Ayurvedic medicine came into existence some five thousand years ago in India. Its knowledge is contained within the Vedas, the ancient Hindu sacred texts, which discuss all aspects of life on earth. Ayurveda’s key principles are based on the theory that the elements of air, fire, water and earth which are contained in the universe (macrocosm) are present in everything animate and inanimate. Human beings are said to be the microcosm of the macrocosm.
The elements have qualities which are described through 10 opposite pairs, for example hot and cold. The doshas are grouped into three functional principles, known collectively as tridoshas, and individually as vata, pitta and kapha. They govern the psychophysiological response, and each has a role to play in maintaining equilibrium.