Ayurvedic Assessment
Ayurveda is a system that addresses all aspects of life–the body, mind, digestion and spirit. It recognizes that each of us is unique, that we each respond differently to our environments and that we all possess different strengths and weaknesses.
Through insight, understanding and experience, Ayurveda presents a vast wealth of information on the relationships between causes and their effects, both immediate and subtle, for each unique individual.
Through insight, understanding and experience, Ayurveda presents a vast wealth of information on the relationships between causes and their effects, both immediate and subtle, for each unique individual.
Ayurveda encompasses various techniques for assessing health. The practitioner evaluates symptoms of illness in relation to the origin and cause of an imbalance. After assessing the imbalance, a practitioner will recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Some ways that the practitioner arrives at diagnosis are:
- Direct questioning
- Observation/physical exam
- Inference
- Taking the pulse
- Observing the tongue, eyes and physical form
- Assessing Marma point (acupressure point)
- Listening to the tone of the voice are employed during an assessment.
Palliative and cleansing measures, when appropriate, can be used to help eliminate an imbalance along with suggestions for eliminating or managing the causes of the imbalance. Recommendations may include:
- The implementation of lifestyle changes
- Starting and maintaining a suggested diet
- Meditation
- Correction of intellect
- Yoga poses and exercises
- Pranayama (breath work)
- Marma points
- The use of herbs
- In some cases, participating in a cleansing program, called panchakarma, is suggested to help the body rid itself of accumulated toxins to gain more benefit from the various suggested measures of treatment.
