Ayurveda Books

Ayurveda is a difficult subject at best. It has not recieved nearly as much attention as other Complementary Medical systems like TCM. So when a book comes along that is concise, thought-provoking, and well...exciting, on the subject it is certainly worth noting. An Elementary Textbook of Ayurveda is such a book! This is THE book on Ayurveda that I will recommend to all interested in this incredably healing Modality, and Dr. Ninivaggi deserves a lot of credit for putting out a work that is so easy to read, and yet has such a depth of information and insight. I have found myself consulting it again, and again. And each time I find in its pages some new way of thinking about Ayurveda. If you are a lay person with an interest in Ayurveda for yourself or your family, I recommend An Elementary Textbook of Ayurveda. It is easy to read, and yet thorough and informative. If you are a Practioner, either as a MD interested in Ayurveda, or a Practioner of a Complementary Modality interested in incorporating Ayurveda into your practice, I still highly recommend this book, because Dr. Ninivaggi will give you new insights into Ayurveda that it would be hard to find anywhere else. Keep this book in your office or practice space, share it with with your patients or clients. An Elementary Textbook of Ayurveda is that good!

Frank J. Ninivaggi's "Elementary Textbook of Ayurveda" is a superbly written, well-rounded introduction to ayurvedic medicine for those unfamiliar with this fascinating and complex subject. It is of sufficient breadth to satisfy those members of the lay public desiring a grounding in ayurveda's history, theory and practice and in the many subdisciplines comprising the field (physiology, pathology, psychiatry, materia medica, nutrition, etc.) and of sufficent depth to serve as an introductory text for aspiring practitioners. It is particularly appropriate for Western health practitioners who strive to gain an understanding of a medical science radically divergent in so many respects from their own, as well as for persons considering a professional training in ayurvedic medicine.

"An Elementary Textbook of Ayurveda" is far more comprehensive than any of the other volumes popularly available, and I recommend it for my beginning practitioner students at the New Jersey Institute of Ayurveda in conjunction with Dr. Robert Svoboda's "Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution" and Dr. Vasant Lad's "Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles."

The book's chapters deal respectively with ayurveda's origins and development and the classical scriptures comprising its literary corpus; theoretical and philosophic foundations; anatomy, physiology and the concept of 'prakruti' and 'vikruti;' health and the disease process focusing on ayurveda's theory of pathogenesis; nutrition and diet; swasthavritta, and therapeutics and materia medica. It incorporates an indispensible glossary of unfamiliar Sanskrit medical terms, and an exhaustive bibliography. One very small criticism: the volume suffers from the lack of an index, which I think - in a work of this type - is key to its usefulness.

If there is any 'first book' on ayurveda that I would heartily encourage anyone to read this is one of two (along with Dr. Robert Svoboda's "Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution"). Dr. Ninivaggi has done a great service to the elaboration and development of ayurvedic medicine outside the country and culture of its birth.

This book by the Yale University School Of Medicine medical doctor and psychiatrist, Dr. Ninivaggi, is excellent. I use it with Dr. Atkin's book, Philli's book and the Balch's books on nutrition. It is a history book about India, the roots of all medicine in the world today, and a guide to diet, foods, nutrition, and exercise. I found the parts on psychology, psychiartry, and therapy tp be very useful. If you want to lose weight, goon an anti-aging program, use growth hormone, or just sharpen your skills--- mentally, physically, and in raising the quality of your life---buy this book. Along with Vasant Lad, William Frawley, and Robert Svoboda, Dr. Ninivaggi is an expert on Ayurveda. I highly recommend this 5 star book!

Finally, a book on Ayurveda that's firmly and delightfully grounded in history, theory, and practice. Dr. Ninivaggi's book is a fascinating and satisfying read and one of the few books on Ayurveda I've found that has really helped me to study the subject in depth. This is the book for all who want more than a sprinkling of fun facts and a few home remedies. I'd recommend this especially to those who have a background in science and Western medicine, but no-one who tries it will be disappointed.

The Only Way Out Is In, is a refreshing new look at yoga, ayurveda and tantra. It is not a typical dull yoga book. The author shares his own personal insights into the practice and keeps it available for anybody to read and understand. It is an easy read, yet has alot of depth. His life story is also very revealing and intriguing, he's not afraid to share with his readers the challenges he has encountered on and off the mat.

