No More Sages: Youngsters in Ayurveda

Youngsters in Ayurveda: The idea of balanced & healthy living has gained traction since the onset of the 21st century, thus popularising traditional & natural forms of medicine like Ayurveda. Often regarded as pseudoscience by western medicine, Ayurveda stands for a lot more. Rooted in history and science, the ancient practice is a combination of traditional systems of medicine (TSMs) that have the potential to open newer avenues in healing. Dating back to 5,000 years, Ayurveda stands for 'life knowledge' and stresses the importance of living life in harmony with nature. With the advent of naturopathy & veganism, Ayurveda has gained global popularity. Millions flock to India every year in search of Ayurvedic treatments for debilitating lifestyle diseases. As Ayurveda gains global acclaim, many young people are ditching the path of Allopathy to pursue this science professionally.

Top Institutes like Bhopal's Mansarovar Ayurvedic Medical College (MAMC) offer professional ayurvedic courses to aspirants, such as Bachelors in Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery or BAMS. Backed by the ministry of AYUSH & affiliated with the Madhya Pradesh Health Science University, MAMC is one of the few institutes that provide quality education in the field and churn out talented doctors.

Modern-day Ayurveda is no longer associated with ancient sages. Young doctors are taking science forward through social media and a modernized approach. These doctors aren't just degree holders in their respective subjects (such as BAMS) but also create relevant content on social media platforms Like YouTube, Instagram & Facebook. This engaging content plays a key role in reeling in audiences and making them accept Ayurveda as legitimate science. Since social media has the potential to penetrate remote corners of the world, people across the globe are quickly learning of the magic of Ayurveda.

Let's take Dr. Shyam VL as an example. Founder & Director of ‘Back to Roots’, Kerala, the young physician has been practicing in Dubai for close to 20 years and popularised the science when it wasn't an internationally recognized form of medicine. In an interview with The Indian Express, VL expressed his thoughts on his approach towards Ayurveda. VL explained how modern-day ayurvedic practitioners have no bias towards western medicine and are okay with modernizing their treatment if the situation permits. VL pursued BAMS & MD from an ayurvedic college in India and practiced it for over 8.5 years before moving to the UAE.

Another example is of Dr. Nidhi Pandya. She is a 3rd generation ayurvedic physician and is extremely popular on social media. She grew up in a family that encouraged an ayurvedic lifestyle, which in turn inspired her to continue in her family's line of work. She shares many amazing tips & tricks on her Instagram handle (@my_ayurvedic_life). Dr. Pandya believes that wellness begins in the mind first, and is seen sharing interesting tips to incorporate the same approach towards healing.

Next comes Dr. Dixa Bhaskar, who is also quite popular for her remedies on social media. In her interview with The Indian Express, Bhaskar described Ayurveda as not a treatment but a 'Science of Life'. Ayurveda emphasizes changing one's lifestyle and curing the root cause of a problem, she said. She also shared some personal anecdotes from her life, which showed how Ayurveda helped overturn her lifestyle problems – Diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the age of 28, it was only a strict ayurvedic diet and yoga that helped her bring her Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) in control.

There are a total of 8 branches of Ayurveda, collectively known as Ashtanga Ayurveda ---

●      Kaaya Chikitsa (Internal Medicine)

●      Baala Chikitsa (Treatment of Children / Pediatrics)

●      Graha Chikitsa (Demonology / Psychology)

●      Urdhvaanga Chikitsa (Treatment of disease above the clavicle)

●      Shalya Chikitsa (Surgery)

●      Damstra Chikitsa (Toxicology)

●      Jara Chikitsa (Geriatrics, Rejuvenation)

●      Varsha Chikitsa (Aphrodisiac therapy)

All of these branches promote holistic healing and are focused on removing the problem from its roots. Ayurvedic interpreters believe that your health consists of 3 different kinds of Dosha's, namely Vata Dosha (Space & Air), Pitta Dosha (Fire), and Kapha Dosha (Fire & Earth). According to Ayurvedic principles, seven different elements affect our health- earth, air, fire, water, space, ether, and mind. In Ayurveda, a human body only falls sick when these Dosha's or elements are out of balance. A true ayurvedic physician will focus on realigning these doshas to provide a lasting cure. Such quality physicians are only churned out in top-notch ayurvedic / BAMS colleges such as MP's MAMC. MAMC only accepts 100 brilliant students each year, sending out only the most deserving students with BAMS degrees. This strict approach is needed to provide more legitimacy to science as well as bust the myths and misconceptions that surround it.

There has been a substantial increase in lifestyle diseases with the onset of this century, which also means that most sufferers need a complete lifestyle to revamp. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS has become increasingly common among working women dealing with the stress of meeting deadlines as well as societal pressure to shoulder responsibility for everything. Since Allopathic PCOS medication causes extreme-side effects, many such women are moving towards modern ayurvedic treatment provided by the likes of Gynoveda. The company has a great social media presence and consists of a young team that provides quality &  safe ayurvedic medication for curing PCOS.

In conclusion, we can say that young blood allows for a complete overhaul of Ayurveda. They aren't only popularising the science among modern audiences but also working to make people accept it as the legitimate healing science it is. A modern approach allows for greater global acceptance of Ayurveda and is helping people with crippling diseases find a cure. These doctors hold degrees in BAMS from top ayurvedic varsities like MAMC in Madhya Pradesh and continue to revolutionize the science through their cutting-edge approach, interactive demeanor, and attractive packaging and marketing of products. Ayurveda is no longer dominated by saffron-clad seers but by young doctors with purpose and a fresh approach.

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