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Why is Ayurveda not common in the West?

This is an intriguing question, especially because Yoga, Ayurveda’s Sister Science, has become increasingly popular in the West. There’s probably no one who hasn’t tried at least one Yoga pose by now and there are at least a million regular yogis who swear by its incredible effectiveness.

But why not Ayurveda, then?

The main reason is that, in the West, we’ve been conditioned to believe that illness and disease are inevitable and that there is nothing that can be done to prevent these. Instead, what we opt for are expensive treatments and therapies that suppress symptoms but do not do anything to address the root causes.

But why is that? Keep reading to find out.

Sometimes, Modern Western medications create as many or more problems than they solve, both for the short term and in the long run. Many patients aren't even aware that using holistic sciences as complementary medicine is an option, too, to help support their current Western Medicine treatments. Good things don’t always have to come with something bad.

What’s even more challenging is that it is embedded in mainstream culture to go by such a system even when you have access to traditional holistic sciences like Ayurveda. Also, since these indigenous sciences are worlds apart from what you’ve been used to, proper awareness hasn’t been raised to educate people on how to rely on traditional wellness systems like Ayurveda, as an alternative or even just as a complementary technique that may raise the quality of life.

But the story doesn’t end here... 

Advent of New Age

With the coming of the Modern Age, around the latter half of the 18^th century, Western sciences started taking over the mainstream medicine systems, kickstarted by the Industrial Revolution.

More people started following this system because it was backed by Science. But much more than that, the novelty of procedures and techniques in Western medicine system gave it an authority which sidelined most traditional, indigenous and alternate health systems, including Ayurveda.

The scientific breakthroughs, use of chemical compounds to cure diseases and the ability to restructure the human body peaked during this time. These advancements were also designed in a way to support instant gratification of consumers that doesn’t always have permanent results either. But much more than that, little attention was paid to holistic development, natural remedies and sustainable effects.

And wellness sciences like Ayurveda whose central focus is around such concepts, took a back seat.

Finally, by the end of the 20^th century, much of Western medicine had become oriented around chemicals and this induced a desire to go back to the knowledge of the powers of nature. By this time, degradation of the environment spearheaded by such extensive use of chemicals was also being acknowledged. With the boom of Globalization, the world opened, and it became easier to procure information even from the remotest corners of the world.

All these prodded the chemical-weary population in the West to start seeking out more herbal, holistic and natural remedies and ingredients in the East which spiked curiosity, studies and further research in Ayurveda.

To understand this better, we need to look at how Ayurveda was brought from the East to the West. 

⇽ From the East to the West: Following the Trajectory of Ayurveda  ⇾

Much of the Ayurvedic wellness science practiced in the West now owes its history to these 3 different phases, through which it was introduced:

A remarkable thing to note about Ayurveda is that unlike South Asian culture, cuisine and dressing style that’s now popular in the West, the science of Ayurveda was not brought to the West by Asian immigrants. Instead, Europeans and other travelers from the West directly sought out this natural holistic science in the hopes that it would be a complimentary and reliable source of wellness.

No matter what the reason or the situation was, we see that Ayurveda gained popularity because its core theories and practices are built around nature and natural systems. But more than this, Western scholars were also impressed by other nuanced realms of Ayurveda too. 

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So, what was the ‘Great Appeal’? 

The appeal about Ayurveda was that it was a more grounded form of wellness science which was completely different from Western medicine in the following ways: 

These combined with the fact that Ayurveda uses 1700+ substances of botanical, faunal and mineral origin in 40,000 different formulae for internal consumption and for external application along with 50+ different rejuvenation and other health therapies opened rooms for a lot of experimentation in this field.

Ayurveda enthusiasts from the West also started realizing the importance of having a strong immune system grounded in nature, natural ingredients and holistic practices that have been central to Ayurveda all along. This further spiked a massive conversation surrounding Ayurveda, as a holistic wellness system and the need to go back to our roots.

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Back to Roots

The usual meaning of 'back to roots’ suggests ‘going back to nature’ and you may be surprised to see that when it comes to Ayurveda, this concept is addressed literally. In Ayurveda, a problem is treated from its root cause, and not just temporarily or superficially.

