What is it?
This is an ancient Indian system. Ayurveda is from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (knowledge).
Key concepts
- Health is achieved when the mind, body and spirit are in balance.
- Every person is a combination of 5 elements: air, water, fire, earth and space.
- These elements combine to form 3 energies or life forces called doshas: vata, kapha and pitta.
What to expect
The practitioner will ask about your lifestyle, diet, emotional wellbeing and medical history. They will look at your tongue and take your pulse. All this information is used to assess what Ayurveda calls your vital force and overall balance in the body.
Suggested treatments vary from person to person, and may include herbal medicine, dietary changes, massage, meditation and yoga.
→ READ MORE: Chinese herbal medicine
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Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
A/Prof Geraldine McDonald, Director Patient Experience and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Laura Carman, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; A/Prof Christine Carrington, Senior Consultant Pharmacist Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Metro South Health and The University of Queensland, QLD; Kellie Giannarelli, Consumer; Dr Suzanne Grant, Senior Research Fellow, Integrative Oncology, NICM Health Research Institute, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Vivienne Hansen, Bush and Western Herbal Medicine Practitioner, WA; Karla Jaji, Administration Officer, Nepean Cancer and Wellness Centre, NSW; Dr Laura Kirsten, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Nepean Cancer Services, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, NSW; A/Prof Judith Lacey, Director of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Adjunct Professor Danforn Lim, Western Sydney University and University of Technology Sydney, NSW; Dr David Mizrahi, Senior Research Fellow and Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Professor Avni Sali AM, Founder and Director, National Institute of Integrative Medicine, VIC; Gillian Thompson, Consumer; A/Prof Kate Webber, Medical Oncologist, Monash Health, VIC; Tanya Wells, Integrative Oncology Consultant and Naturopath, Melbourne Integrative Oncology Group, VIC; Prof Kate White, Professor Cancer Nursing, Cancer Care Research Unit, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW.
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