keeping awake
  • Forceful avoidance of food and water
  • Mantra therapy and chanting
  • Imbibing fear factor
  • Praying for wellness

To learn more about Ayurveda and Ayurvedic herbal formulas, please read our health magazine – it is free!

Dr. Sonica Krishan is an Ayurveda and Natural Lifestyle Consultant, freelance health writer, and book author based in Chandigarh, India. She has authored the natural home cure books Herbal Healers and Home Remedies, and is presently writing for national and international publications. She may be contacted at drsonica@herboveda.co.in or visit www.herboveda.co.in