Ayurveda: A Way of Life [Paperback]

Vinod Verma (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1995

Ayurveda: A Way of Life First published in 1990, and eversince published into various languages of the world, The Ayurveda: A Way of Life has become a classical work for attaining basic wisdom of Ayurveda and putting it into practice. Based on the ancient scriptures, the book has plenty of citations from the Vedas and from Ayurvedic scriptures. It is a scholarly book that is meant to give the reader an insight to the classical tradition of this 5000 years old discipline. At the same time, the book is a guide in the living tradition of Ayurveda and inspires you to assimilate this ageold wisdom into your daily lives for enhancing your energy to an optimum level. This book explains Ayurvedic wisdom in a scientific way without the claptrap of the religious gurus or the popular romantic notion of Ayurveda with oil dropping on your head. The book also highlights Ayurvedic psychology and the importance of sattva (peace and stillness of mind) for attaining mental balance and state of santosha (satisfaction), which is essentail for health according to Ayurvedic sages. The book suggests a middle path, does not suggest that you should give up your glass of wine, provides scientific explainations and makes you aware that your state of health in in your own hands.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books (June 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877288224
• ISBN-13: 978-0877288220
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,603,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good start for anyone who knows nothing about Ayurveda, January 9, 2002

By 

"sc7" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ayurveda: A Way of Life (Paperback)

Ayurveda is a science dealing with vedic medicine,which illustrates how illnesses of the body and mind can be cured through a gradual change in lifestyle. In her book, Dr Vinod Verma gives a very clear picture of Ayurveda for the beginner , right from remedies for common ailments(colds,insomnia etc) to yoga postures (Which actually do make you feel better!) However she has neglected an important aspect of the ayurvedic healing system.. the tridosha system wherein you determine what kind of body type you have and then based on that figure out an ideal diet for yourself or how to cure common ailments. THe tridosha system 1. vata(air) 2.pitta(fire) 3.kapha(water) are of vital importance . Thus the good doctor loses one star for dosha neglection. I suggest buying David Frawley's Ayurvedic Healing along with this book as these two books together will give you a decent understanding of Ayurveda,as a beginner.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another look at a life style, October 23, 2005

By 

lean_bot (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ayurveda: A Way of Life (Paperback)

This is intro for beginners. Dr Vinod Verma provides a thorough job explaining the concept of Ayurveda. She provides useful daily tips that "revitalizes" certain parts of the body. This book includes several photo illustrations on massage techniques and yoga poses for certain purposes and ailments. The chapter on adjustments to natural forces provides insight on what certain emotions does to the body. Some aspect of Hindu is introduced which I skipped over. Additionally, I skimmed over a portion of a chapter going over remedy concotions due to the reality of me chasing down the ingredients needed for some of the recipes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, August 31, 2002

By 

Melanie Schurr (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ayurveda: A Way of Life (Paperback)

Dr. Vinod Verma teaches Ayurveda in a way that I have never seen before; simple, easy to understand and apply to daily life! She starts off by defining what the 5,000 yr. old philosophy and practice is about, then moves on to define the tridosha (vata, pitta, kapha)theory, allowing the reader to determine which type they fall under, then moves on to discuss numerous techniques that bring the reader to an improved quality of life based on mind, body and spirit. What also impresses me about this author is that she doesn't sound overly "new age-ish," but reveals herself as intelligent, well-spoken and knowledgable. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a more natural approach to total health.