Gopi Warrier

Written by experts, this is a comprehensive and practical guide to the powerful Indian system of mind/body medicine which has been popularized in recent years through the works of Deepak Chopra.

Lavishly illustrated throughout, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Ayurveda is indispensable to anyone concerned with their well-being. It explains:

- Ayurveda, the science of life
- how the ancient system of mind/body medicine works and its current applications
- the five elements and the Tridosha theory
- how to take the Ayurveda body-type test
- eating for perfect balance
- the process of disease, its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
- meditation and yoga
- Ayurveda in the Western world… (altro)

Secrets of Ayurveda is a clear, concise guide to this unique holistic healing system, and is a perfect introduction for beginners. This book is divided into four chapters. The first is about the history of Ayurveda, and there is a questionnaire to help you learn your own Ayurvedic 'constitution’, or make-up. The next two chapters look at various therapies and dietary concerns. The final chapter focuses on ways you can use Ayurveda at home, but stresses you should seek a practitioner's guidance, most especially in learning your dosha, which provides the framework for everything in an Ayurvedic program.

I was fascinated to learn that, despite being thousands of years old, Ayurveda put forth that the body is made up of cells, and that 'invisible’ (microscopic) organisms can cause disease. I took the questionnaire to find my dosha and came up with nearly even between pitta and vata. I found the diet information useful, along with the yoga suggestions. Reading this book has triggered my interest in learning more about this millennia old healing system, and has me considering finding a practitioner to work with.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (altro)

This review is from "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Ayurveda: The Ancient Indian Healing Tradition":

At last what many people have been looking for: a well produced, highly artistic illustrated guide to the often difficult and arcane world of Ayurveda! While there are a number of excellent introductory books on this subject, until this one none have been presented in such an accessible visual format. If you have trouble getting into Ayurveda or introducing Ayurveda to your friends, family, students, or clients, this book may be exactly what you need. "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Ayurveda" makes the study of Ayurveda not so much an intellectual excercise as an enjoyable adventure. It uses traditional Indian art as well as contemporary illustrations and examples, to make the subject relevant to people today. Yet the book does not sacrifice anything by way of content. Anyone interested in Ayurvedic medicine or natural healing will want to have this book, not merely on the shelf, but out in the open for everyone to look at and benefit from.… (altro)