Kerala draw a large number of tourists every year coming for Ayurveda Holidays in India. Ayurveda is the science and Art of living life it is dealing with principles for maintenance of health, it has also developed a wide range of therapeutic measures to combat illness. These principles of positive health and therapeutic measures relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual welfare of human beings. Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests (with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants), and the cool monsoon season (June - November) are best suited for Ayurveda's curatives.

Ayurveda is an ancient system of natural & medical healing originated in India. Ayur means life and Veda means Science. Thus Ayurveda means science of life.

It gives a total approach to health, healing and Longevity. The holistic system of medicine is supposed to be the oldest form of health care system available on planet today. It is believed that other healing systems were influenced by the knowledge of Ayurveda.

The unique system of healing believes is not only treating the ailments of body alone but also the mind and spirit. The most amazing part of ayurveda is that it uses almost all methods of healing like yoga, meditation, purification, regime, astrology, and incorporates herbs, gems, colour, massages, diet, exercise etc, which can be individually used to heal a number of ailments in a suffering person.

According to Ayurveda everything in nature -the body, foods, season etc are all composed of five elements originally called panchmahabhuts. These are Earth, water, Fire, Air & Space. Practioners or Vaidyas group these five elements into three categories called Doshas. These are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. They believe that an imbalance in these doshas causes illness. Ayurveda believes is treating the sick and restoring the health of a healthy person.


Ayurvedic Medicines and Ingredients

The Ayurveda means the science of life. Medicine apart, various other aspects of life also come within the pure view of Ayurveda. The practice of herbal medicine dates back to the very earliest periods of known history. There is evidence of herbs having been used in the treatment of diseases and for revitalizing body systems in almost all ancient civilizations-the Indian, the Egyptian, the Chinese and even the Greek and Roman civilizations.

Plants were the mainstay of medicine and credited with spiritual and almost supernatural powers of healing . Herbs are used in many different ways. The ultimate objective of their use is that they should interact directly with our body chemistry.

In India, the records indicate, that herbs have been in use for treating diseases since ancient times. Many of the plants mentioned in the Rig Veda can be identified with reasonable certainty, although references to plants in Rig Veda are very sketchy. Firmly comprehensive information about herbs has been recorded in Charaka Samhita and Shusruta Samhita -the two most important works on Ayurvedic system medicine.