The Art of Medicine

I once read (in My Gita, by Devdutt Pattanaik) something like that the main difference between gods and demons is that gods can see possibilities beyond the measurable. This insight resonates deeply when I consider the role of storytelling in our lives. By sharing our personal...

रागादिरोगान् सततानुषक्तानशेषकायप्रसृतानशेषान् औत्सुक्यमोहारतिदान् जघान योऽपूर्ववैद्याय नमोस्तुतस्मैः Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam:I:1  rāgādi-rogān satatānuṣaktān-aśeṣa-kāya-prasṛtān-aśeṣān autsukya-mohāratidān jaghāna yo’pūrva-vaidyāya namo’stu-tasmai //1//   Obeisance be unto that unique and rare (incomparable) physician [that’d be God] who has completely eliminated limitless diseases that are closely associated with and spreading all over the body and mind, perpetually causing...

ऋ॒तं च॑ स॒त्यं चा॒भी॑द्धा॒त्तप॒सोऽध्य॑जायत ṛtaṃ ca satyaṃ cābhīddhāt tapaso 'dhy ajāyata Truth was born and the order of truth from the kindled fire of energy of consciousness. Rig Veda 10.190.1 I’ve been reflecting on the relationship between the Sanskrit words, “satyam” and, “ṛta” or, “ṛtam.” Satyam: The Chandogya Upanishad tells us...

Osteoporosis (An Excerpt from the beginning of chapter 16 of Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life, by Claudia Welch) Americans spend about $5 billion a year on drugs to protect bone health, roughly 50 percent more than they spent for this just five years ago. Thinning...

By Dr. Ramkumar, Dr. Robert Svoboda & Dr. Claudia Welch Note: This is an evolving work. We have already changed the title and edited the article a bit in response to thoughtful input from readers. We have added links at the bottom of this article to...

By Dr. Claudia Welch Disclaimer,  Introduction and entry into svādhyāya (self-introspection): While certainly Black people and people outside the US are welcome to read this, I am a white woman, and it is generally intended to speak to the perspective and perhaps shared experience of other...

by Dr. Claudia Welch With a crazy percentage (and that link is to an article that only includes percentages of the leading causes of death; there are many other causes we'd have to add) of disease being caused by poor lifestyle (stress, overwork, too much or...

By Dr. Claudia Welch For a long time I have reflected on something that my guru said on more than one occasion. Here are the exact words, in one case: “And then we should have confidence, because a coward can never achieve any success. Only a strong-hearted...

(Like the pithy title?) I just finished the second of two books I read back-to-back. Well, actually I listened to them on Audible (www.audible.com). (While in many cases I prefer reading books, this one is particularly wonderful to listen to I find the reader, Simon Vance,...

I suppose that, at any given time, there are always at least a few places on this planet that manage to manifest lofty ideals in practical ways that inspire and transform whoever participates. In my estimation, vaidyagrāma, an Ayurvedic eco-village that provides education and Ayurvedic treatments...

Ancient Āyurvedic texts describe four qualities one must possess to become an effective physician: Excellence in theoretical knowledge, lots of practice, dexterity and purity. Dr. Welch explores some of the weird and interesting aspects of these qualities and how cultivating them can enhance our ability...

I just spent such a delightful weekend with the Kripalu School of Ayurveda students, who should be graduating, like, any minute now. It was truly, madly, deeply enjoyable for me to spend time with them. Hopefully it wasn’t lousy for them either. I am also aware...

New: Menopause Chronicles, an honest conversation about transformation with Dr. Claudia Welch and friends.