As a health system, Ayurveda is quite unique and has authentic effects, unlike the divided approach of modern medicine. It does not distinguish between preventative and curative aspects of health.
This means that health is never seen as something solely physiological, but incorporates environmental, mental and spiritual life to remove the root cause of any disease and achieve the balance in an individual. Thought to have been revealed to the sages of the Himalayas 5,000 years ago, many historians claim that it predates even ancient Egyptian medicine.
Ayurveda in India
Ayurveda is an ancient system of lifestyle, diet and medicine, still used by the majority of Indians, and competing with pharmaceutical methods on an equal basis in India even today. The spread of Ayurveda has been somewhat slower internationally than Yoga despite being part of a complementary system and sharing an identical philosophy. The practitioners of Ayurveda prioritise Yoga therapy among their healing techniques and these twin therapies offer identical ethics and a cohesive approach to the environment.