For an informative book it was a "page turner". I feel it was well written and interesting. If you are new on to the Yoga scene or a seasoned practiciner this book is for you. Anthony's "Prem's" style of writing on some complex subjects such as "Aruveda" makes it relatively easy and fun to comprehend. I actually passed this book along to my husband who is an "anti-yogi" hoping that it will inspire him. If not that maybe something in the "Tantra" chapter.

I have been practicing Ashtanga yoga for over 10 years and have many
different books about yoga, ayurveda, and tantra. This one in
particular is special, because of the way Carlisi honestly reveals
himself to the reader and weaves his personal experience throughout.
I was surprised to discover a lot of information about these
practices that no one else talks about. He makes his message known
clearly that ashtanga yoga, ayurveda, and tantra are available for
anyone and everyone, at any age and any point in their life. I
couldn't put it down and would recommend it to yogis and non-yogi's
alike.

As a beginner to yoga, a friend suggested this book to me. I was reluctant to read it at first, but once I started, I couldn't put it down! Since then, it has turned me on to a lot of new ideas and I am excited to learn more about all three topics.

My daughter is studying massage therapy and requested this book. She said she is learning a lot from it.

Davia Frawley says in foreword: Practical Ayurveda is an excellent introduction to the system of Ayurveda and one that is concise, direct, and easy to understand. The book meets these observations. It is written to normal educated western audience. The author introduces the reader to the three humors ( three kind of bodies - Vata, Pitta, Kapha). He gives directions to identify one's body type. He explains how ayurveda views disease as imbalance of humors. Food is recognised as medicine. A chapter deals with herbs. ( Appendix gives the terms in latin, indian context). A separate chapter on weight loss and beauty care, which are concerns of modern human being. He has written a chapter on sexual rejuvenration methods. He points out from Ayurvedic point of view, sexual pleasure is postively viewed. The author is a spiritual seeker. He talks about his guru Poonjaji's a visionary trip to Himalayas where he observes that a sadhu cut off from all human contacts has a girlie magazine under his stone pillow. The author point outs that celibacy and brahmacharya are not one and the same. He also provides another woman seeker's personal observations in this context. Yet, the chapter is not balanced; A good bibliography is given, which referrences to scientific journals. A ideal book for marriage gift.

A bit hard to rate, this is the first and only book I've ever read on the subject.
I write this anyway, just to say that I think the book, or maybe rather "the subject of the book" is marvelous, and I find that most of these "health-ideas" or whatever one should call them, work extremely well and are easilly applied to my own daily life. In the past few weeks I have experienced a genuine "getting-better-both-mantally-and-physically"-feeling, that includes waking ealier, sleeping less (but deeper and feeling more relaxed and well-rested when I wake up), feeling less tired in my body, and genreally feeling much clearer in my mind and my thinking

I have been "studying" various indian/eastern thoughts for the past 3-4 years, just for fun and because I find them interesting (and mostly true)and this sort of feels like the logical extension to most of it.

Im not a fanatic, Im not a member of any weird cult or bizare comunity ... I did stop smoking and drinking to much though, now you are warned :-) ... but I think that this ayur-veda can really teach one how to better listen to the body, and get better at responding to some quite clear signals that tell us - all day long - whether we are living in a healthy way or not ...¨

This book is good at linking the ayur-veda-thoughts to the general "yoga-philosophies" ... if you don't like this, maybe the book is not for you ... my sister read it and called it "brainwashing propaganda" ... I think it works well, and have some really good explanations/insights on many things ... read it and find out ... I highly recommend it

The foreword by David Frawley says:` Practical Ayurveda' is an excellent introduction to the system of Ayurveda and one that is concise, direct, and easy to understand. The book fulfills the observation. It introduces the concept of differnet body types; how to recognise them,how to make the changes in food habits and life style. He explains also the method of Ayurvedic diagnosis. The section on sex from Ayurvedic point of view discusses about his guru's visionary trip in Himalayas and also one of his woman's friend's insights about relation of spirituality and sex. There is a good appendix relating terms in Latin, Indian and English ( herb names). Interestingly, referrences are given from journals also. It enhances the scientific nature of the book. ( I have referred to a Jaico publication, in India)

The book arrived very quickly and was in excellent condition (brand new?). Thank you!

