What is Ayurveda? It is an ancient system of medicine developed in our part of the world, long before the father of medicine, Hippocrates, was even born. The name comes from two conjoined Sanskrit words 'Ayuh' (life) and 'Veda'(science or knowledge). Basically a science of healthy living, Ayurveda has two aims to preserve health and to cure a body afflicted by disease.

One of the fundamental beliefs of Ayurveda is the doctrine of 'Tri Dosha' or the Three Vital Forces 'Vayu, Pita and Kapha'. Generally translated into Wind, Bile and Phlegm, a more accurate interpretation of Vayu is the transmission of energy within the body; in modern medical terms, nerve impulses, muscle contraction and hormonal activity. 'Pita' may not be confined to bile but signifies the whole scope of metabolism and internal heat production while 'Kapha' means mucus, often described as 'The Protective Fluid'. The modern concept of mucus as an antibody containing liquid which coats and protects internal linings of the body, seems to fit in with Ayurvedic thinking.