An Alternative form of Anxiety Treatment from India: Ayurveda

nature:  air, water, and fire. Each of these elements has a deep philosophical background.  These elements also govern the major functions of the body. Ayurvedic theory rests on the belief that the balance of the three elements is the basis of health.  Any imbalance, blockage, or weakening in these elements causes illness. It is the task of the Ayurveda practitioner to determine and restore the patient’s elemental harmony. In other words, an infection or ailment is the result of an imbalance in the patient’s natural internal or elemental harmony. These imbalances can be caused by internal or external factors, and may be aggravated or alleviated by the patient’s emotional state and, in some cases, mental health.

The primary concept of Ayurveda is that the restoration of imbalances in the body requires a very personalized concept. Treatment can involve the use of natural oils, minerals, herbs, metals, and even animal ingredients. Similar to how herbal medications are administered in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda medications are given base formulas that are modified by the physician according to the patient’s needs. This process makes getting a treatment for an infection different from Western medicine, where the formulas are constant and only the dose is altered based on the patient’s metabolism and constitution. As mentioned earlier, diet and taste play a central role in Ayurveda. However, unlike Chinese medicinal doctrine, the taste and quality of the food plays a much larger role in traditional Indian healing arts. Different tastes correspond to different conditions in the body. These tastes are taken into account by an Ayurveda physician before prescribing an appropriate treatment. For example, food with a bitter taste is

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