Herbal Medicine in India India has been identified as one of the largest users of medicinal plants, thus it should not be surprising that the country has a strong tradition of herbal medicine. While Ayurveda, the main system of healing in India, tends to receive the most attention in Western society, many other traditions involving herbal medicine are also practiced in India and its neighboring regions. For example, other major herbal traditions include Unani Tibb (traditional Arabic Medicine) and Siddha (practiced in Tamil, in southern India). What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda, based on Indian philosophical, psychological, and medicinal understandings, has been used as a form of health care in India for centuries. In fact, some writers say that Ayurveda may even be thousands and thousands of years old. While herbs have always played an important role in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, Ayurveda has been described as much more than just another herbal healing tradition. Ayurveda, which draws on many different practices, including meditation and yoga, can perhaps more accurately be understood as a unique way of life that aims to promote self-realization and a harmonious relationship with the world. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that energy is manifested in five elements – ether, air, water, fire, and earth – and that these elements combine in different proportions to form the material world. They also describe the ability of the five elements to combine to form three basic forces called doshas (ether + air = vata, the air principle; fire + water = pitta, the fire principle; earth + water = kapha, the water principle). Balancing the Doshas According to Ayurveda, we are all born with a particular balance of doshas, which is largely determined by the balance in our parents at the time of our conception. All our bodily processes, as well as our susceptibility to illness, is said to be largely governed by our balance of doshas. When our doshas are balanced, we experience normal health. Thus, any disruption to the balance results in illness, or ryadhi. The Ayurveda system also identifies a disruption to the flow of energy around our bodies as a potential cause of illness. Ayurvedic practitioners have identified what they call chakras (which can be described as psychic energy centres) that are situated at specific points in the body. When the energy flowing between the chakras is blocked, a person will be at greater risk of experiencing poor health. Our lifestyle choices also have a strong effect on overall health and may easily disrupt dosha balance. The Role of Herbal Medicine in Ayurveda When an Ayurvedic practitioner diagnoses a dosha imbalance in a patient, it is customary to recommend a treatment plan that involves behavioural modifications and changes to the diet, as well as medicines from natural sources. Since Ayurveda believes that every material (including all herbs) has a medicinal value, it is not surprising that there are many ways in which herbs are used in Ayurvedic medicine. Among the many herbs that are used in Ayurveda are the following: chiretta, ginger, sweet flag, jequirity, cinnamon, myrtle, licorice, turmeric, balloon vine, and holy basil. The specific choice of herbal medicine used to treat any dosha imbalance will depend on the “quality” of the individual herbs. Ayurveda classifies herbs and herbal remedies according to twenty attributes, such as hot, cold, dry, and heavy, as well as six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent). The qualities and attributes of the herbs are said to be help reestablish balance by either increasing or decreasing specific doshas. Most herbal remedies that are used in Ayurveda contain several herbs, along with the possibility of other ingredients including honey, dairy produce, and minerals. The ingredients are all chosen carefully and balanced to meet individual needs. Contemporary Ayurvedic Medicine Ayurveda, having survived a period of being dismissed as superstition and banned in the 19th century by the British continues to flourish in India where it is actively encouraged by the Indian government as a more affordable alternative to Western medicine. The World Health Organization has been resolved to promote Ayurveda in developing countries. Ayurveda is also receiving a lot of attention and interest in Western society. Many of the herbs traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine have undergone medical research in the West which has identified their active components and measured their effects on humans. Today there continues to be a demand for more research on plants used in Ayurveda as people increasingly see the value in a system of health care that seeks to restore and maintain harmony within the mind-body system.