F.A.Q. - Answers to frequently asked questions

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is comprehensive medical system that is 5000 years old. It considers itself as the Mother of medicine, from which the Chinese as well as classical western medicine have issued. The name comes from Sanskrit (Ayus – life, Veda – knowledge). It is considered as the oldest surviving treatment system in the world.

What are the principles of Ayurveda?

The essential principle of Ayurveda is life in compliance with one’s constitution and with the laws of nature. Ayurveda is a holistic science; it concerns the whole human being. It does not aim at the suppression of symptoms but searches for and cures the cause of illness. It directs itself to the maintenance of energy balance in the body, the most important condition for health. Ayurveda is engaged in details not only in treatment but also in prevention of illness and longevity. The diet, exercise and the whole way of living is individually recommended according to the constitution, race and climatic conditions. The admission of individual distinctness and individual approach to treatment is one of the unique features of Ayurvedic medicine.

What are three doshas, prakruti and vikruti?

According to Ayurveda a human being is composed of five elements, three vital energies – principles (dosha), seven tissues (dhatus) and a large amount of canals (shrotas). Of these five elements – air, space, fire, water and earth – two elements always form the basis of each of the three doshas. The word „dosha“ itself and the names of the three doshas, Vata,Pitta,and Kapha, are Sanskrit words.Dosha – the three principles – interpenetrate everything in nature. Vatta is the energy of movement, Pitta expresses the metabolism and Kapha corresponds to the principle of substance and structures. These energies occur in each of us, only in different amounts in each individual. Each of us has a unique structure of energy – therefore each human being is so unique. The combination of those three doshas comprises our constitution.

How can people get ill?

The basis of health is the balance between the body and the mind. The mind, body and the whole world are connected vessels. The way we think, what we eat, our diet or where we work – all of these affect our senses and influence our entire organism. According to Ayurveda most diseases arise in our mind. In the event imbalance sets in with the participation of outer (environment, unhealthy life style) or inner (improper diet) factors, weak digestion, inability to absorb necessary nutrients and low immunity are considered as the main reason of the mal (illness). As result of weak digestion toxins (Ama) are formed in the body; they migrate throughout the body and settle in different organs and damage them. In Ayurveda there are curative methods that eliminate this “Ama” (toxins) from the body.

What are the differences between Ayurveda and western medicine?

Ayurveda does not stand against western medicine. In acute cases, the role of classical medicine is irreplaceable. In chronic illnesses, combination with Ayurveda can be beneficial, and in many chronic illnesses Ayurveda achieves excellent results even where classical medicine has failed. Ayurveda is strictly individual (the treatment is determined on the basis of given person’s consti-tution and state of his/her health). It aims at the elimination of causes, not the suppression of symptoms; during the treatment only natural remedies free of any side effects are used. The cause of illness can be found in the inner imbalance as well as in the relation with the surrounding environment whereas western medicine considers, for instance, virus or bacteria as the main cause.

What are the main treatment techniques?

Ayurveda offers a treatment for each of the five senses: herbs and nutrition act on the sense of the taste, the olfactory sense is influenced by aromatherapy, the touch is related to Yoga, precious stones and massages, the hearing is treated by mantra (sound energy with curative effect) and we can affect the sight by colours (colour-therapy).

Ayurveda mostly proves successful in the treatment of chronic illnesses. Ayurveda covers and cures a wide range of illnesses, from the common cold to chronic illnesses, allergy, chronic fatigue, ulcers, bad digestion, from insomnia to grave mental disorders. The choice of relevant therapy depends on the individual constitution, on the type of imbalance and on the season. The following are the most frequently used treatment techniques:

aromatherapy including the use of aromatic oils and incense sticks
herbal treatment using natural substances without side effects
special breathing exercises carried out before meditation
choice of appropriate exercises contributes to the whole health
the detoxication method called Panchakarma cleans the organism and eliminates the settlement of toxic substances
shirodhara with its deep calming effect,
alimentation and contingent change of diet belong to the most important measures to keep or recovering health. Agni, the fire of digestion, operates in the stomach; it is responsible for correct and perfect digestion. To a large extent our health is dependent not only on the kind of food but also on the amount of food we eat and when we eat it. An improperly set-up meal, eaten at an inconvenient time or eaten in a haste – all of these factors contribute to our imbalance and disease
meditation influences positively our mind and thus the entire organism
marma therapy stimulates by gentle massage some points on the body and reflexively affects the respective organs
yoga – special exercises called “Asany” belong to the part of treatment of many illnesses. Hathayoga is the nearest to Ayurveda,
therapy by colours and stones.

What is Shirodhara?

Shirodhara is a method during which warm oil is applied on the patient’s forehead for 15 to 40 minutes from a specialised vessel which is suspended above the head of the reclining patient. The application of oil on that place promotes not only a deep relaxation and thus regeneration of the organism, but also helps to cure approximately 80 illnesses such as headache and migraine, insomnia, memory loss or concentration failure, depressive state and other mental complaints.

Do you provide original massages?

Yes. You can try our massage provided by experienced masseurs for very reasonable prices.

What importance do herbs have?

Herbs are gentle and natural treatment. They do not have any side effects, because they are compatible with the body’s own chemicals. They are absorbed easily and because of their different characteristics (desiccant/humid, incentive/sedative etc.) it is possible to choose exactly the right herbs which can cure in the given case depending on the illness.

What is the importance of food in Ayurveda?

According to Ayurveda up to 70 % of illnesses can be influenced by correct diet. A maximally satisfying diet that leads the organism to balance can be designed in compliance with the constitution. Ayurveda does not forcibly forbid any food, nor does it incline to any artificial unnatural diet, but rather in each group (fruit, vegetables, meat, cereals and dairy products) there are certain foodstuffs that are more appropriate and others less so. Properly chosen food, through its own quality, has a curative influence on particular organs.

Why try Ayurveda?

The history of Ayurveda goes back 5,000 years. At present there are more and more physicians from all over the world who are interested in it and who have adapted this medicinal system to our western society. Ayurveda and ayurvedic treatment techniques have been proven effective in many clinical studies. Ayurveda should be the first choice in case of chronic (drawn-out) illness, which can not be treated in a satisfactory manner by conventional medicine. Ayurveda aims not only to treat the sick person, but also to prevent illness in healthy people, who can get ill due to stress, family problems and so on. Therefore it is not possible to call Ayurveda, the science of life, merely as alternative medicine.

How can I get to know my constitution?

Roughly, the constitution can be ascertained by filling out the dosha-test on our website. The exact conclusion, on which basis the individual recommendations are made, is possible only after a personal consultation in our centre.

When and where can I make an appointment for a consultation or massage?

Our centre is engaged in Ayurvedic medicine, massage provided by native indian masseurs, Reiki, and special technique for treating aches and pains and haemorrhoids, entitled „Gentle touch“, which we perform as the only one in the Czech Republic. You can find us at the address: Puchovska 4, 141 00 Praha 4 (Prague 4), The Czech republic. It is convenient to book in advance by phone, fax or e-mail.

Can I get a consultation over the Internet?¨

Yes. In the event you live far or you cannot visit our centre, you can book on-line consultation by internet. You will receive a questionnaires with questions relating to your symptoms, lifestyle, diet and so on. We can make a recommendation on the basis of the filled in questionnaire which you send back to us.