This is an absolutely fantastic introduction to the complexities of ayurveda. The narration is clear and concise and more importantly it is easily accessible to those with little or no understanding of the subject. From the outset Dr Godagama highlights the importance of ayurveda in the modern western world, and provides practical advice and tips which can be incorporated into the modern lifetsyle. In addition, throughout the book Dr.Godagama's draws on his own personal wealth of experience in treating patients with numerous conditions, stemming from irritable bowel syndrome to diabetes. This is a must read book for anyone requiring an easy to understand introduction to this fascinating science.....I found it a pleasure to read.

I am an alternative practitioner and have been interested in ayurveda for a number of years. Out of the numerous books I have explored in the field, this has to be one of the most concise introductions. The first few chapters lay the foundation to what turned out to be a very fascinating read. The book demonstrates the importance of ayurveda in a modern lifestyle which makes it all the more relevant in this day and age. Included are numerous case studies and preactical tips. The book is well illustrated and included contact details for further information.

The yogic techniques Williams describes in "The Spiritual Recovery Manual" are practical and surprisingly down-to-earth, presented in a way that tends to resonate with everyday experience. These subtle mental and physiological roots of recovery provide valuable models for recovery not available in traditional, "Western" addiction/dependency literature.

I admit that when I picked up the book, I thought it might be something lightweight and fluffy, filled with affirmations and good moods but little substance. But it's packed (and I use the word advisedly) with practical techniques (some of which I have since tried and found quite effective) from meditation to preventative Ayurvedic medicine to balanced, balancing diet tips, to architecture (of all things). Williams throws in a surprising amount of solid research on the recovery techniques, which a lot of people will find reassuring. I was particularly interested in his societal framework for addiction ("Healing Society"), in which he ties individual addiction to addictive socities (like America's), and offers solutions to create balance and recovery at that level, as well.

I found this toolset to be of real use in issues around being an adult child of an alcoholic parent, not only in the strict definition of recovery as it's traditionally understood, but -- and this is the great gift of the book -- in taking my recovery to a broader, and more profound level, towards spiritual enlightenment: the "Total Recovery" with which the book culminates.

I hope this book gets into the hands of people in recovery, and particularly that it's read by recovery professionals: I think "The Spiritual Recovery Manual" represents -- yes, I have to say it -- a paradigm shift in thinking about recovery.

Spiritual Recovery Manual

We all want to get beyond "one day at a time" and put addiction behind us. This book can take you beyond recovery to wholeness.

A good book for those in recovery and his or her loved ones. Very methodically describes the stages of spiritual recovery, and the tools available to help you.

If you're going to do the work of recovering, you might as well have the best advice you can get to help you on your way. In my experience, this is it.

We often forget how much we all are attached to our own behavioral and psychological habits. But more often we find that it is very challenging to face our own vices of ignorance which continuously divide ourselves from the most natural state of mind, Bliss. This book truly invites the readers to the most profound Vedic guiding light which can uplift anyone's precious life with its most NATURAL, easy and comfortable techniques. I was very pleased with the simplicity of the author's approach to the physiological mind-body coordination and his "manual" to re-program one's own consciousness.

If you are looking for an EASY and NATURAL way to re-program your-old-self and ready to make a positive change to your old habits, this book would be your must-to-have to start with! "Bring the Light of knowledge and the darkness of oneself and one's surroundings will go away." -Maharishi Mehesh Yogi.

Eureka! I have found it! This is one health book that is OFF THE SCALE GREAT! There are a lot of health books available these days that I find interesting. But this is one of those very rare books that seems to have been written by Nature itself. (How appropriate the title: Awakening Nature's Healing Intelligence). It is, as if, modern scripture. Like the petals of a flower which blossom in perfect sequence, so does the profound knowledge contained in this book unfold.

