NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The classic guide to using Ayurveda to harness the healing power of the mind—now revised with updated medical research.
Translated as “the knowledge of life span” in Sanskrit, Ayurveda is the 5,000-year-old medical system from ancient India that has been validated by modern breakthroughs in physics and medicine. Deepak Chopra’s Perfect Health is the original guide to applying the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to everyday life.
Although we experience our bodies as solid, they are in fact more like fires that are constantly being consumed and renewed. We grow new stomach linings every five days, for instance. Our skin is new every five weeks. Each year, fully 98 percent of the total number of atoms in our bodies is replaced. Ayurveda gives us the tools to intervene at this quantum level, where we are being created anew each day. Ayurveda tells us that freedom from sickness depends on contacting our own awareness, bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body.
Perfect Health provides a complete step-by-step program of mind body medicine tailored to individual needs. A quiz identifies the reader's mind body type: thin, restless Vata; enterprising, efficient Pitta; tranquil, steady Kapha; or any combination of these three. This body type becomes the basis for a specific Ayurvedic program of diet, stress reduction, neuromuscular integration, exercise, and daily routines. The result is a total plan, tailor-made for each individual, to reestablish the body's essential balance with nature; to strengthen the mind body connection; and to use the power of quantum healing to transcend the ordinary limitations of disease and aging—in short, for achieving Perfect Health .
Deepak Chopra, MD serves as the Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Foundation, and Co-Founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.
As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of eighty books books with twenty-two New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than forty-three languages.
Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Chopra serves as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Assistant Clinical Professor, in the Family and Preventive Medicine Department at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.
GlobeIn acknowledges Chopra as "one of top ten most influential spiritual leaders around the world." TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."
Anxious to learn more about Ayurveda, I found this book to be a wealth of information and a definite reference for the future. For me, this book was a great starting point into this amazing Eastern India concept. This is certainly a place to start if you are interested in learning more about the practices of Ayurveda.
I did notice, after completing a Metabolic Typing course that the Ayurvedic approach lists foods that my metabolic type differed from on a wide scale. For me, it goes back to listening to my body and what my inner self speaks to me. The differences in both of these typing techniques helped me realize the importance of paying attention to my body’s signs, signals, and messages.
I learned a lot about the history of Ayurvedic Medicine, which entailed understanding the system as a way of preventive medicine and health that dates back to India more than 5,000 years. The word “Ayurveda” comes from two Sanskrit root words, Ayus, or “life”, and Veda, meaning “knowledge” or “The science of life.” Dr. Chopra goes on to say that an alternate and more precise reading would be “The knowledge of life span.”
We learn that in Ayurvedic Medicine, the guiding principle is that the mind exerts the deepest influence on the body, and freedom from sickness depends upon contacting our own awareness, bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body. According to Ayurvedic beliefs, this state of balanced awareness then creates a higher state of health.
The book became really interesting when I was able to body type my personal dosha. I was a little confused when it came to the actual typing method, because Dr. Chopra stated that a slight margin may mean you are a two-dosha type; however, he never indicated what the parameters of the margin are. The Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas are then described in great detail throughout the book. The information is well stated and easily relayed if you are clear on your dosha type.
Dr. Chopra gave real-life cases in which people sought and achieved help from his center, the Chopra Center, in La Jolla, CA. I was intrigued to learn that this center existed and that they have a whole host of programs to help educate people seeking information into the Ayurvedic approach. They definitely offer a multitude of tools, which they make readily available to the inquiring mind.
There are practices from the Ayurvedic approach that can be done at home and explicit details are laid out. One of the oil massages, (Abhyanga) certainly caught my attention (Page 250.)
We continued to learn about our diets, eating for balance, herbs, spices, meats, beans, oils, and even more areas of specificity were covered pertaining to each dosha.
I was elated to learn about the Sun Salute (Surya Namaskara), which is a complete Ayurvedic exercise that simultaneously integrates the whole physiology – mind, body, and breath. Pictures were included of each step; however, you didn’t have to guess what you were reading from the pictures because a whole section of “How To” is incorporated.
A gave this book a 5-star rating, but the only issue I have is the clarification of the margins of being a two-type dosha.
Let me start off by saying that I actually believe the teachings of Deepak Chopra, Aruyveda, yoga and all that good stuff. I try to integrate these learning into my life. However, I just could not read this book, and was reminded why I do not like self-help books. Too repetitive. Lacks a compelling story. Too wishy-washy. I guess I will stick to fiction.
“The first secret you should know about perfect health is that you have to choose it.” Couldn’t agree more, but the book is not really gonna help me with obtaining perfect health. This concept of living accordingly to your dosha isn’t universal and didn’t convince me at all. I wanted, I really wanted to squeeze the maximum of the book’s knowledge, but the sentence where the author says “you can’t learn meditation on your own, you need a teacher and in our center we have qualified trainers that will teach you to mediate for 225$…” I mean.. it’s basically his center leaflet - come and pay and we will heal you. I do however believe that Ayurvedic lifestyle can have positive impact on our life’s, I just don’t think you can learn that from that very book. I’m so glad I bought it second handed for £3!
