Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine. The oldest known ayurvedic texts are the Suśruta Saṃhitā and the Charaka Saṃhitā. These Classical Sanskrit encyclopedias of medicine are among the foundational and formally compiled works of Ayurveda. By the medieval period, ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments.
Ayurveda is two words in Sanskrit, “Ayur” for life or energy and “Veda” the science or knowledge. This science of life is an ancient Indian holistic system of well-being and rejuvenation. Passed down over many generations, the practice aspires to a harmonious balance of nature’s three energies; the Doshas. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
The bark, leaves, and seeds of the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) are used in preparations.