Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda

Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda are integral parts of each other.



So much so that, people say, there can be no Yoga or Ayurveda without Hinduism and no Hinduism without Yoga and Ayurveda. India is undeniably the country of origin of Yoga and Ayurveda, where for several hundred years it has been a vital part of human activities, all directed towards higher spiritual achievements. The philosophy of Yoga and Ayurveda is unique to the Hindus, with no trace of it to be found in any other country. They were all the fruits of the highest intellectual and spiritual development. Since time immemorial India has made untiring efforts to explore the highest realms of Existence and Consciousness, all for the enhancement of human knowledge and personality development.

Hinduism – also known as Hindu Dharma and Sanatana Dharma – as a religion, originated in India. With its source in the Indus Valley Civilization and Vedic civilization, Hinduism has no known founder; it is a complex blend of diverse traditions and beliefs. Divided as revealed (Shruti) and remembered (Smriti) and developed over millennia, Hinduism provides a vast body of scriptures that scriptures expound on a broad of range of theology, philosophy and mythology. Together they offer guidance and spiritual insights with regard to dharma (the law of righteous living). Among the many texts, revered by the Hindus the Vedas and the Upanishads are considered the foremost in authority, importance and antiquity.



The Tantras and the sectarian Agamas, the Puranas and the epic Mahabharata and Ramayana are also included as scriptures. The Bhagavad Gītā, a treatise excerpted from the Mahabharata, is sometimes referred to as the 5th Veda.

Yoga, derived from the root Yujir Yogey, meaning to yoke, to join, to unite refers to a seeker after this union as a yogi or yogin and Yoga is the science and practice of attaining liberation (nirvana or moksha) from the materialistic world. It not only points the way to release, but offers a practical means of arriving there. So, essentially, Yoga is the union of the Individual soul (Jivatma) with the Supreme Soul (Paramatma). A practical path to self-realization, Yoga is, therefore, considered the pathway to enlightenment through purification of the entire being.



It is done in such a way that the body and mind is able to experience the Absolute reality underlying the illusions (Maya) of everyday life. Yoga has many forms, the 4 main 4 of which are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga. In his Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali, attributed as the father of Yoga, defines it as the 'cessation of all changes in the mind stuff.' Yoga is also based on a fundamental philosophy that is related to other Hindu schools of thought.

Yoga and Ayurveda are both referred to as sister sciences in terms of 'self-healing and self-realizations'. Both originated in ancient India, from a Vedic background and are based on the same philosophy; they even share a lot of practices. Ayurveda, (also called the yogic form of healing) aims at taking us back to harmony with our true Self (Atman).



Hence Ayurveda is defined as the means of harmonizing the body, prana, mind and soul. Through some quirk of coincidence, the sage Patanjali defines Yoga as 'cessation of all changes in the mind stuff in a bid to realize the Ultimate Truth.

Yoga is considered the spiritual branch of Ayurveda and Ayurveda, the therapeutic aspect of Yoga.

No philosophy has had greater influence on Ayurveda than Yoga’s philosophy of union. According to Yoga, there is a state of pure existence or awareness behind creation that transcends time and space, has no beginning, no end, and no qualities.



Within pure existence there develops the desire to experience itself. This results in an imbalance that causes the manifestation of primordial physical energy. This energy is considered the creative force of action. Hence, as a source of form it has qualities. Energy and matter being closely related, when energy assumes form, we look at it as matter rather than as energy. The most subtle energies are modified until, eventually, all mental and physical energies unite in a dance (also called the Tandava dance of Shiva).

These concepts of energy, matter and awareness are fundamental to the ancient philosophies of Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda and, finally, to maintaining optimal health in human beings.