Relieved to be done! This book has been on my "to-do" list since May. I appreciate many of the concepts Dr. Chopra stands by-- "our bodies are rivers, constantly changing... anything in the body can be changed with the flick of an intention". I enjoyed the basic run down of pranayama and yoga poses as well. That said, I think the idea of the mind-body types, or doshas and their associated qualities seem to me, very subjective. The majority of the book encouraged expensive and time consuming Ayurveda treatments. As a fan of yoga and meditation, I enjoyed Dr. Chopra's perspective- but I don't see myself ever turning to Ayurveda for healing.
An interesting book explaining the Ayurveda health system with occasional relations to western medicine. It reads like an introduction to the Ayurveda system and it is rather comprehensive.
Jest to niezwykle ciekawa i bardzo wzbogacająca wiedzę pozycja, która porusza temat zdrowia w wielu różnych kontekstach. Na nasz dobrostan zarówno psychiczny jak i fizyczny wpływa wiele elementów, które w pędzie codziennego życia zdają się nam wydawać nieznaczące, a to właśnie one mogą być kluczowe jeśli chcemy zadbać o zdrowie. Czy zastanawialiście się kiedyś jaki wpływ ma to co jemy, jak jemy i w jakiej temperaturze jemy na nasz nastrój i komfort? Jak duże znaczenie w naszym życiu ma nasz oddech i umiejętne kontrolowanie go? Czy istnieją pozycję i ćwiczenia, które wzmocnią zarówno nasze ciało jak i umysł? Tego wszystkiego dowiecie się jak tylko sprawdzicie ten tytuł do czego gorąco zachęcam :) Dużą zaletą tej pozycji jest język i styl pisania autora oraz oczywiście dobrze wykonana praca ze strony tłumacza. Mimo, że przekazana została tu spora dawka bardzo specjalistcznej wiedzy to bez wcześniejszej znajomości naukowej terminologii z tego zakresu swobodnie czułam się podczas lektury rozumiejąc wszystko. Nie czułam się przytłoczona nowymi wiadomościami, wszystko było w odpowiedniej formie i ilości co uznaję za duży plus. Książka ta opisuje ajurwedę łącząc jej od lat niezmienne podstawy z nowymi odryciami naukowymi z zakresu fizyki kwantowej. Uwydocznione i wielokrotnie podkreślone zostało tu jak ważne w codziennym pędzie jest znalezienie balansu między psychiką i ciałem, a to właśnie zapewniają odpowiednio zastosowane techniki z ajurwedy. Podejrzewam, że najchętniej sięgną po to osoby zainteresowane medycyną niekonwencjonalną, ale nawet jeśli nie jesteście w tej grupie to książka ta otworzy wam okno na nowe, ciekawe kwestie dotyczące zdrowia, na którym każdemu z nas zależy. Jeśli chcecie zdobyć nową wiedzę, która jest podana w lekkiej i łatwo przyswajalnej formie, przy okazji rozwiązać kilka testów, które umożliwią zrozumienie dlaczego mamy takie, a nie inne potrzeby i zachowania, a dzięki temu odnaleźć harmonię i spokój, którego tak często brakuje nam zwłaszcza w dzisiejszych czasach - gorąco polecam tę pozycję.
It’s a book written for the west exhaustively explaining the ayurveda system. For Indian readers many chapters seems basic. But this is a good read on healthy living.
Книгата е много интересна и бързо се чете. Определено разкри нов свят пред мен. Също така, ако не се натрапваше опцията за "посещението в клиниката", бих дала още по-висока оценка.
Some of the concepts were interesting and resonated with me. But I was constantly distracted by the grandiose claims, lack of citations, only use of he/him pronouns, etc.
I loved this book! I read it slowly to really soak up every word. If you are not sure whether or not you want to read this book, because somehow you think it is about some mystical cure for cancer, don't be, it is not like that! This is a very factual book, based on scientific evidence and results from actual patients. It's a different approach to our health and show us a level of respect we should all have for our bodies, from head to toes. What an amazing surprise, I wasn't expecting it to be so entertaining and interesting. Totally recommend it!
I actually read the original Perfect Health not the revised version............it is a wonderful philosophy on how to live by your dosha. He stresses yoga, meditatiion, routines, diet for each dosha. I have referred to this book many times over the years and it helps me to get out of a mood/obstacle i'm facing. It's been so helpful............
Deepak Chopra is gifted charlatan who preys on the weak-minded and gullible. Included in this group are a few “celebrities” and talk-show hosts who propagate this nonsense to their sheep-like followers. Being the adept con man that he is he throws in scientific jargon to hide his profound ignorance.
A great introduction to Ayurveda and easy to read. I found this helpful before going on a weekend Ayurvda retreat at the Laughing Lotus center in NYC. I've also gone to Chopra's Dream Center in the city and taken meditation and yoga...very relaxing!
