For many centuries, the people of India practiced different techniques of Ayurveda, yoga and tantra to attain specific gains of health, spirituality and fullness of life. While Ayurveda includes everything – yoga and tantra act as supporting pillars for Ayurveda.

Yoga helps one attain physical, physiological and mental controls. That is mind over matter. This sister of Ayurveda deals mainly with spirit. Practicing yoga brings a man/woman to tranquility, a state of equilibrium. Yoga encompasses everything included in spiritual union of mind, body and soul with holy one-ness. The main principle behind yoga is looking into oneself and actualizing what is required of him or her. This principle is in tune with Ayurveda and Tantra.

Tantra denotes to the best way of enjoying one’s life by redirecting energies in desirable directions only. It is also the way to feel the awareness that one’s body is part of a larger cosmic reality. Every action includes manipulation of energy – breath, speech, thinking, and any physical action. A tantra practitioner is aware of the contact points between mind, body and spiritual reality.

Kerala is the only place where the rich tradition of Ayurveda is preserved. The biggest Ayurvedic College in India is at Thiruvanthapuram. There are also a variety of Ayurvedic hospitals, spas, and treatment centers which are frequented regularly by visitors from around the world.

Ayurvedic resorts, massage spas, therapy centers, etc are in large numbers in private sector too. A government and a private Ayurvedic college and a network of Ayurvedic treatment centers make Thiruvananthapuram the ideal place to seek Ayurvedic treatment.

The long tradition of love to Ayurveda is visible while checking the history of Government Ayurvedic Medical College itself. It was started as an Ayurvedic school to teach the members of royal family of erstwhile Travancore princely state. Later it was handed over to the government, it took form of a college and now is the main center of Ayurvedic research in Kerala and in India. A well maintained botanical garden with Ayurvedic medicinal plants etc all bear witness to the fervor with which Ayurveda is approached in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

A trip to the adobe of Agastya, the sage at Agastyarkoodam in Thiruvanathapuram is a special pilgrimage you can take while breathing the medicinal winds that bring with them the real smell of rarest Ayurvedic medicines that cant be found elsewhere.

Ayurveda in Thiruvananthapuram has influences from Tamil kalari chikitsa. Marma massaging, though so much associated with Ayurveda is more of a contribution from Kalaripayattu. The thaila (thailam) used in marma massages are all developed independently by kalari practitioners of the past. The medicated oils still are Ayurvedic herbal medicines.

Ayurvedic massage parlors at Kovalam, Varkala, etc forms only a very small portion of Ayurvedic treatment you can have from Trivandrum.

Ayurvedic treatment is the default treatment option for majority of people of Kerala. With the evergreen capital city, Ayurveda flourishes alongside the popularity of the location as a preferred tourism destination. Kerala is competent both as an Ayurvedic treatment center and worldÂ’s preferred getaway.

Not developed into a full fledged therapy option, Ayurveda recognizes the effect of visuals on human mind and then on the body. Ayurvedic color therapy is based on the effects of certain colors on mind and on body.

Red
The color of blood and the most energetic color, red can healing properties too. It releases aggravated vata and kapha. Over exposure to red can cause accumulation of high energy, leading to tension, high blood pressure etc. Abundance of pitta will be another effect and the symptom will be inflammations.

Orange
Another high energy color deals with excess vata and kapha. Just as red it also aggravate pitta and cause stress, hypertension, etc.

Yellow
A mild color with recognizable effects, yellow represents intelligence and control. It relieves excess vata and kapha but attracts pitta.

Green
The most natural color for human eyes and brain, and hence has the most calming effect on mind and brain. It soothes the nervous system and normalizes heartbeat. It calms excess vata and kapha and attracts pitta (causes appetite).

Blue
Another color of calmness and connects the mind to the calmness of a might ocean or the pleasant sky. It relieves accumulated pitta and kapha and soothes the nervous system and calms the mind and body. It attracts vata.

Purple
Purple is not much of a common color. It is associated with a higher sense of intelligence and/or aristocracy. It releases excess pitta and kapha, attracts vata.

The basis Ayurvedic cooking lies in the attention given to the five basic elements of universe (Panchabhootas), the three doshas of tridosha, the seven dhatus of saptadhatu, and the sense of six different tastes. The other elements to consider are choice of the right kind of food items, compatibility of food items, seasonal availability of grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, etc. Other things to consider are the environment in which the food is being cooked and the right time for cooking.

Just as cooking, serving and eating also requires some qualifications. Everyone should take the food in a calm, hearty environment. One shall not take food when his/her is disturbed or during negative emotions like anger, fear, etc.

The traditional food items eaten by people all over India have more or less a general pattern that intuitively follows Ayurvedic principles of food preparations. However, the influx of baked stuff, artificial drinks like colas, etc now have a negative effective on traditional cooking based on Ayurvedic principles.

JivakaÂ’s test suggests that every herb is a medicinal herb and every plant a medicinal plant. However, not all herbs or plants are considered to have medicinal properties. There are large number of medicinal herbs out there in jungles, hills, mountains and even in your backyard. By Ayurvedic medicinal herbs, it should be understood that the plants growing in India. Ayurveda is also practiced in countries like Srilanka, Tibet etc. The medicinal quality of the plants there are more or less the same as that of in India.

Herbs are taken either alone or in combination. An Ayurvedic practitioner must identify the herb or herbs that will work for the person with his/her present conditions. The herbal formulas are exclusively for strengthening the revitalizing power of human body to regain the state of health while normalizing the vitiated doshas.

A single herb can have multiple medicinal properties, while it gives different medicinal properties when used in combination with other herbs. It is also to be noted that there can be different herbs or plants used for the same results.

