What is Ayurveda?
More and more people are searching for what Ayurveda is and why this ancient Indian health system is gaining relevance within integrative medicine.
Ayurveda is a holistic system, not just herbal medicine.”
— Santiago Suarez, CAS
QUITO, QUITO, ECUADOR, July 13, 2026 / EINPresswire.com / -- The California School of Ayurveda announces that registration is now open for its Foundations of Ayurveda course for those interested in learning about Ayurveda . This course has been offered for 16 years in Spanish throughout Latin America and Spain by the California School of Ayurveda.
In recent years, millions of people around the world have become interested in health
But one question remains: What is Ayurveda?
While many people have heard the term in connection with massage, medicinal herbs, or healthy eating, Ayurveda is much more than a collection of natural remedies. It is a complete system of traditional medicine originating in India more than 5,000 years ago, whose main objective is to preserve health, prevent disease, and promote a long and balanced life.
What does the word Ayurveda mean?
The word Ayurveda comes from Sanskrit:
Ayus means "life."
Veda means "knowledge," "wisdom," or "science."
Therefore, Ayurveda is often translated as "the science of life" or "the knowledge of how to live."
This definition reflects a fundamental difference from many modern approaches to health. While numerous medical systems focus their efforts on diagnosing and treating diseases once they appear, Ayurveda places a strong emphasis on preserving health before it is lost.
In other words, Ayurveda seeks to understand what each person needs to maintain physical, mental, and emotional balance.
According to Santiago Suárez, Director for Latin America of the California College of Ayurveda: "It is a comprehensive system, not just herbal medicine."
One of the most common misconceptions is that Ayurveda consists solely of consuming medicinal plants.
In reality, herbs represent only a small part of a much broader system.
Ayurveda integrates knowledge about:
Personalized nutrition.
Healthy daily routines.
Sleep quality.
Physical exercise appropriate for each individual.
Stress management.
Conscious breathing.
Meditation.
Traditional massage.
Detoxification under professional supervision.
Responsible use of herbal preparations.
Emotional well-being.
The relationship between humans and nature.
Its objective is to identify the root causes of imbalances before they develop into disease.
Health as balance.
The central principle of Ayurveda is that health depends on the dynamic balance between multiple aspects of the organism.
According to this tradition, each person has a unique constitution determined by the combination of three functional forces known as doshas:
Vata, associated with movement, the nervous system, and respiration;
Pitta, related to digestion, metabolism, and transformation;
and Kapha, linked to body structure, stability, lubrication, and immunity.
All individuals possess all three doshas, but in different proportions.
When these energies function in a balanced way, the organism maintains a state of health. When they are disrupted due to factors such as inadequate diet, prolonged stress, lack of sleep, or unhealthy habits, imbalances begin to appear that, over time, can manifest as disease.
Therefore, Ayurveda offers personalized recommendations rather than universal solutions.
A profoundly preventive medicine .
One of Ayurveda's greatest contributions is its preventive approach.
Long before modern concepts of preventive medicine existed, this system already recommended daily habits for maintaining health.
These include:
Maintaining regular schedules.
Adapting diet to the season.
Sleeping adequately.
Practicing moderate exercise.
Promoting good digestion.
Reducing stress.
Cultivating healthy relationships.
Living in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Instead of waiting for illness to appear, Ayurveda seeks to strengthen the body's natural ability to stay healthy.
Personalized Nutrition
: Ayurveda considers diet one of the most important tools for preserving health.
However, it does not propose a single diet for everyone.
Foods are selected taking into account factors such as:
Individual constitution.
Age.
Climate.
Season.
Digestive capacity.
Level of physical activity.
General health status.
This personalized approach has sparked growing interest among researchers and integrative nutrition professionals.
What does science say?
Over the past few decades, scientific interest in Ayurveda has increased considerably.
Universities and research centers are studying aspects related to Ayurvedic nutrition, traditional medicinal plants, the gut microbiota, chronic inflammation, stress management, and quality of life.
Some plants traditionally used in Ayurveda, such as ashwagandha , have been the subject of numerous studies for their potential role in the body's stress response. However, specialists agree that further research is needed to fully understand their mechanisms of action, efficacy, and safety in different populations.
Experts also remind us that "natural" does not always mean "safe." Herbal preparations can interact with medications or be unsuitable for certain individuals, so they should always be used under the guidance of trained professionals.
The World Health Organization's Position:
The World Health Organization recognizes that traditional medicine plays an important role in the healthcare of millions of people.
According to the WHO, many communities rely on these systems as part of their primary healthcare, especially in regions where access to conventional medical services may be limited.
Therefore, the organization promotes scientific research, appropriate regulation, professional training, and the safe use of traditional medicine.
At the same time, the WHO emphasizes that these practices must be evaluated using scientific evidence and that not all traditional therapies have the same level of clinical support.
Ayurveda and Modern Wellness:
The growing interest in Ayurveda reflects a shift in how many people understand health.
Today, there is greater awareness of the importance of factors such as diet, sleep, exercise, stress management, mental health, and daily habits.
Ayurveda brings all these elements together within a coherent system that views the human being as a whole in which body, mind, and environment are deeply connected.
While it does not replace conventional medicine, it can be part of an integrative approach when practiced responsibly by properly trained professionals.
Who can learn Ayurveda?
Ayurveda can be studied by both healthcare professionals and individuals interested in better understanding their own well-being.
Physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, physical therapists, nurses, yoga instructors, complementary therapists, and the general public find in this discipline tools to understand how daily habits influence health.
Its study does not require prior medical knowledge at the introductory levels, although professional clinical training demands structured and supervised programs.
About the California College of Ayurveda:
The California College of Ayurveda is the Spanish-language division of the California College of Ayurveda and its mission is to make high-quality Ayurvedic education accessible to students in Latin America, Spain, and Spanish-speaking communities worldwide.
The institution offers professional training programs, introductory courses, and continuing education taught by faculty with extensive clinical and academic experience. Its approach combines the study of classical Ayurvedic texts with a responsible, ethical, and complementary perspective to conventional medicine.
More information about its educational programs is available at https://www.escuelaayurveda.com
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