The Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention & Longevity

This is a 670 page, giant of a book. It sat on my bookshelf, un-perused, for several years before I discovered the treasures that are in it. Of course it has a substantial section on about 85 popular herbs and their uses. Also, the Sanskrit name, the Hindi name, the Latin name and (when available) the English name of each herb is given, as well as its functions, its counter-indications, and its preferred method of preparation. Then, there is a hefty section on Pancha Karma - although I do not recommend that you try these methods at home, other than a simple oil massage. The largest part of the book is devoted to various diseases, arranged by body systems - circulatory system, nervous system, immune system, etc. This is wonderfully comprehensive and thorough and gives many uses of herbology and other natural methods to regain health. However, my favorite areas of the volume are the small areas: mantras, essential oils (there are many useful ideas here--the combination of peppermint oil and lavender oil works wonderfully well for sunburn), music, philosophy and Sanskrit. At first glance, one may be overwhelmed by the size and cost ($32) of the book. Have faith! It is eminently worth it. I strongly recommend this tome for your home library if you are seriously interested in natural medicine AND if you already have a basic understanding of what Ayurveda is and how it works: you should know Vata, Pitta, and Kapha quite thoroughly and know, in a rough way, which mental and physical conditions relate to which dosha(s). If you meet these general "prerequisites," then go ahead and buy this book, knowing that you will have made an excellent investment. Note: This book should not be considered a substitute for consulting a trained ayurvedic physician.

This is an essential book for Ayurvedic students and practioners. An outstanding resource, and easy to use. Every time I open it, I learn more. Claudia Newcorn - author of the award-winning fantasy, Crossover Crossover: Krisálys Chronicles of Féyree

I bought this book about 2 years ago on a whim, but it has proved to be the most thorough book I have found on Ayurveda to date. Several other books I found on Ayurveda were not only smaller than this one, but very vague in what they were talking about. Ayurveda is not cut and dried, so you will find different beliefs in Ayurveda depending on the source, but if you study it enough you will find some things are constant. It's helpful also to cultivate an awareness of your body and lifestyle to better know what suits you.... anyways, This book has something for everyone: herbalism, diet, yoga stretches, gem, color and music therapy, mantras, and meditation, body cleansing and massage, etc. etc. I like that even though this book was recorded by a Westerner (but dictated by an Indian) it' hasn't been watered down with your standard New Agey vague "spiritual" crap. Many of the traditional Indian practices are mentioned, even though they are not all considered to be healthy in the Western world (i.e., mineral bhasmas, or burning certain minerals and using them as medicine; where in the US some are illegal because they contain lead or mercury, in India their medicinal properties are recognized, similar to the use of some poisons in Homeopathy) If there is anything I can't stand, it is sugar-coated, vague, generalized references that have been dumb-downed for us Westerners! I prefer ethnographies or at least books that are as close to the real thing as can get. This book is at times general, but for the things that really count (the things you can put down the book and go and actually do yourself) this book does not skimp on the details. There are a lot of spelling errors in this book, so sometimes you have to guess at what some words are, but the information is still valid. I have found this book to be very helpful and enlightening. When reading this book I recognized things that I already knew to be true subconsciously, but did not realize other people knew about as well. For example: when reading about nutrition and the effects different kinds of food have on the body. I have heard it said that the best books are the ones which remind you of what you already know, because they point to universal truths. I would say 5000 years is a good amount of time to distill the truth about a thing! This book definitely changed my life for the better

This book on Ayuveda is exhaustive on the subject and is especially useful if you are studying this particular modality of healing. It is, however, not really for beginners. I love my copy and have just about worn it out!

As a recent discoverer of Ayurveda, I have purchased and read a number of books on Ayurveda from many of the well known teachers and scholars of the topic. These have all been fine but generally very narrow in their focus. There are other publicatons I have chosen to leave on the shelf that appear to be folks just "jumping on the bandwagon".Happily I have just purchased the "AYURVEDA ENCYCLOPEDIA" and could not be more pleased. I hesitate to say I am reading it although that is exactly what I am doing with it. Most will find it a marvelous reference tool. Others will find specific portions that address their needs.It is difficult to explain the "flavor" of the book however it is clearly not a book that has been put together by a Madison Avenue driven mega-publisher. It felt far more like a labor of love than a commercial effort.Anyone seeking a great reference tool, a teaching text, or overview of Eastern medicine would be well served by Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha's "Ayurveda Encyclopedia".The topics covered include the history or Ayurveda, Sanskrit, Yoga, specific medical conditions, herbology and much more. It is sprinkled with Eastern Philosophy as well as art work.As I begin my Ayurvedic education I am confident I will be pulling it from the bookshelf frequently.