Ayurved An Intuitive Concept That Is Wholly Dependent On...

Health and wellness is an intricate concept that is wholly dependent on social and cultural beliefs. This includes how people perceive their health status and how they seek treatment. In Western society, especially North America, conventional medicine is usually the choice of treatment (Elder, 2011). However, conventional medicine does not meet the needs of every individual. In order to create a health care system that is diverse and culturally competent, alternatives to conventional medicine must be discussed and integrated into the existing health care framework. One plausible option is ayurveda. Ayurveda is a holistic approach to care that encompasses mind and body. Because of its cultural depth and comprehensive approach to wellness, ayurveda should be considered as an alternative form of practice or used concurrently with conventional medicine. Historically, ayurveda can be linked to India. The Hindu culture practiced ayurveda faithfully. However, there was no tangible evidence of such practices until there was a historic meeting in the Himalayas where it was decided that literature would be created to support ayurveda (Tillotson, Caldecott, Bajracharya, 2011). There were numerous doctrines created to address every point of health and wellness from internal medicine to surgery (Tillotson, Caldecott, Bajracharya, 2011). Over thousands of years, ayurveda has pervaded much of eastern civilization. Western society has started to incorporate alternative medicine in