The properties or use of medicinal plants are classified into three

Vaishek guna or properties related to sensory organs

Samanya guna or general properties

Atma guna or properties related to soul or spiritual properties

The properties of herb are classified mainly based on taste – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, etc.

Ayurveda acharyas have described in Ayurvedic scripts like Astanga Hridaya, the medicinal properties of herbs, their preparation methods and conditions for which they are used.

Acharyas recommend the use of fresh herbs. In case it is not possible, you can use properly preserved herbs that are not older than a year. The quality of herbs also changes with the season in which they are grown and plucked.

Though not generally without side effects, some Ayurvedic herbs are very powerful while others are mild.

Ayurveda is the knowledge of life in tune with nature. Ayurvedic treatment is all about helping the person gain the natural healing power of his/her body. Organic food or the food cultivated without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides is the healthy food according to Ayurveda and modern research findings.

Ayurveda recommends you take fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains as energy boosters. According to Ayurvedic principles such food items are rich in Chetna (the life force). These food items also flush out any accumulated toxins that cause fatigue. Whole grains like millets have high protein and mineral content. They are naturally energizing.

There are energy draining food items too. Frozen food, food with high spice content, canned food, old food, food added with chemical preservatives or additives etc are not good for body. You feel drowsy afterwards. This can be either because of digestive system trying too hard to digest the food items or due to the accumulation of toxins.

Organic food that is cultivated without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides naturally have the advantage of natural health. Plants can accumulate the natural minerals, proteins and carbohydrates on its fruits, leaves, stem, flower and roots when they are in its natural surroundings. Until half a century ago, there was only organic food available in India, mainly because of the relative absence of use of chemicals in farms.

Balachikitsa or pediatrics in Ayurveda has two main methods – preventive and treating methods. Preventive methods start even before the birth of child. In fact, it begins even before the child is conceived within the womb of a woman. Fresh food, pleasant mind, good atmosphere, etc are necessary for the mother to give birth to a healthy child.

Balachikitsa begins the minute the child is born. Specially prepared ointment is applied to the whole body, excluding head, mainly to avoid future diseases caused due to vata. The room where the baby is kept is sterilized by smoking with medicinal herbs that have sterilizing and cleaning properties.

The best food for a new born baby is breast milk.

By the word bala (children) it is understood that persons below the age of 16. Almost all diseases that affect adults attack children too. Diagnosis of the disease can be a bit difficult with children. Kids and children are also given much lower doses medicines than to adults.

Purity of body, mind and soul is the primary requirement to a healthy life. If there is impurity anywhere, the person canÂ’t be healthy.

Panchakarma is a way to purify the body by removing accumulated toxic substances. Engaging in right Karmas, depending on God, consciously keeping a cheerful mind (which will automatically be filled with love) are ways to purify mind and soul.

Ayurveda remedies or treatment of any major kind is determined after determining the prakriti (general conditions) of a person and determining dominant dosha of the tridosha. However, Ayurvedic remedies are used for specific illnesses only. Mostly herbs – a single herb or a combination of herbs, certain spices, other plant products and minerals form the medicine.

For example, people (in Kerala) would take a few leaves of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) or Tulasi with two or three grains of pepper as a remedy for simple cough. There are several such readily available Ayurvedic remedies for almost all common diseases.

Ayurvedic remedies or Ayurvedic treatments like panchakarma, marma chikitsa, etc requires specialized training and preparation of medicines through different processes that last for many days.

The purpose of Ayurvedic treatments is to keep tridoshas at balance. An imbalance in the balance of a dosha is a disease condition. Imbalance of any one dosha of the tridosha also causes imbalance to the other two doshas as well.

Ayurvedic treatment goes through three main stages.

1. Samsodhana (cleansing process)
2. Samsamana (palliative care)
3. Nidhanaparivarjana (treating the causes)

Panchakarma falls in Samsodhana or the cleansing process.

The largest organ of our body, skin primarily provides protection to internal body tissues. It also is a sense organ, which gives the senses of touch, temperature, pressure and pain.

According to Ayurveda, skin is composed of seven different layers of tissue. Nourishment to the skin is derived from mamsa, one among the seven dhatus or saptadhatu. Skin is also an upadhathu (sub-dhathu) of raktha (blood). Ayurveda searches the roots of skin diseases in blood. The qualities of blood are reflected in the skin. Glowing skin is synonymous with good quality blood in the circulatory system.

The three types of body, tridosha, is reflected in skin types also. Not all skins are alike.

Vata skin or vata type skin is delicate, dry, cold and is often flaky. This type of skin ages quickly.

Pitta skin or pitta type skin is soft, warm, looks good and is of medium thickness. Rashes, acne, etc are common with this type of skin.

Kapha skin or kapha type skin is thick, soft, cool, tolerant to temperature, moist, and is slow aging. The complexion is dull and the skin will be oily. Moles, and pimples are common with this type of skin.

There can be combination skin types too – vata-pitta, kapha-pitta and vata-kapha.

Food habits and lifestyle habits affect the health of skin. Too much of physical or mental straining harms the skin.

Accumulation of body wastes (impurities or ama) is the prime reason of disorders in skin, leading to toxins in blood. Clean and complete bowel evacuation, drinking lots of water throughout daytime, etc will help in evacuation of ama or digestive wastes.

Sodhan (cleansing) with panchakarma and shaman with food, ointments, and lifestyle balancing are the methods of treating skin diseases.

Prevention of skin diseases includes oil massaging (medicated or non-medicated coconut oil), avoiding physical and mental exertion, drinking plenty of water, eating seasonal fruits, keeping the skin clean – without using any strong bleaching agents, taking nutritious diet, etc.