Ayurveda is an ancient holistic approach to healing and healthy living. With records dating as far back as 3000 B.C.E (before current era), Ayurveda is one of the most practiced and respected of all holistic medicines. Most commonly practiced in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, Ayurvedic practices can be found the world over.

Blended from the root words “ayur” meaning “life” and “veda” for “to know,” Ayurveda quite basically means “the study of life.” The Ayurveda philosophy stands upon the founding principal that the body is a single entity that is much like the universe in which the body is sustained. A translation of the Charaka, an ancient Ayurveda text states, "Man is the epitome of the universe. Within man, there is as much diversity as in the world outside. Similarly, the outside world is as diverse as human beings themselves." A balance of mind, body, and spirit, according to Ayurvedic medicine, is what allows the body to be self sustaining.

There are eight main branches of Ayurvedic medicine: Internal medicine, surgery, Head and neck injuries, OBGYN and pediatrics, Toxicology, psychiatry, care of the elderly and rejuvenation, and sexual vitality. With the continued research of this branch of medicine, Indian colleges devoted to the instruction and practice Ayurveda, as well as use of this medicine in conjunction with Western Medicine, Ayurvedic medicine is quickly becoming more highly respected the world over.