What’s even more fascinating is that Ayurveda is the only wellness system that views health in this way, i.e., arrive at a root-cause diagnosis.

Ayurveda is the only healthcare science in the world which connects the disease condition (Roga), its pathogenesis (Samprapti) and the patient (Rogi) in order to arrive at a root-cause diagnosis.

According to Ayurveda, the human system is designed to work at a biological rhythm. It is to maintain this biological rhythm that Ayurveda suggests such a refined method.

For example, dry skin is one of the most common skin issues that people of all ages face. And what does Western skin science prescribe for this? - to use a body lotion or cream. But did you know that most body lotions and creams only create a fine film-like layer that creates the illusion of moisturization? Yes!

Now, would you like to hear what Ayurveda has to say here?

Dry skin, in Ayurveda is seen as an imbalance of Vata dosha that contains the space and air elements. When Vata dosha gets aggravated, your skin tends to lose its moisture content, and this leads to drying up of skin layers causing dry and dehydrated skin. In extreme conditions, it may even make your skin look rough, ‘crepey’ and scaly too.

So, the remedy? Use herbal oils that are as close to sebum in texture and can penetrate deeply into your skin and activate from the inside.

Ayurveda advises to eat warm, moist and soft foods like berries, bananas, cooked vegetables and brown rice along with a steady intake of healthy oil-rich nuts and almonds, while avoiding dry foods like raw lettuce and processed foods like popcorn.

The current ‘Ayurvedic Renaissance’ we see in the beauty world is based exactly on this.

But, at the same time, Ayurveda lacks the overwhelming amount of data, clinical trials and scientific explanations that the Western science boasts.

Only if there was a way to bring the best of both together... 

And this lack sparked the need for a New Approach

The Universal and Global in Ayurveda

All this doesn’t mean that there was no relationship between Ayurveda and Western science previously. However small it was, there has been a continuous give and take between both these systems of knowledge and together they have crossed different paths for over 400 years now.

With the advent of industrialization and the modern age, this transfer of knowledge started getting way easier.
And thanks to technology, nuanced scientific methods and years of efforts of our in-house scientists, we now bring to you the best of both worlds, Ayurveda and modern skincare science, with A. Modernica Naturalis

Natural, plant-based skincare that combines time-honored, pure Ayurvedic ingredients and safe, modern skincare science wonders such as Hyaluronic acid and Niacinamide to deliver unmatched performance. Made with 92-100% Natural ingredients, all A. Modernica formulations are 100% free of harmful chemicals, colors, sulfates and parabens. We follow a strict no-nasties policy.

All A. Modernica products are Dermatologically tested and manufactured in facilities that are compliant with GMP and international safety standards: American FDA and several European regulatory bodies. The icing on the cake is our confidence in the brand – if you use the product and don’t like it, simply write to us within 30 days of purchase and we'll refund you! The Ayurveda Experience’s backing for this brand means we deliver quality to you and your satisfaction is of the utmost importance! 

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Infused with the powers of Black Gram, Manjistha and other Ayurvedic ingredients, this cream serves to be the best face moisturizer for dry, mature and aging skin.

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Tackle the appearance of dull, acne-prone, hyperpigmented and confused skin with Black Seed’s Balance Intelligence Formla and Nicumin’s Rare Even Toning Action. Address the ever-changing, diverse needs of your skin all at once with moisture balancing Nicumin Even toning Cream. 

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Even-tone, exfoliate, purify, instantly brighten your face and give your clogged pores superlative cleansing with 5 exotic seeds, Turmeric and the gentlest form of AHA. Clarify the look of blemished, clogged and acne-prone skin with Nicumin Brightening and Even toning Face Mask.

Experience the gentleness of an ultra-rich cleanser made to be kind on dry, dehydrated, mature, aging skin types and feel baby-soft skin with hydrating Sacred Lotus. Cleanse pores and deeply nourish skin with skin-calming, brightening and softening Nucinel Lotus Seed Gentle Cleansing Fluid.  

Intensely moisturize, clarify and make skin irresistibly soft with Saffron-Turmeric Oil, Hydrating Aloe vera and Niacinamide. Brighten and youthify skin on the body with ultra-light, silky-slip Zafaoe Bright Moisture Hand and Body Lotion. 

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