The core practice of Ayurveda, as Vasant Lad presents it, involves observing every moment in an unbroken flow of attention, without projecting what could be, should be or would be. Accepting the awareness of “what is” reveals that the seeds of mental, emotional, and physical suffering can be perceived and eradicated before they sprout into a destructive pattern or disease. Vasant Lad’s classroom is a haven where students are supported to delve deeply into their own minds and hearts to discover the very origins of pain and suffering. This practice cultivates an ability to see things exactly as they are, without wrongly labeling things or jumping to a conclusion.
It is from this perspective that Vasant Lad presents in this book a systematic method for identifying the causes of illness and the stages in which a disease unfolds. This paradigm of cause and effect (etiology and pathogenesis) is the key to understanding how disease can be prevented through awareness of the subtle energetic disturbances that precede structural or functional damage. Sharing from a wealth of clinical experience, Vasant Lad imparts principles and methods of assessment using a combination of the most helpful Ayurvedic and modern techniques.
This approach is at the heart of Ayurveda and, when combined with a solid understanding and personal experience of one’s relationship with the world and the divine, develops into an ability to see cause and effect in a clear-headed way.
ISBN-10: 1-883725-11-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-883725-11-2
Hardcover, 416 pp. $50.00
“Just as it is the nature of a mango tree to give rise to delicious fruits, it is the nature of Vaidya Vasant Lad to give rise to nourishing wisdom. Dr. Lad’s ability to distill the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda into digestible and practical knowledge is incomparable.”
– David Simon, MD and Deepak Chopra, MDFounders, The Chopra Center for Well Being
“Dr. Vasant D. Lad laid the practical foundation of my Ayurvedic knowledge. My favorite professor, favorite too of all my fellow students, Dr. Lad knew well my mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. That these most valuable teachings have now appeared in printed detail is a true enjoyment, for as I read these pages I hear his voice speak every word. No serious student of Ayurveda can afford to be without this book.”
– Dr. Robert E. Svoboda, BAMSAuthor, Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity, the Aghora series and more
Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc, Ayurvedic Physician, brings a wealth of classroom and practical experience to the United States. A native of India, he served for three years as Medical Director of the Ayurveda Hospital in Pune, India. He was Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Pune University College of Ayurvedic Medicine for 15 years. He holds a Bachelor’s of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAM&S) degree from the University of Pune and a Master’s of Ayurvedic Science (MASc) degree from Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya. Vasant Lad’s academic and practical training include the study of Allopathy (Western medicine) and surgery as well as traditional Ayurveda.
Beginning in 1979, he has traveled throughout the United States sharing his knowledge of Ayurveda. In 1984 he came to Albuquerque as Director, principal instructor and founder of The Ayurvedic Institute.
The author of numerous books, Vasant Lad is respected throughout the world for his knowledge of Ayurveda. Vasant Lad has written 12 books on Ayurveda as well as hundreds of articles and other writings. With over 700,000 copies of his books in print in the US, his work has been translated into more than 20 languages.
Vasant Lad presents this ages-old science in a framework that is clearly accessible to the modern student while remaining true to its ancient roots, clarifying the mysteries of Ayurveda from the classical Sanskrit texts. This text builds upon the information in Volume One, imparting the essential elements of clinical assessment.
Vasant Lad describes the many categories and stages of disorders and disease from the ancient texts of Ayurveda. He then shows you how to detect and evaluate the conditions of the client. Offering a thorough training in client assessment, the reader will come away with a new level of expertise in service to and knowledge of one’s patient.
Knowing precisely where the client is in the disease process enables the clinician to determine the most effective level of care necessary for them. Filled with illustrations, tables, charts, clinical forms and practical examples, this book will lead the student through the methods of assessment using both the historical applications of Ayurveda as well as more modern terms and techniques.
“Ayurveda classifies all disorders in terms of qualitative changes. The twenty qualities (gunas) are manifest in the doshas,dhatus, urine, feces and sweat, and they affect the mind and consciousness. In fact, they are present throughout the universe. Our body is constantly exposed to the outer environment, which induces its qualities into the body, mind and consciousness through diet, lifestyle, seasonal changes and the quality of our relationships. These qualities slowly create changes in the doshas, which result in an increase of the particular doshas that share those attributes.”
Excerpted from Chapter One, “Nidana Panchakam: The Five Clinical Barometers ”
There is a table missing from the Appendix. Page 30, Table 2 refers to the missing table. You can print the PDF file of the missing table. [This refers to the 2007 printing of the book. See the next PDF for instructions on how to know which printing you have.]
In a subsequent printing, we added three tongue illustrations and some text was cut off. This PDF explains the error and offers the missing text.
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