Ayurveda and The Mind (The Healing of Consciousness)

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Ayurveda and the Mind is perhaps the first book which explores specifically the psychological aspect of this great system. The book explores how to heal our minds on all levels from the sub-conscious to the superconscious, along with the role of diet, impressions, mantra, meditation, yoga and many other methods to create wholeness.

In this book, Dr. Frawley once again shines his brilliant intellectual light to illuminate the practical applications of Ayurveda and Yoga as applied to the mind. Through his clear exposition of the Vedic principles of consciousness and its expressions, a simple, yet profound approach to psychological and emotional healing is elucidated. This book reminds us that the mind is a subtle organ, whose health depends upon its ability to extract nourishment from the environment. If we have accumulated toxicity in the form of emotional wounds, frustrations, disappointments or wrong beliefs, eliminating these impurities from our mental and emotional layers is essential, if we are to have true emotional and spiritual freedom.

DR. DAVID FRAWLEY (Vamadeva Shastri) is a respected author in the field of Vedic science and yogic spirituality, with over a dozen books published in the United States and India. His works cover a broad range including Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology, Yoga, Tantra, Vedanta and the Vedas themselves. He is also one of the main founders of the American Council of Vedic Astrology. Dr. Frawley is director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Human beings face unprecedented challenges as we approach the next millennium. We are seeking new ways to meet the demands of modern life as its unrelenting flow of information demands our attention. Although in many ways, we have greater opportunities for a rich and fulfilling life than ever before, it is clear that we need to evolve new strategies if we are to survive and thrive as individuals and as a species.

Our Western culture is dynamic, vibrant, and eagerly embraces change. Our enthusiasm for that which is new enables us to cross technological and philosophical bound-aries that were unimaginable a century ago. Yet, this fascination with change has extracted a toll on our society. Many people feel uprooted, disconnected from the great traditions that have provided guidance and nourishment to human beings for thousands of years.

The ancient Vedic tradition, cognized by the great seers of India, willingly offers us a wealth of practical knowledge on how to live a healthy and meaningful life. Vedic wisdom is timeless and unbounded and, therefore, it is relevant in this modern age. Fortunately, we have Dr. David Frawley to translate and interpret this profound information so it can be transformed into living knowledge for all who ingest it.

In his latest book, Ayurveda and the Mind. Dr. Frawley once again shines his brilliant intellectual light to illuminate the practical applications of Ayurveda and Yoga asapplied to the mind. Through his clear exposition of the Vedic principles of consciousness and its expressions, a simple, yet profound approach to psychological and emotional healing is elucidated. This book reminds us that the mind is a subtle organ, whose health depends upon its ability to extract nourishment from the environment. If we have accumulated toxicity in the form of emotional wounds, frustrations, disappointments or wrong beliefs, eliminating these impurities from our mental and emotional layers is essential if we are to have true emotional and spiritual freedom.

Unlike modern psychological science which has until very recently maintained the dichotomy of mind and body, Ayurvedic psychology clearly recognizes that the mind and the body are one. The mind is a field of ideas, the body is a field of molecules, but both are expressions of consciousness interacting with itself.

This book is a valuable resource to students of Ayurveda, Yoga, Tantra and psychology. Dr. Frawley has again demonstrated his unique talent of digesting ancient Vedic knowledge and feeding us this understanding, which nourishes our body, mind and soul. He has been a dear and true teacher to me and I feel great appreciation for the loving wisdom he so readily shares with me and the world.

Ayurveda is the extraordinary mind-body medicine of India with its great yogic spiritual tradition, a tremendous resource for bringing wholeness to all levels of our existence. It is one of the world's oldest and most complete systems of natural healing, containing great wisdom for all humanity that all of us should know.

The present volume examines the psychological aspect of Ayurveda, which is probably the most important part of the system and the least understood. This book goes into the Ayurvedic view of the mind and its relationship with both body and spirit, which is profound and intricate. It outlines a comprehensive Ayurvedic treatment for the mind, both for promoting health and for dealing with disease, using diverse methods from diet to meditation.

These teachings derive from classical Ayurvedic texts, which commonly contain sections on the mind and its treatment. They also relate to yogic teachings, from which Ayurveda derives its view of consciousness and many of its modalities for treating the mind. However, I have not only examined the traditional psychological teachings of Ayurveda, I have also tried to make them relevant to the modern world. Ayurveda, as the science of life, is not a frozen science but one that grows with the movement of life itself, of which it partakes.

This book does not require that the reader possess prior knowledge of Ayurveda, though this is certainly helpful. It introduces the basic factors of Ayurveda, like the biologi-cal humors (doshas), particularly as related to psychology. On this foundation, however, the book does go deeply into its subject. It aims at providing the reader with sufficient knowledge to use the information and techniques of Ayurveda to improve his or her own life and consciousness on all levels. It is not simply introductory in nature and should be relevant to psychologists and therapists as well.

I am not going to apologize for producing a more technical book on Ayurveda than the beginning reader might understand. There are already a number of introductory books on Ayurveda that can be examined for those who require this. Now there is a need for more advanced books to unfold this important subject further. Something of the depths of Ayurveda needs to be revealed to complement the general introductions now available.