Health, health care and the pursuit of wellbeing are pillars of any
human social system. However, the social representations of the body,
the mind, and their pathologies are strongly influenced by cultural
norms and beliefs. The culture of India is a melting pot of diverse
philosophical visions translated in practical terms. Historically,
Indian tradition comprises nine main Dharshanas, or philosophical
systems, which were formalized between the tenth century BC and the
fourth century AD. In spite of their differences, these systems of
thought pragmatically coexisted in the foundation and building of Indian
culture, sharing a common core, that is the realization of the self in
the society. The traditional health system of India - Ayurveda - has
been elaborated and formalized throughout the centuries as an outcome
emerging from the practical application of the Dharshanas to the
observation of human nature and behaviour.
Ayurveda conceptualizes health, disease and wellbeing as
multidimensional aspects of life, bringing philosophical principles into
practice. Its approach to life and its events is basically integrated:
in order to attain an optimal adaptation, individuals should preserve a
balance among their biological and psychological features, and the
environmental demands. This balance is dynamic, and it is based on the
interplay between the specific individual bio-psychic constitution - on
the one hand - and the ceaseless solicitations derived from the natural
and social context - on the other hand. The harmonization of
individuals' needs and growth tendencies with the environmental
requirements fosters health and wellbeing.
This approach is remarkably close to the eudaimonic conceptualization of
well-being proposed by positive psychology. Moreover, the basic tenets
of Ayurveda are deeply consistent with the latest developments in modern
physics, which stresses the substantial interconnectedness among natural
phenomena and their substrates. Finally, the growing emphasis of Western
medicine on the bio-psycho-social dimensions of health, and the
increasing claim for an integrated approach to the treatment of chronic
and degenerative diseases, make the exploration of synergies and
complementarities among different healing systems a necessary step. This
book shows how the approach to health developed in Ayurveda can be
useful and fruitfully integrated in a general, globalized model of
health and well-being encompassing cultural and ideological boundaries.
In particular, the conceptualization of health as an optimal and mindful
interaction between individuals and their environment will be discussed
as the core of a new paradigm of healthy life and behaviour.
