Gary Kraftsow - Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga

FOREWORD BY SCOTT GERSON, M.D.
MEDICAL ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUSAN GILBERT

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First published in Arkana 1999

19 20

Copyright Gary Kraftsow, 1999
All rights reserved

A NOTE TO THE READER

The information in this book is not intended as a substitute for the advice of physicians or other qualified health professionals. It is not intended to be prescriptive with reference to any specific ailment or condition or to the general health of the reader, but, rather, descriptive of one approach to fostering health and wellness. The reader is advised to consult with his or her physician before undertaking any of the practices contained in this book. The reader should also continue to consult regularly with his or her physician in matters relating to his or her health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical treatment. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss, injury, or damage allegedly arising from the use of any information contained in this book.

ISBN: 978-1-101-07829-7
(CIP data available)

Printed in the United States of America
Set in Hiroshige
Designed by Kathryn Parise

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For Matteo and future generations

Foreword

I t has been more than twenty years since I first arrived in south India to begin my study of yurveda, the traditional system of Indian medicine. Naturally, I have an avid interest in the origins and influences of this healing system and have taken every opportunity to delve into the original ancient texts for evidence of its philosophical and intellectual underpinnings. We know, for example, from archeological remains that yurveda can be traced to the ancient cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in the region known as the Indus Valley. At that time a system of healing prevailed, amongst a people known as the Aryans, in which sophisticated medicines of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin were used. The Rgveda, the oldest known document from the Aryan civilization, contains abundant references to plants and herbal medicines. The concepts of agni and soma, the seed concepts for later medical theories of digestion and reproduction, are likewise discussed in detail in this ancient metrical scripture. The Rgveda and the other two early Vedas (Yajurveda and Samaveda) are distinctly ritualistic and magical, full of references to sacrifice and deities. The deities were often personifications of natural forces, such as sun, wind, and earth. The later text of the Vedic period, the Arthavaveda, provides a much more specific and detailed view of medicine as it existed in ancient India. The detailed description of the human body is evidence of a highly developed knowledge of anatomy. In addition, we find a great many disease conditions delineated including hrdyota (heart disease), kustha (leprosy), rajayaksma (consumption), asmari (kidney stones), and unmada (insanity), to mention only a few. There is also mention in the Arthavaveda of a great many plants used in the treatment of specific diseases. Certainly, yurveda can be said to have its roots in this Arthavavedic era.

Gradually, with the dawning of scientific thought, these early Vedic concepts of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology were greatly expanded and developed. Finally, during the first and second centuries A.D. , these ideas were organized and recorded as the famous encyclopedic compendiums of Charaka and Sushruta. Even today these books are regarded as the main textbooks of Indian medicine.