This time-tested Indian medical system is called Ayurveda, a word that can be translated as “the science of living long and healthy”. As explained by the relatively small number of Ayurvedic doctors and non-physician specialists who’ve studied ancient Ayurvedic texts, Ayurveda is a refreshing alternative to standard medical approaches that rely on drugs, technology and surgery.

Ayurveda uses a holistic approach, in some ways similar to what a professional hydroponics gardener uses when hydroponics plants aren’t thriving due to pH, nutrition and environmental imbalances. It's all about evaluation, cleansing, balancing and restoration. Ayurveda is a way to get maximum yield from your life!

As a person who likes self-sufficiency, I was gratified to discover that Ayurveda gives you the tools to diagnose and remediate your health problems. Classic English-language Ayurvedic texts such as Dr. Vasant Lad's Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing give you the tools to evaluate your physical, mental and spiritual health.

You can also benefit from consulting an Ayurvedic specialist who helps you analyze your body systems, diet, lifestyle and personality traits so you can use Ayurvedic medicinal plants, a customized diet, yoga, massage and natural oils to purge your body of toxins, stagnation and disease.

If you love plants and your own health, you owe it to yourself to get acquainted with Ayurveda.

Especially useful is a lengthy foundational program of Pancha Karma- a weeks-long cleansing and restoration process that uses massage, detoxification and plant remedies to battle acute and chronic health problems.

In North America, there are a woefully small number of truly skilled Ayurvedic practitioners and educators, and it’s very hard to find the rare, botanically unique medicinal plants used in Ayurveda.

Of particular value is an ethical, family-run Oregon Ayurvedic company called Ayurvedic Rasayanas. From them, you get delicious, handcrafted, edible Ayurvedica formulas that combine honey, purified butter, and dozens of healing plants. These formulas are called rasayanas (the word rasayana can be loosely translated as “life-giving food or juice”).

It’s obvious that the people at Ayurvedic Rasayanas are providing effective and properly-crafted Ayurvedic formulas. I also like the friendliness, sincerity and knowledge that the owner and manager of Ayurvedic Rasayanas has always shared with me. She provided me valuable insight into my health issues, and is passionately dedicated to creating the highest-quality Rasayanas that bring healing to you.

These Rasayanas are powerful! For example, a few minutes after I ate several tasty spoonfuls of the "Male Reproduction" formula, I felt a jolt of heat and strength. It's fantastic to feel the power of these exquisitely-made, tasty, all-natural edible Ayurvedic potions.

I also recommend a company called Banyan Botanicals. Founded by two gentlemen who worked as herbalists at Dr. Vasant Lad's highly-regarded Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, Banyan Botanicals sources the rare and often endangered Ayurvedic herbs in an ethical manner, showing respect for Nature and the indigenous peoples in the Himalayas and elsewhere who cultivate and harvest these healing plants.

The Banyan Botanicals website and catalogue are chock full of information and dozens of products that work with your self-knowledge and Ayurvedic wisdom to help you create a healthier, happier you.

The personal transformation I've experienced using Ayurveda has amazed me, my friends and family. After years of trying regular medical approaches and alternative approaches, I discovered Ayurveda and within a few weeks had gained victory over chronic pain, digestive problems, insomnia and other health issues that had dogged me my whole life.

Not only that, but Ayurveda's emphasis on sweetening the spiritual and emotional aspects of human existence made me a better person who gives more light and love to the world. Using Ayurveda to change how I eat, live and think, I created a new me...one who is far kinder, gentler and compassionate.

Auyrveda is like hydroponics...for humans. You'll see that the more you integrate Ayurveda into your life, the more you’ll enjoy the amazing life-giving power of plants in your body and mind.

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