Dr. Hari Sharma, M.D. seems to be eminently qualified to write such a book. He is chairman emeritus at Ohio State University's College of Medicine and Public Health. A native of India, the origin of Ayurveda-- the world's oldest comprehensive system of natural medicine-- he has studied with the great sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who, along with India's foremost Ayurvedic physicians has refined and expanded Ayurveda into a very potent medical system-the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health. Sharma's book describes this system and its underlying theory, as well as the impressive scientific research on its various modalities.

Sharma dives deep into the field of knowledge. Because he goes all the way, there are some passages through which I had to go slowly. But the effort was extremely gratifying. Otherwise, the pace was perfect-the petals of knowledge just unfolding sentence after amazing sentence. He seamlessly weaves in and out of the most advanced theories of quantum physics, empirical scientific findings and ancient Vedic wisdom.

Because he goes so deeply into the field of pure knowledge, Sharma makes it apparent what is achingly missing from the current Western medical approach. The many shortcomings of modern health care must stem from the lack of total knowledge of the ultimate reality of life. And that total knowledge is lucidly, and I would say historically presented in this book. During most of the reading of this book I had the strong desire for all medical doctors and health practitioners to be required to read it!
Dr. Sharma systematically takes the reader from the field of fragmented, partial knowledge that has plagued mankind for thousands of years, to enlightenment-the pinnacle of human evolution. He shows that this is the state of real health and well-being. All standards of health and approaches to it must be based on this complete view of human potentialities.

So this book is not just for health care providers. I feel that anyone who is a seeker of wisdom will revel in this book. If you really want to have the inside track on a most profound approach to health, you will love this book. While not a `how-to' book, it offers a list of expert resources one can seek out to pursue this path. And if you are even a bit as inspired as I am after reading this book, you will want to do just that.

Submitted by: Dr. Craig Berg
Boone, North Carolina
...

Eureka! I have found it! This is one health book that is OFF THE SCALE GREAT! There are a lot of health books available these days that I find interesting. But this is one of those very rare books that seems to have been written by Nature itself. (How appropriate the title: Awakening Nature's Healing Intelligence). It is, as if, modern scripture. Like the petals of a flower which blossom in perfect sequence, so does the profound knowledge contained in this book unfold.

Dr. Hari Sharma, M.D. seems to be eminently qualified to write such a book. He is chairman emeritus at Ohio State University's College of Medicine and Public Health. A native of India, the origin of Ayurveda-- the world's oldest comprehensive system of natural medicine-- he has studied with the great sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who, along with India's foremost Ayurvedic physicians, has refined and expanded Ayurveda into a very potent medical system: the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health. Sharma's book describes this system and its underlying theory, as well as the impressive scientific research on its various modalities.

Sharma dives deep into the field of knowledge. Because he goes all the way, there are some passages through which I had to go slowly. But the effort was extremely gratifying. Otherwise, the pace was perfect--the petals of knowledge just unfolding sentence after amazing sentence. He seamlessly weaves in and out of the most advanced theories of quantum physics, empirical scientific findings and ancient Vedic wisdom.

Because he goes so deeply into the field of pure knowledge, Sharma makes it apparent what is achingly missing from the current Western medical approach. The many shortcomings of modern health care must stem from the lack of total knowledge of the ultimate reality of life. And that total knowledge is lucidly, and I would say historically, presented in this book. During most of the reading of this book I had the strong desire for all medical doctors and health practitioners to be required to read it!

Dr. Sharma systematically takes the reader from the field of fragmented, partial knowledge that has plagued mankind for thousands of years, to enlightenment-- the pinnacle of human evolution. He shows that this is the state of real health and well-being. All standards of health and approaches to it must be based on this complete view of human potentialities.

So this book is not just for health care providers. I feel that anyone who is a seeker of wisdom will revel in this book. If you really want to have the inside track on a most profound approach to health, you will love this book. While not a 'how-to' book, it offers a list of expert resources one can seek out to pursue this path. And if you are even a bit as inspired as I am after reading this book, you will want to do just that.

Nancy Bruning and Helen Thomas have done an excellent job of presenting Ayurveda. This book is easy to use and understand. They offer the concepts of Ayurveda in a simple and enlightening fashion. I especially like the daily lifestyle schedules, and the A-Z guide of various ailments. This book is a great start for everyone interested in Ayurveda and better health.

