I've been wanting to do a study on ayurveda for a while now so when I saw this book I knew now was the time. The pictures are unbelievable. The black and whites are more impressive to me than the color pictures. Beautiful sepia toned child brides in their wedding finery. It's not all fluff though. I'm learning a lot.

Ayurveda consists of two words in Sanskrit: 'Ayu" and "Veda." It means the science of life or science of living. It deals with prevention of disease, maintenance of good health, and curing of disease. According to legend, the knowledge of Ayurveda was given to Daksha Prajapati by Brahma--the creator of the universe.

According to tradition the universe has five basic elements:

Prithvi (earth)
AP (water)
Tejo (fire)
Vayu (air)
Akasha (ether)


Additionally, Ayurveda gives importance to another element--'Agni.' Agni's function is to digest food and promote health.

According to Indian philosophy and Ayurveda, the human body is made up of the above substances thus there is natural harmony between the universe and human beings. Ayurveda believes diet is more important than medicine and there is no need for medicine if you have the properdiet. Health controls the functioning of the body, mind, and soul.

There are ayurvedic cures for all facets of health--emotional and physical. What I like about it is that it makes use of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereals in beauty recipes so it's a great candidate for natural skin care. Ayurveda works by readjusting the human system from abnormal to normal condition and function by using nature. Natural care stimulates the organs and elimination of accumulated toxic matter from the system for better functioning.

To cure any disease, the first and foremost need is to regulate the diet. Change the diet to fresh fruits which will disinfect the stomach and digestive tract. If the body is very toxic, a complete fast for a few days is necessary for elimination of toxins.

• For acne scarring, make a paste of neem and tumeric and rub on the affected area.
• For oily skin use sulphur soap to keep oil glands open. Steam your face once a week to deep clean skin.
• Rub raw garlic on spotty, blemished skin. Garlic is a natural antibiotic that kills germs.
• Grind a handful of fresh comfrey leaves with honey to make a paste. For each teaspoon add a mashed garlic clove. Use as a mask and if possible leave on overnight.

When I finish the book I'll write more about ayurvedic remedies.