Health: Distinctive Approaches of Biomedicine and Ayurveda
 Dr. Rama Jayasundar

The enormous complexity of human body offers scope to
conceptualize its dynamic organization in a number of ways such as
structural, biochemical, functional, etc. The conventional western medicine
views the body from a structural perspective, whereas ayurveda,
the ancient medical system of India, understands the human body from the perspective of
functions / tridoshas (vata, pitta and kapha). These different viewpoints of ayurveda and western
medicine have resulted not only in the use of different terminologies and metaphors to explain the
human system but also in their different approaches to health and illness. Ayurveda, in fact, bridges
science and spirituality - it is a science because it has fundamental principles, observations and
verifiable conclusion; spiritual because it uses health as a basis of one’s journey towards enlightenment.
Its concept of health (complete balance of body, mind and spirit) defines the relationship between health and
spirituality.

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