by Anne Garber

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a proponent of transcendental meditation, brought ayurveda to the United States three decades ago, and Dr. Deepak Chopra exposed it to the masses in his bestseller "Perfect Health" (Harmony Books, 1991). These days, even movie stars have embraced the alternate medicine and value its results.

Ayurveda -- the ultimate in relaxation -- treats the WHOLE body

While ayurveda is often used in India by people too poor to receive Western medicine, panchakarma treatments in the U.S. cost $1,500 to $3,500 a week and are mainly the province of the wealthy, devoted or desperate. Holmstrom says he has treated some Hollywood celebrities, including Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Chopra treats people at his Chopra Center at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

Ayurveda and yoga are sister Vedic sciences that have been united for thousands of years, for the purpose of healing body, mind, and consciousness. Generally speaking, Ayurveda deals more with the health of the body, while yoga deals with purifying the mind and consciousness, but in reality they complement and embrace each other.

The ancient rishis (seers) were the original masters of all Vedic sciences. They understood that good health is a great asset on the path toward Self-realization. If the body is neglected it can easily become an obstacle to spiritual practice. Anyone who has practiced meditation for any length of time would agree to how difficult it can be to sit still for long periods of time without feeling discomfort and fatigue. Both yoga and Ayurveda are mutually supportive and offer many ways to prevent and heal various disorders as well as to cleanse and rejuvenate the body.

Besides sharing a philosophical foundation, both systems have many similarities in relation to attitude, nutrition, diet, hygiene, exercise, cleansing practices, as well as spiritual practices. Traditionally, a student of yoga would first live close to and serve the guru for many years, during which time he would learn healthy habits. The basic Ayurvedic principles for health and longevity were past on in the lineage in oral form to serve as a foundation for a life of sadhana (spiritual practice).

Nowadays, the teachings of yoga are easily available to all, and whether prepared or not we can leap headlong into its practice. This has its blessings, in the sense that more people can be turned on to the teachings, although much is often lost without the parampara, or close guidance at the feet of an accomplished master. With this in mind, modern yoga practitioners would most certainly benefit from a basic knowledge of Ayurveda to help establish a healthy daily routine and adjust their practice according to the constitution, dosha imbalance, season, and so on, to prevent disease and promote longevity.

Ayurveda treatments are becoming popular in spas, medical clinics and wellness centers. And like Mejia, many people are finding their way to ayurvedic medicine through the practice of yoga. Ayurveda is considered yoga's sister science, and workshops are frequently taught in yoga studios throughout Southern California.

"Yoga is the doorway," says Mas Vidal, owner of Dancing Shiva, a Los Angeles Veda yoga studio that added an ayurveda healing center last year. "Ayurveda is what all the great yogis practiced. Ayurveda was taught as a way of life."

Ayurveda holds that health and well-being of the body, mind and spirit is our natural state, experienced through proper diet, herbs, meditation, yoga, breathing exercises called pranayama and other daily routines. Ayurveda is used to prevent disease and boost the immune system so the body can heal itself from illness.

Ayurveda teaches that each person is made up of a combination of five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth, says Dr. Vasant Lad, a prominent Indian-trained physician who is chairman of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque. These elements combine to create three predominant doshas, or governing principles of the body: vata, pitta and kapha. Each person's constitution is one of these doshas, or a combination of them.

According to ayurvedic practice, vata people tend to be thin; they have cold hands and feet, dry skin and they are more likely to suffer from anxiety, insomnia, arthritis and constipation. Pitta types are "hot," with medium builds and oily skin; they have strong appetites, controlling natures, sharp intellects and quick reactions. They get inflammatory diseases, rashes and ulcers. Kapha types are frequently overweight. They move slowly, love salty and sweet foods, have thick hair and big eyes and are prone to colds, congestion and diabetes, Lad says.

Each of these groups has different dietary and lifestyle needs, which also vary by season. Disease in ayurveda is an imbalance in one's natural doshas, caused by improper diet and digestion, negative emotions and stress, which lead to a build-up of toxins in the body called ama.

Ayurvedic practitioners believe that this needs to be corrected through lifestyle changes, as well as panchakarma treatments, including a special diet, laxatives, herbal oil massages, sweat treatments, herbal enemas, nasal therapies and shirodhara, the pouring of oil onto the forehead for roughly 30 minutes. These treatments are typically performed in certain seasons and continue for three to 10 days.

Let's examine the similarities between yoga and Ayurveda: