The spiritual program Institute of Ayurveda, Ayur Ashram, the Centre and Foundation was founded the Since 1999 by Smajo Safić Gupta, Vaidya with the purpose of education and development in the field of the science of traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Through his complimentary lectures he has never given up on his calling and the efforts of “not selling out Ayurveda.“ One of the first and foremost principals of the Ayur Ashram Institute for Ayurveda is the raising of consciousness in people in the field of preventive health and the ways of healthy behaviors towards oneself and others. Health stems from the inner harmony of all aspects of the meaning of our lives, our thoughts, feelings and actions, which in themselves affect the sensible relationships we foster with our families, friends and colleagues. Ayurveda defines the lack of illness within the various aspects of life – in the field of psychology it is defined as mental health, in terms of physiology as the absence of pathological states and in the field of sociology it is reflected in our interpersonal relations. People, who live in areas where the system of modern western medicine is prevalent, need to be aware that their lives are significant, i.e., they should be happy and healthy. Human beings need to understand that the quality of their health and their emotions and mood have their roots in their thoughts and actions. Ayurveda offers the keys to good health through harmony with nature, simplicity and a general feeling of satisfaction. It connects us to the sources of creativity and happiness in the framework of our own awareness so that we can overcome our mental challenges for good. The World Health Organization (WHO) with its conventional medicine makes us continue to lead our lives in a wrong fashion (also dependent on the awareness and upbringing of the individual and its environment) and barely treats the behavioral roots of our problems. We simply take pills in the hope that our problem will disappear ignoring that the illness is a symptom of our imbalanced lives. Ayurveda or naturopathy (natural medicine) entail three phases of healing or the state of illness. These are Samsodhana (the process of cleansing), Samsamana (palliative care) and finally Nidanaparivarjana (the treatment of causes). In this way it does not only help with discovering the root of the physical state, but it also cures the state of the human soul and consciousness as well as conducting healing on the basis of the characteristics which are often the causes of illness or its various states. Ayurveda primarily guides the person to prevent illness, in other words, to raise their vitality.

Ayurveda is the traditional medicine native to India. The term is taken from the Sanscrit words Ayur, which means life or lifespan, and Veda meaning knowledge. The basic approach to healing in Ayurvedic medicine stems from Prakruta Dhatu (the functions of the seven bodily tissues): Rasa (plasma) giving us the sensation of satisfaction and nourishing both the tissue and the blood → Rakta (blood) which unites all activities in life and protects muscle tissue (mamsa) → Mamsa which covers the body and medas (fat tissue) → Medas moisturising both the eyes and body, acting as a lubricant and giving stability and nutrifying the bones (asthi) → Asthi ensuring correct body posture and making sure that majja (mone barrow) is saturated and nourished → Majja which ensures lubrication through the filling in of bone cavities and through the protection of Shukra (reproductive tissue) → Shukra (reproductive cells) enabling happiness, power and the forming of the fetus, all attained through the four main directions, mind, body, senses and soul, as well as through the five elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Not having a deeper insight into Ayurveda many people think that we, as individuals, can be strictly categorised into one of the three Doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha, whereas we are really made up of all three Doshas. The Ayurvedic expert obtains the parameters of the doshas through the processes of Nadi (examination) and Pariksha (diagnosis) as well as establishing the causes (Vikruti) of the illness i.e. the balancing of the state of the bodily fluids of the dosha and elements. The elements of ether and air unite in the Vata dosha, which controls the principal of the bodily stream and is at the same time the force that steers nervous impulses, the breathing and excretion. The elements of fire and water make up the Pitta dosha, which transforms nutrients into nourishment so that the body can function more effectively. This dosha is also responsible for the metabolism in our organs and tissues of our system as well as for the metabolism of our cells. The elements of water and earth form the Kapa dosha responsible for growth and the protection of the brain, the spine as well as the coating of the stomach. By way of the process of Nadi Pariksha the patient is prescribed a list of food from his/her environment entailing  every step from the preparation down to the consumation of the same. This will ensure the individual to improve and advance the state of the five elements in which the „Ayur life“ will be present.  For a more effective outcome in the healing of the Dosha (in other words for a preventive impact) the Pancha Karma program, which focusses on the endocrine, nervous, digestive, circulatory and bone systems, is performed. This therapeutic program eliminates those toxic elements from the body which are most harmful to both health and vitality. Ayurveda aspires to a state which exceeds or creates health and seeks to prolong our lifespan without major illnesses.

In the modern era Ayurveda is neutral in terms of religion, which is also confirmed by the Buddhist cult. The century-old, manifold achievements of Ayurveda have even been confirmed by modern biology and medicine. During your first visit to the traditional physician Vaidya, you will be asked to speak about yourself in detail. Since Ayurveda puts a stress on the balance between all aspects of our lives, the Vaidya will not only examine your physique, but will also gain a wide insight into your past and the history of your illness. For this purpose, the physician will ask you questions about your eating habits, your educational background and/or working conditions, your daily routine, physical exercise, your family and social life. There is a need for laboratory tests in case of more serious illnesses. Nadi Pariksha, Vaidya helps with the establishing of key symptoms in order to define an adequate therapeutic process, which aspires to maintain the health of a healthy person or alternatively cure the disease of a person who is ill. After the examination the client receives a written dietary program, which is adapted to seasonal changes (prana) in order to balance the flow of bodily secretions – Dosha (Vata-Pitta-Kapha). Ayurveda has developed through four of six Indian orthodox philosophical systems, namely Samkhya, Yoga, Niti, Vaisheshika. Samkhya literally means „calculate“ and in essence it is a philosophical system which speaks about the entanglement of the eternal and unchanging soul (purusha) in the web of the changing primordial matter (prakiti). The metaphysics of Samkhya is supplemented by Yoga, a practical method, which aims for absolute freedom defined as „the cessation of all sources of consciousness.“ Neither does it have two meanings as in „the rules of logical reasoning“ or „the rules of successful control.” Vaisheshika literally means „the science of multiplicity“, which aspires to define the world through physics. Each of these four forms of science belong to the most ancient of writings and they were established and passed on orally to many schools by the ancient sages, the Rishis.  Ayurveda is the medical branch of the Indian subcontinent and entails Yoga, Vedanta, Tantra and Buddhism. Both Ayurveda and Yoga are also connected to the system of Tantra, which offers various techniques for changes in the nature of consciousness. However, real Tantra is really so much more than the currently popular ideas about it, which merely promote it as a system of sexual practices. Tantra is a complete system for human development, which gives us the opportunity to improve all aspects of our lives. The Tantric tools of the Vidya educated therapists include sensor-driven therapies with colours, diamonds, sounds, meditations and mantras alongside the use of various divinities. The sensor-driven therapies alter what we put into our minds, and this, in turn, changes negative states with the help of natural medicine i.e., its traditional branches and without the need for analysis. Today Ayurveda as well as Tibetan medicine hold a significant place in the field of future medicine.

Both Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine considers the physical body as the crystallization of deeply-rooted mental tendencies, which are transferred from previous lifetimes. This proves that the mind is the reflection of the body and the repository of impressions accessed through our senses. It also means that we can only acknowledge our real self and eternal nature outside of the mind-body unity, where all bodily and mental problems have their roots. Ayurvedic medicine is tightly connected with the Vedic astrology of Jyotish, which „packs and explains“ the planetary blueprints at the time of birth and can give us valuable insights into the understanding of our Ayur-life path. The word Jyotish is translated as „the science of light“ and it relates to a profound and sophisticated mathematical form of astrology, which is derived from the ancient Vedic traditions of India. Through a thorough analysis of the cosmic influences, Jyotish helps us to realistically evaluate our own power and challenges in order for us to be able to optimize our full potential – by giving us the confidence to manifest our genuine destiny so that we can create success, happiness and harmony on all Ayur-life levels. Jyotish is part and parcel of the therapeutic program of Ayurveda, which has drawn attention worldwide. The Ayurvedic health program offers a solid basis for patients, who are prevented from passing into the category of people with degenerative symptoms and thus are on the edge of their health. Lack of vitality and elasticity, a bad mental state and spiritual adaptations through the influence of the environment or bad interpersonal relationships are among the most common symptoms that have a bad effect on our well-being.

Namaste, Welcome to Ayur Ashram, the Institute of Ayurveda! We hereby invite all of the individuals and groups/organizations, who already feel a connection to Ayurveda on an intuitive level, to co-organize complimentary thematic lectures on Ayurveda in the premises of your choice and location in order to raise the awareness of people on the subject of preventive medicine and various ways of healthy behaviors towards oneself and others. It is not sufficient to merely prolong one´s vital life and enjoy an improved life energy in order for us to do the things we wish for. For a happy Ayur-life, we need to be aware for what purposes we use our energy and why. The quality of our consciousness is the seed of everything that we do. That is in fact our ultimate expression, the essence of what and who we really are. The consciousness is the only thing we take with us when we die, when the end of our physical life has come. The purpose of the physical incarnation is the help we receive in the development of our awareness. This does not only help us to grow individually, but it also helps to raise both the world and the rest of humanity to higher planes. All of our human problems come about due to a lack of genuine awareness, which is not only a lack of information, but also the failure to understand our real place in the universe. The latter is affected by the law of Karma and Jyotish, i.e., the place of birth and the environment in which we live.  The whole universe is part of our own higher being – all human beings are connected to our own Self. All creations are only different forms of ourselves. They are like different leaves and branches of the same bark of consciousness. Real consciousness is the recognition of this unity through which we become aware of our own limitations and understand or see our Self as All. That is in essence the ultimate objective of Ayurveda, which aims for a deliverance from all worries and sufferings by way of the Ayur-life path.

Smajo Safić Gupta, Vaidya
The founder and leadership of the Institute of Ayurveda, Ayur Ashram

Igor Muhvić
The president of the Institute of Ayurveda, Ayur Ashram – Europe