Ayurveda is an ancient stand-alone holistic healthcare system from India.
आयुर अस्मिन् विद्यते इति आयुर्वेदः
āyur asmin vidyate iti āyurvedaḥ - suśruta saṃhita
Ayurveda is a combination of two words in saṃskṛtaṃ, "Äyu" which means life, and "Veda" which means knowledge. Veda comes from the root word "Vid" which means “to know”. In other words, it is a body of knowledge that contains information about understanding life. According to Ayurveda, the definition of health is much broader than simply absence of diseases. It states that a healthy person is someone whose physical body, sensory and motor organs, mind and spirit are in a pleasant state. A lofty goal in today's world but desirable nonetheless. Believed to be at least 5,000 years old, it is a multi-faceted practice that employs various different techniques to bring balance and well-being in an individual including individualized diet, herbal support, massages, etc.