The Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention, & Longevity Paperback – September 1, 2007

This is a 670 page, giant of a book. It sat on my bookshelf, un-perused, for several years before I discovered the treasures that are in it. Of course it has a substantial section on about 85 popular herbs and their uses. Also, the Sanskrit name, the Hindi name, the Latin name and (when available) the English name of each herb is given, as well as its functions, its counter-indications, and its preferred method of preparation.Then, there is a hefty section on Pancha Karma - although I do not recommend that you try these methods at home, other than a simple oil massage.The largest part of the book is devoted to various diseases, arranged by body systems - circulatory system, nervous system, immune system, etc. This is wonderfully comprehensive and thorough and gives many uses of herbology and other natural methods to regain health.However, my favorite areas of the volume are the small areas: mantras, essential oils (there are many useful ideas here--the combination of peppermint oil and lavender oil works wonderfully well for sunburn), music, philosophy and Sanskrit.At first glance, one may be overwhelmed by the size and cost ($32) of the book. Have faith! It is eminently worth it. I strongly recommend this tome for your home library if you are seriously interested in natural medicine AND if you already have a basic understanding of what Ayurveda is and how it works: you should know Vata, Pitta, and Kapha quite thoroughly and know, in a rough way, which mental and physical conditions relate to which dosha(s). If you meet these general "prerequisites," then go ahead and buy this book, knowing that you will have made an excellent investment.Note: This book should not be considered a substitute for consulting a trained ayurvedic physician.

Great, awesome book! Item arrived quickly and as described in excellent condition. I'm very pleased with this book. It's loaded with lucrative content inside the Ayuverda System of plants and herbs for healthy living. Thank you.

We used the suggestions in the book to adjust our diet. It gives you the effects of each food on your body. Also gives very good descriptions and usage of common herbs. We used some herbs in small quantities to test. I would suggest this very good book to anyone whose looking to use ayurveda in their life.

Must have if you are interested in how to heal yourself. Followed these directions and 2 weeks later was told I was no longer hypothyroid. Very interesting. I've told everyone I know about this book and this healing method. Worked for me, that's for sure!

This book would have gotten 5 stars if not for the weird words in the book. All of the saskrit words are either written in another language or spelled in a very odd way that makes it difficult to do further research on a subject. A few minor examples: Vata dosha is reffered to as Vāyu and pranayama is spelled práōáyáma. There are countless other examples. So just be aware that Google may have to do some serious spell-checking on you when you want to research a subject further. Otherwise, the book is very comprehensive and an excellent introduction to Ayurveda. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Ayurveda.

Very detailed book for Ayurveda. I have been studying this one for a long time and I still find new things to learn. One of my favorites on the subject.

I carry this book with me everywhere, as large as it is! I have studied Ayurveda since the late 80's, and read very much about it, but this book fills in the gaps. I carry it with me because whenever I have a spare moment, I'm in it. Great book!

dopest book of all time. you can find out so much about yourself in here.i am integrating this into my practice and my own self care.