Ayurvedic school opens in London

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New British degree in Ayurvedic Healing Medicine and First Ayurvedic Hospital

The first British degree in Ayurvedic healing medicine begins at the Wolfson Institute of Health Sciences at Thames Valley University, and by the end of the year the first Ayurvedic hospital will open in Northwood, West London.

For the first time in the West, this holistic method of healing is being accorded the sort of status it has always enjoyed in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Ayurveda is the oldest medical system in the world and its name derives from two Sanskrit words -- ayus, meaning life, and veda, meaning knowledge.
Its principles are based on the Hindu religion and philosophy, and its application, say followers, can bring marked physical improvements. Gopi Warner, the chairman of the Ayurvedic Company of Great Britain, says Ayurveda goes back nearly 7,000 years, ahead of the Greek theories of the humors, and is a gradual method of treatment rather than a quick fix.

Ayurveda is founded on the principle that every living thing is made up of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. These combine to give three basic types, or doshas -- vata, pitta and kapha. Although each human being will be made up of a combination of the three, the dominant one will determine the physical and spiritual character.

The key to a healthy life lies in balancing the doshas and "damping down" any excesses of each. Although most people seek consultations when they have a problem, the Ayurvedic system promotes prevention by avoiding potentially damaging internal conflicts. A visit to a qualified practitioner involves a full medical examination of eight things: pulse, tongue, voice, eyes, skin, urine, stools and general appearance. This will give a good indication of your overall highlights health and problems.

There are a number of treatments available and the aim is to restore balance by purifying the body, then adopting a diet, exercise and lifestyle that will reduce the aggravation of the overstimulated doshas. Once an assessment is made, the therapies offered vary from the use of oils and herbal medicines, inhalations and enemas to the more extreme treatments of induced vomiting and bloodletting. The latter two are used only in extreme circumstances.

Just as important are the lifestyle changes like adapting your diet, exercise and philosophy of life. Massages and yoga are the best-known aspects of this in the West, but Warner stresses that these are not effective if used in isolation. They must be integrated with the rest of the treatment.

Food that aggravates the overstimulated dosha should be avoided and food that calms it encouraged (see table). This means that some Western advice, such as eating lots of raw foods and salads, is contradicted by Ayurvedic theory.

For example, vata types should avoid certain raw foods and things that create wind, such as beans, sprouts and broccoli. Pitta types should avoid spicy foods that create heat, and kapha types should avoid oily foods and dairy products.

One's preference for certain tastes is divided into categories: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and pungent. Certain foods are best eaten at different times of the year as the calendar and seasons also play a part in the body's balancing system.

With so many elements of health and lifestyle to be considered, it is perhaps not surprising that Ayurveda has not yet taken the hold in Britain or the US that it has established in India. It is a difficult concept to grasp quickly and demands a rethink of the way in which one lives.

Nevertheless, that has not stopped the healing system becoming the favored therapy for some Hollywood actresses, including Demi Moore -- and where they start, others often follow. Warner is concerned that Ayurveda may become devalued in the West because unqualified people are claiming to have trained in the discipline. He is also worried about the tendency of Westerners to hijack and simplify what is a highly skilled method of spiritual and physical healing to make money.

Warner stressed the importance of making sure that anyone claiming to offer Ayurvedic treatment has a degree in Ayurvedic medicine from a recognized Indian or Sri Lankan University. This will have involved five years of study and spending one year at an Ayurvedic hospital. There are only about 30 or 40 properly qualified practitioners in Britain and they will all be registered.

In a few years Warner hopes there will be more because 300 applications for the degree course in Britain have already been submitted.

The Ayurvedic principle of the three doshas is as follows:

Vata (air and ether): slim, angular and restless. Creative, artistic with a leaning towards athletics or dancing. Skin is dry. They like to travel and can be flirtatious and emotionally insecure. Prone to joint pains, rheumatism, mania and depression.

Pitta (water and fire): medium build with fair or red hair and are good leaders or executives who get things done. Skin is reddish. Articulate and impatient, they can become irritable. Lunch is a very important meal for pitta types. Prone to acne and rashes, ulcers, gastritis, cystitis and urinary infections.

Kapha (earth and water): stocky, possibly overweight and are loyal, solid workers, not thrusting or pushy. Skin is smooth and oily. They are patient, affectionate and forgiving. Prone to suffer from respiratory tract problems, asthma, bronchitis, colds and sinus problems. Can suffer from depression
Foods that aggravate or calm are integral to each dosha and all dietary advice should be specific to individuals but there are certain general categories that apply to people who have strongly doshic personalities:
Vatas should avoid pungent, bitter and astringent foods such as lentils, beans, peas, leeks, coffee and spinach and seek out sweet, sour and saline such as eggs, milk, oats, almonds and Basmati rice.

Pittas should avoid pungent, sour and saline such as sesame oil, peppers, garlic, lemons, yoghurt, chilies and alcohol and seek out sweet, bitter and astringent such as apples, avocado, cabbage, spinach, wheat and chicken.

Kaphas should avoid sweet, sour and saline such as butter, chocolate, milk, sugar, avocado, bananas and meat and seek out pungent, bitter and astringent such as broccoli, apples, tomatoes, onions, chilies, peppers and spices.