Being in the Spa/Beauty industry Ayurveda is a word being used more frequently. I was unable to answer ques. about it when people would call the Spa I worked in and it was quite embarrassing. I bought this book, and it has helped me gain the knowledge to answer the ques. intelligently and sparked an interest to futher my education. It is a very interesting and educational read that I recommend to anyone who is new to Ayurveda.

Upon graduating from Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine (Loyola University) Patrick J. Conte, the author, trained in radiology and nuclear medicine at Upstate Medical Center, SUNY in Syracuse, NY. He is board certified in General Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Diagnostic Radiology. A practicing physician for 35 years, he is former Chief of Nuclear Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, former Medical Director of the Medical Imaging Department at St. Michael Medical Center in Newark, and is currently Chief of Nuclear Medicine at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center located in Paterson, NJ. He has had many research articles published in the medical and radiological journals, and is the radiology editor of the textbook entitled "Effective Medical Imaging." Dr. Conte is also a certified Ayurvedic practitioner and instructor and has published numerous articles on ayurvedic medicine.

With training and experience both as a practitioner of Western medicine as well as an Ayurvedic practitioner, the author provides a solid underpinning to concepts embraced by both ancient Ayurveda and modern biomedicine, successfully integrating the two streams of practice.

Dr. Conte seamlessly fills in the wide cleft between Western biomedicine and the principles of this ancient Eastern healing art. By utilizing western medical concepts and nomenclature, the wealth of ayurveda's accumulated wisdom becomes comprehensible to western understanding. Ayurveda's foundational principles shed light on many of the medical practices in use in the West today. Thus, both modern Western medicine and ancient Ayurveda are seen as highly complementary with overlapping basic tenets. For the knowledgeable practitioner they are not contradictory in theory nor should they be considered as separate medical practices.

Dr. Conte guides his readers on a fascinating journey through the development of the individual`s physical body and mental attributes utilizing the knowledge of ayurveda in conjunction with the contemporary sciences of embryology, anatomy, physiology, and pathology. The integration of the doshas (biologic energies, or humors) with the embryologic development of the human is clearly illustrated as well as the interrelationship of the three doshas and the three counterpart embryologic germ layers with their respective various tissue derivations (dhatus). Also, insights to both the physical and mental constitutions of the individual are presented utilizing explanations easily understood by Western physicians and other health-care professionals. Conversely, Western medical terminology is clearly presented which will facilitate Ayurvedic practitioners more easily conferring with conventionally trained healers.

While intended for medical and other health professionals, this book is quite understandable to and useful for the sophisticated layperson as well as anyone interested in acquiring an understanding of what ayurveda is all about. It is delightfully written and the clear, conversational tone of Dr. Conte's writing makes it a true pleasure to read. The section devoted to modern pharmacotherapy (pp. 166-175) discusses in detail various commonly prescribed Western drugs and how they are classified according to doshic principles of ayurveda along with the causes of specific adverse drug reactions based upon these same ayurvedic doctrines. This section alone is worth the modest cost of the volume.

I enthusiastically recommend Dr. Conte's well-written and insightful book.

I really enjoyed reading this book, at first I thought it would be a difficult read. Once I started reading it I found it to be very interesting. This book provides the connection between modern and ancient medicine. It is amazing to see the similarity between the two. Written from a physician prospective really helps. I would recommend this book to anyone who is searching for wisdom.

If you have allergies or are just a neti pot user, this book will give you a lot of information.

GREAT insights on some of the other things that you can put into your neti pot besides salt and water in order to minimize your symptoms.

I have known and used the neti cup for many years now but this book has taught me alot of wonderful new ways to use it and for several conditions. Anything written by Dr. Frawley and Dr. Lad I would highly recommend. Wonderful book!!!!

A Very well written book on Numerology(Hats of Shri Harish). Adds totally a new dimension to looking at relationship between any two numbers (Which is fundamental to any numerological interpretation/analysis in any system)thus enriching any reading/interpretaion of numbers. I wish a few more people come forward and write more books on esoteric system's of nuemrology.

This book presents new insight into Numerology in a way the Western world has not seen.