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Ayurveda with Initial - A

Abhyanga
An ayurvedic oil massage practiced by two medics who massage to let go the warm oil into the tissues of the entire body. This helps loosen and facilitate the removal of accumulated ama (toxins) and the doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) from the body.

Acara
Good conduct, an established rule of conduct.

Agada tantra
Toxicology, a branch of Ayurveda dealing with poisons.

Agantuka
External or a stranger.

Ahamkara
Conception of one's individuality, egoism, pride or haughtiness.

Ajasrika
Activities that promote positive health.

Ajirna
Indigestion, weak digestion.

Akasa
Free open space, ether, sky or atmosphere.

Akriti
Physical appearance or external shape.

Alabu A vessel made of dried gourd.

Alocaka (Pitta)
A type of Pitta governing vision, causing to see.

Amala (Amalaki)
An Ayurvedic herb, Emblica officinalis (Emblica myrobalan)

Amavata
A disease caused by ama and vata, comparable to arthritis in modern medicine.

Amla
Sour taste.

Anjana
Black pigment applied in eyes and eyelashes.

Anna-vaha srotas
The channels transporting grains or food, the digestive system, alimentary canal.

Anupana
A fluid vehicle for medicine; drink taken with or after medicine, drink after eating.

Anurasa
A secondary flavor (as a little sweetness in sour fruit), a subordinate feeling.

Anuvasana (Basti)
Enema given with an oily substance.

Apa
The element water or water.

Apana
One of the five types of vata, which goes downward and is responsible for expulsion of faces, flatus, urine, menstrual blood etc.

Aparadha
Offence, sin, wrong action or misuse.

Apara-ojas
One of the less important of two types of vital fluid (ojas) present in the body, inferior, lower.

Ardhavabhedaka
A kind of migraine affecting half of the head or skull.

Arsha
Saintly, pious, and sacred.

Asana
Posture, seat or position.

Asatmendriyartha samyoga
Improper contact of senses with their objects.

Asatmya
Unwholesome, bad, improper.

Astanga Hrdya
An ancient Ayurvedic text written by Vagabhatta.

Adaptogens
Herbs that improve body's ability to adapt to stress, including infection, mental stresses and fatigue. It supports the adrenal glands and the pituitary glands and changes the threshold of resistance to damage.

Agni
Agni is the form of fire and heat that is the basis of the digestive system and the process of release of energy. The term includes the body heat, body temperature, sight, the digestive fire; its function is transformation, absorption, elimination and discrimination is agni.

Ahara rasa
It is the nutrient substance that is acted upon in the digestive tract by the enzymes or the bile juice.

Akasha
It is the free space or void; also related to the property of sound and is one of the aggregate elemental processes.

Alternatives
Alternatives alter existing nutritive and excretory processes gradually restore normal health; cleanses and purifies the blood. Alternatives improve the tissue ability to metabolize and eliminate waste to restore the proper function of the body. Most of the alternative herbs that have their initial action on the liver or kidneys can be considered.

Alochaka
It is one of the five varieties of pitta and helps in catching the image of external objects.

Ama
It is the toxins that enter the blood stream and are circulated in the whole body. Toxins or ama are produced in the body by the raw, undigested food products that become fetid.

Retention of toxins in the blood results in toxemia. Almost every disease is a result of toxicity ormits crisis. Toxins are vital for prana (vital life energy), ojas (immunity), and tejas (cell metabolic energy).

Anodynes
They are the herbs that reduce the sensitivity of the nerves and reduce. They have a similar reaction as that of the analgesics.

Antihydrotics
It is the herbs that decrease sweating.

Anthelminthics
This herb destroys or expels the parasitic worms from the digestive system.

Anticoagulant
They are herbs that resist the coagulation in the affected area and helps in massage also.

Anti-inflammatory
It restrains inflammation and counteracts to its effects.

Antioxidants
These medicines absorb or attach themselves to the oxygen free radicals that are highly receptive to compounds that attack the cell membranes, enzymes etc.

Antispasmodic
These medicines help preventing and relieving spasm.

Apana
This medicine acts in the downward direction of the body and regulates exhalation and excretion.

Aphrodisiac
It acts as a stimulant and when consumed heightens senses and stimulates sexual drive.

Appetizer
The medicine is a good stimulant and increase appetite by stimulating it.

Artha
It relates to meaning, the final essence of every thought, it is an object of pursuit, which is desired and desirable and satisfies the acquisitive tendency in every individual.

Asthi
It is one of the seven components and the bone tissues that supports the body by giving it protection, shape, nourishment and longevity.

Astringent
This medicine has a binding effect as it checks hemorrhages and secretions.

Atman
Atman means the true self, which is the cause of consciousness and all functions by the mind.

Atreya
Atreya is the author of Charaka Samhita.

Aum
Also said as OM, the god's name has in itself the sounds for all omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. A, U, M, represent the outer, the inner, and the super conscious stages of consciousness, waking, dream, and the state of extreme sleep.

Avalambaka
It is located in the heart and the sacrum and has the vital function of nourishing them both, lubricating and protecting the heart and support the sacrum.

Avyakta
It refers to indistinct, not evident and inarticulate.

Ayurveda
Constituted of two words, Ayur meaning life and Veda meaning knowledge, ayurveda means the knowledge of life. Another accurate translation of ayurveda is 'the knowledge of longevity. The roots of ayurveda rest in the ancient Indian culture. Ayurveda can be thoroughly understood by getting woven up in the fabric of nature.

Ayurveda encompasses the secrets of why Man needs to cooperate with Nature completely in order to insure his well being.