Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity (Arkana) [Paperback]

Robert E. Svoboda (Author)

Book Description

Series: Arkana | Publication Date: May 4, 1993

An introduction to the ancient and current Indian science of ayurvedic medicine. Chapters on history, basic principles, food, pathology and diagnosis are included. Ayurveda is essentially herbalist, very ancient and very thorough. This book is relatively jargon-free and is based on core ancient Indian texts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dr. Svoboda literally embodies the wisdom of Ayurveda. He is a spiritual seeker and practitioner of the highest order and lives in that most rare of worlds...one that exists in perfect balance, here mystical and medical become one. --Krishna Das, spiritual vocalist in the bhakti yoga tradition, creator of five CDs including Breath of the Heart, Pilgrim Heart, and Door of Faith

This book is probably the best of its kind on the market. Ayurveda is one of the best systems for self-healing and the author does not just present an authentic introduction to Ayurveda, but also gives the keys to understand its application in our lives. I recommend it to all my students. --Dr. Swami Shankardevananda, a pioneer in the field of yoga therapy, author of several notable texts on yoga therapy, Australian medical practitioner and international lecturer

In this book Dr. Svoboda has beautifully explained the history of Ayurveda, its basic principles and applications in our daily lives. Following these will help to expand the scope of your life, including your mental and physical health as well as longevity. Reflecting Dr. Svoboda's Eastern and Western integrative approach to Ayurveda, this book is a practical guide for the student and layperson alike. --Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc., Ayurvedic Physician, author of Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing, Textbook of Ayurveda, and many others as well as an internationally known teacher, lecturer and founder of The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mex --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

Endorsements

"Dr. Svoboda literally embodies the wisdom of Ayurveda. He is a spiritual seeker and practitioner of the highest order and lives in that most rare of worlds...one that exists in perfect balance, here mystical and medical become one."

Krishna Das, spiritual vocalist in the bhakti yoga tradition, creator of five CDs including Breath of the Heart, Pilgrim Heart, and Door of Faith, which bring to the West his unique approach to the practice of devotional chanting.

"This book is probably the best of its kind on the market. Ayurveda is one of the best systems for self-healing and the author does not just present an authentic introduction to Ayurveda, but also gives the keys to understand its application in our lives. I recommend it to all my students."

Dr. Swami Shankardevananda, a pioneer in the field of yoga therapy, author of several notable texts on yoga therapy, Australian medical practitioner and international lecturer.

"In this book Dr. Svoboda has beautifully explained the history of Ayurveda, its basic principles and applications in our daily lives. Following these will help to expand the scope of your life, including your mental and physical health as well as longevity. Reflecting Dr. Svoboda’s Eastern and Western integrative approach to Ayurveda, this book is a practical guide for the student and layperson alike."

Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc., Ayurvedic Physician, author of Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing, Textbook of Ayurveda, and many others as well as an internationally known teacher, lecturer and founder of The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (May 4, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140193227
• ISBN-13: 978-0140193220
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,684,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert E. Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda (in 1980) and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training, his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda, tutored him in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore. After moving to India in 1973, he lived there for more than a decade. Since 1985 he has traveled the world lecturing, consulting, teaching and writing. The author of more than a dozen books and audio works, he has served as Adjunct Faculty at the Ayurvedic Institute, Albuquerque, NM, and Bastyr University, Kenmore, WA. To read more about Dr. Svoboda and his travels, visit his website www.drsvoboda.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In-depth presentation of the theory of Ayurveda, January 9, 2007

By 

V. Patel "med student" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity (Paperback)

This is an excellent book to understand the theoretical basis of Ayurvedic medicine. The complexity of Ayurveda's theory is often overlooked for its knowledge of herbs and diet. Vasant Lad's "The Science of Self-Healing: A Practical Guide..." is very useful for such practical information; anyone wanting a quick perusal of what Ayurveda can offer should consult his book.
For those already familiar with Ayurveda or medicine, however, this book opens your mind. His writing style is excellent (certainly a higher level than Vasant Lad's books), but very engaging and easy to read. I do not know how to describe his style (you should look at excepts), but he takes you through every aspect of Ayurvedic medicine, starting with the fundamentals. Almost like a narrative, he tells the story of the Ayurvedic view of the human being and the universe, thus illustrating what the Ayurvedic philosophy means.
One criticism I have is that he does not cite his references. This is particularly problematic when he refers to "recent discoveries" or what "modern science" says; he has a bibliography, but that mostly contains books pertinent to Ayurveda. Also, some of the comparisons he makes to allopathic medicine and anatomy are questionable, such as the existence of a deposit of magnetic metal in the frontal bone of the skull. As a student at a US medical school, I would advise to take some of these comparisons with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, he is familiar with the ideas and theory behind allopathic medicine, and he makes thought-provoking comparisons to the Ayurvedic system.

I highly recommend this book to those who want a further understanding of the philosophy that is Ayurveda.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to Ayurveda., September 15, 2005

By 

James E. Hickey Rivera "jehr" (San Juan, Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity (Paperback)

If you want to understand the history of Ayurveda and the basic concepts of this science of life, read this book. I'm presently reading several ayurveda books and this one has impress me very much with its clarity and Dr. Svoboda way of writing. There are other great books on this subject by Dr. Vasant Lad.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity, February 28, 2009

By 

Raven (Eugene, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity (Paperback)

I am familiar with other books on Ayurveda such a YOGA AND AYURVEDA by Frawley and THE YOGA OF HERBS by Frawley and Lad. I have also read other books written by Svoboda on the subject of Jyotish. This book delivers the contents of Ayurveda thoroughly with a flavor of academia. Svoboda's style seems more analytical and scientific and has a knack for summarizing theory, philosophy, and the wisdom of a concept in a sentence. His expertise on Ayurveda is evident and I will keep this book as a reference. I highly recommend it.