Traditional systems of healing

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Unifying aim of all systems of healing is to restoring balance. Restoration of balance shifts “dis-ease” to “at-ease”. Health is essentially a balanced state between agonists & antagonists, stimulators & inhibitors, commensals & pathogens. Each system of healing has used different approaches. Many systems of healing from ancient and modern times co-exist. Term ‘traditional’ denotes more ancient systems, and is probably a better term as compared to ‘alternative’ or ‘complimentary’. ‘Holistic’ is a combination of traditional and modern.

AYUSH

Ayush is a common individual-name in India. It means ‘a long life’. In 2003, different traditional systems of healing, practiced in India (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) were given an acronym AYUSH. Most of these systems have origins in ancient or medieval history, and indeed have had a long life. Most recent addition Homeopathy, is about 220 years young. In 2018, Indian Government declared Ayush to be a word, rather an acronym so as to identify all traditional systems under a single unit. 

Sheet about all ayush providers
Twelve contemporary Ayush providers in a 12 stamp block, India 2019. Providers from individual branches are identified in subsequent sections
Ayurveda

Ayurveda (means knowledge of life) is probably eldest of them all. It originated in 3000 BC. In Ayurveda, philosophy of healing rests on harmonious relation between three bodily humours (air, bile and mucus) and five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether). Substances with various characteristics such as hot-cold, heavy-light, dull-sharp, or smooth-coarse disrupt harmony. Healing restores harmony. 

Contemporary Ayurveda providers
Six of the twelve contemporary Ayush providers are from naturopathy or Ayurveda. 1. Dinshaw Mehta; 2. Bhaskar Vishwanath Gokhale, 3-Brihaspati Dev Triguna, 4-K Raghavan Thirumulpad, 5-Yadavji Trikamji Acharya, 6-Shastri Shankar Daji Made
Yoga

Yoga (means to-attach) is as old as Ayurveda. It is based on concept of union of physical with spiritual. Various bodily postures are its physical form, and meditation is spiritual. Tenets of Yoga are also imbibed in Buddhist, Jain, Sufi, and Tantric  traditions. In 20th century AD, various Indian spiritualists made it popular in Europe and North America. 

21st June is celebrated as International day of Yoga. Postal stamp from India released in 2015 depicting both body posture and meditation components
Surya Namaskar or Salute to the Sun is a sequence of 12 yogic postures. A miniature sheet with all the postures in the sequence
First day cover of Surya-Namaskar set (released 20th June 2016). Another definitive Postage stamp from India (2016) depicting Padmasana (Lotus position), one of the common postures.
Yoga practitioners
Contemporary Yoga providers 1. Swami Kuvalayananda; 2-Maharshi Mahesh Yogi
Unani

Unani (means Greek) is an extension of ancient Greek medicine. This system developed in the middle-east and its origins can be dated back to 1st century AD in Persia. Islamic rulers brought this system eastwards. It tenets rest on four bodily humours (phlegm, blood, yellow and black bile). These tenets determine temperament (or mijaz). Similar to Ayurveda, tempers may be warm, cold, wet, dry and their combinations. Every substance, organ-system , season, flavour and even colour has a temperament. Opposite tempers are used to restore balance and hence healing. 

Unani providers
Contemporary Unani Providers 1-Mohd Abdul Aziz Lakhnavi; 2-Mohammad Kabiruddin
Siddha

Siddha is practiced in Southern India. It is probably as old as Ayurveda. It also depends on three bodily humors, five elements and their inter-relations. Siddha texts are written in Tamil language. This system makes use of various organic and inorganic substances for cure. Practitioners of Siddha are known as Siddhars. 

Siddha Provider
Contemporary Siddha provider TV Sambasivam Pillai
Homeopathy
Origin and principles of homeopathy
Postal stamps depicting Dr Hahnemann 1-India (1977) and 2-Germany (1996) Discovery of concept of Homeopathy is attributed to Hahnemann in 1795 when he discovered that Chinchona bark in a large dose causes fever, and in small dose cures it. (simlia simlibus curentur”or like cures like)

Homeopathy is not indigenous. It was conceived by Samuel Hahnemann, a German healer in 1796. Central concept of Homeopathy is “simlia simlibus curentur”or like cures like. It believes in giving minute doses of same substances that cause disease, as cure. Homeopathy is an ante-thesis of other systems of healing (collectively called allopathy by Hahnemann). In early 1800’s when treatments offered by conventional system of medicine were hardly useful, conservative homeopathic approach saved more lives. It became immensely popular in Europe and America in 19thcentury and even today various plant extracts and inorganic substances are available as homeopathic medicines. 

FDC Homeopathy 2018
A First-day cover and special seal commemorating 263rd Birth Anniversary of Dr Hahnemann
Homeopathy
Contemporary Homeopathy provider from India – KG Saxena
Traditional healing is a global phenomenon

In India all branches of AYUSH are collectively recognized as Indian system of Medicine. Neighboring Pakistan recognises Unani and Homeopathy. Iran recognises Unani as Iranian traditional Medicine. Other countries of middle-east define their traditional system of healing as Arabic and Islamic Medicine. Various countries in South East Asia use Buddhist or Tibetan systems of healing. Traditional healing in China known as Traditional Chinese Medicine, is also popular in mainland China and in South East Asia. Koryo and Kampo are traditional systems popular in Korea and Japan respectively.