Ayurveda is a comprehensive system of medicine developed in India some 2000 years ago. It is composed of two words, ayu meaning life and veda meaning knowledge. Put together, it is that system of knowledge that believes in treating the entire body as one and not as individual parts. Ayurveda is based on a holistic approach well rooted in our Vedas.

Two early texts that throw light on Ayurveda are the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita. These are not texts authored by a single writer but many ancient practitioners on the subject. Another important aspect is that these texts have been revised and supplemented over a period of several hundred years. There is also mention of surgery in these texts.

The vast majority of Ayurvedic therapies are herbal compounds. Only towards the end of the 1st millennium some alchemical preparations started to enter the treatment books. Ayurveda has a whole science of toxicology called agada-tantra as one of the eight branches of traditional Ayurveda.

According to the ancient Sankhya theory of Cosmology on which Ayurveda is based, the five elements panchamabhuta combine in different proportions to form the material world. The elements are Akasha, Vayu, Tejas, Apa and Prithvi.

Ayurveda futther says that all diseases are caused due to three main doshas caused due to the imbalance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. All bodily processes are believed to be governed by a balance of the 3 doshas and Ayurveda aims at maintaining this equilibrium.

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Yoga is a complete science of life that originated in India thousands of years ago. The Sanskrit meaning of Yoga is union which can be extended to imply union with God or atman. It can also be said that it is an union between a person's own consciousness and the universal consciousness. This system encompasses the entire body, mind and spirit. It is believed that the classical techniques of the art are over 5,000 years old.

The ancient Indian scriptures perceived the physical body as a vehicle with the mind as driver and the soul as man's true identity. The physical body perishes but the soul never dies as it is a permanent entity. The main aim of Yoga is integration with the soul which is the ultimate reality.

The scriptures say that the goal envisaged by Yoga can be reached through four different ways - Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga. These forms have their own characteristics. Bhakti is the path of devotion and prayers. Raja Yoga lays emphasis on meditation and contemplation. Jnana Yoga deals with wisdom and knowledge. Karma Yoga believes that 'work is worship' and that only by good deeds and hardwork, one can come closer to God.

In present times, however, it is the "Hatha Yoga" or the Yoga of Postures that has gained popularity. It is through Hatha Yoga that practitioners try to keep their mind and body fit and keep diseases at bay. There are many hundred forms of Hatha Yoga aimed at different parts of the human body. It may be mentioned that meditation forms an integral part of these practices. Hatha Yoga lays special emphasis on breathing techniques as breath is believed to maintain a good balance between mind and body.