In 1980 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation program, began working with India’s top three Ayurvedic experts — Dr. V.M. Dwivedi, Dr. B.D. Triguna and Dr. Balaraj Maharishi — to restore Ayurveda in its fullness and purity under the name of Maharishi Ayurveda. A council of experts was created to formalize authentic herbal formulations and therapies according to the ancient Ayurvedic texts. It was our great fortune to become a part of the campaign to bring this valuable knowledge to the West and to make it available — and understood — by the general public. Thirty years later, this still remains our goal.

Ayurveda is often referred to as “the mother of all healing.” The knowledge of Ayurveda spread out from India and influenced the ancient Chinese system of medicine and even the medicine practiced by Hippocrates in Greece. It is as relevant and useful today as it was 5-10,000 years ago. In fact, at a time when our lives are generally out of sync with the rhythms and cycles of nature, and when scientists estimate that everyone’s body contains at least 700 contaminants, including pesticides and industrial chemicals, one could easily say that Ayurveda is more relevant today than ever.

In our articles we try to give an Ayurvedic perspective to various modern concerns and challenges — and a modern perspective to ancient Ayurvedic wisdom.

Many of our articles promote the traditional purification treatments of Ayurveda, called Panchakarma. According to Ayurveda, toxins, either created internally or taken in from our environment, are the root cause of all the imbalances that lead to chronic medical conditions. We can create toxins through poor digestion and by choosing improper foods. Stress and trauma can also create toxins. Environmental chemicals residing in our bodies come from many sources.  Our air, our water, and our food supply are all contaminated with chemicals. Toxic build-up can result in many health challenges including chronic disorders, fatigue, low energy, eating disorders, and lack of concentration and motivation.

We find that timely panchakarma treatments are helpful both in reversing chronic problems and maintaining vitality and good health  However, if panchakarma treatments are not available to you, Ayurvedic recommendations for diet and lifestyle choices can make a huge difference in helping you to maintain — or restore — good health.  Ideally an Ayurvedic expert would take your pulse and make individual recommendations according to the pulse assessment. In our articles we will introduce you to many general recommendations and try to help you understand the Ayurvedic principles behind them.

The Raj Ayurveda Health Spa and Treatment Center