India is the land of the Vedas, and also the Ayurveda. One of the oldest systems of healthcare in the world, Ayurveda literally means the "science of life" or "knowledge of healing". With a history of more than 5000 years, Ayurveda finds mention in Sutrasthana of Charaka Samhita - the most ancient and authoritative textbooks on Ayurveda.

Ayurveda aims to make mankind healthy and happy. Its goal is the physical, mental, social and spiritual welfare of all human beings. It strives to keep healthy people healthy and cure sick people of their many diseases that may have troubled them since long.

This alternative system of healing believes that man is made with five basic elements - earth, water, fire, air, and space. It treats man on the principle of this belief. Ayurveda treats not only the body but also focuses on treating the senses, mind and soul as without really making them healthy one cannot be really cured in the true sense.

Ayurveda makes superb and clever use of body massages, herbs, and yoga, besides several other things and ways, to provide relaxation and relief to a person and make him disease and stress-free. Panchakarma is one such famous way of Ayurvedic treatment practiced widely in India--especially in certain states like Kerala.

There are several health spas and resorts in Kerala that provide brilliant and rejuvenating Ayurvedic treatments to their tired and jaded guests. This process enhances the metabolism process of a person, and eliminates his body waste to restore the natural balance between the body and the soul. History of Ayurveda