I like dr. Chopra's way of writing, it is very umderstandable for someone who is new to ayurveda, but it still covers a lot of information. A very positive book about how to live an enjoyable and healthy life, i would recommand reading it if you are into general health stuff or ayurveda
Zeer interessante informatie. Wel jammer dat je nu eigenlijk naar zijn centrum moet (of naar een goede betrouwbare ayurvedisch arts) om daadwerkelijk met deze kennis aan de slag te kunnen gaan.
This is a nice introduction to Ayurveda. I’ve been learning slowly about Ayurveda (the sibling science to yoga) over the last six years - and found a few new points of learning from this book. I consider Chopra the Dr Oz of eastern medicine and so often find that he takes a wonderful concept/healing modality/idea and waters it down immensely to make it as palatable as possible for his western audience. I also find the idea of Perfect Health and much of the language in the book incredibly ableist. To go deeper into Ayurveda I recommend Maya Tiwari’s and/or Dr. Vasant Lad’s work. Lastly, I think it’s important to remember that in India - becoming an Ayurvedic doctor is a very rigorous long process like becoming a western doctor is in the U.S. So if you’re not finding the information you need here - remember that this work is much deeper and more complex than what Chopra is presenting (partly so our consumer society will buy more services/stuff from him). We are only scratching the surface of things with this book - but it’s a good point of entry if your brand new to Ayurveda.
I recently developed a somewhat random interest in Ayurveda, the Hindu system of medicine that focuses on a balanced diet, herbs, and breathing techniques. I was looking for a book to give me a basic overview of the practice, and this book overwhelmingly seemed to be the choice for a western newbie. The foundation is this concept that our body is made up of three doshas, that when out of balance cause us to be unhealthy. Each person has a dosha that is dominate, and in order to be truly healthy, you have to understand what habits and foods agitate your dosha. While it sounds a little crazy, once you dive in, it makes a lot more sense. My yoga teacher talks a lot about doshas, so I was familiar with the concept, and found the description of pitta (my dominate dosha) to be spot on. Not a book everybody would enjoy, but if you are interested in learning more about this ancient philosophy of living this is a great book to start with.
The word health comes from the word whole. When your body, your mind, your emotion, your energies are in tune with each other and you feel wholesome within yourself, that is when you feel healthy. A large number of people in the world, including many who considered medically healthy, are unhealthy. They may not need any medication but their system does not know any wholesomeness. There is no sense of peace or joy in them. You think you are unhealthy only when you get depressed beyond a certain point, but you are unhealthy if you are not bubbling with joy. There is no wholesomeness in terms of the internal composition of who you are.
This has happened because you never paid any attention to it. This whole attitude of trying to fix everything from the outside has to go. No doctor or medicine can ever give you health. They can assist you when you have fallen into ill health and help you out of it a little bit, but health has to happen within yourself.
Книга виявилась взагалі не про те, що я думала в хорошому сенсі. Очікувала якийсь +- посібник по нетрадиційний медицині, мазі/ травки. 😅 Це взагалі не те.
Це справді ціла окрема система по тому, як працювати зі своїм тілом. Якщо ви не в темі йоги, то можете сприймати дещо скептично. Я переконалась у її дієвості і тому, що це працює на власному тілі, тому наразі цілком довіряю цій системі.
Тут знайшла для себе підхід до тіла не такий, на який ми звикли. Я давно хворію на аутоімннутий тиреоїдит і, відверто кажучи, просто змучилась себе з ним ототожнювати. Бо постійно, щоб б ти не їла, яким спортом би не займалась, поправляєшся чи худнеш - ти постійно думаєш: а як там мої гормони чи все ок? З часом це стає нестерпно. І тут я знайшла для себе ще один варіант, як перестати бути одним цілим з хворобою, а навчитись зцілювати себе власноруч.
Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide by Deepak Chopra is an inspiring book that shows how our mind, body, and emotions are all connected. I really liked how Chopra explains the Ayurvedic doshas in a clear and practical way, it helped me understand my own habits and how they affect my energy, mood, and overall health. The book made me more mindful about creating balance in my daily life.
Some parts felt a bit too spiritual or abstract, and I wish there were more scientific examples to support his ideas. Still, the message about finding harmony within yourself really stayed with me, and it encouraged me to make small but meaningful changes.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore a more holistic approach to health. It’s a calming, thoughtful read that makes you reflect on how to take better care of both your body and mind.
After recently discovering what Ayruveda is, I decided to give this a read. I like how the author breaks the information down in parts to make it easier to carry the info in the next chapters. My biggest takeaway from this book (being healthy-minded already) is that I can always improve my relationship with food. I practice mindful eating as is, but Chopra reminded me that my cells are its own beings too. In other words, I need to be happy with what I put into my body because even if I am doing all my exercises and checking off my list of staying healthy, if I'm not mentally stimulated, then it's pointless. AND, that it is okay to eat a cookie from time to time, as long as I do it in moderation with a good mindset to say the least....
An interesting, entry level look at Aryuvedic Medicine and how to apply it in your own life.
Readers are given a multiple choice test to see which of the three body types, or Doshas (or combinations there of) apply to them.
The chapters that follow give suggestions of what to do if you find yourself suffering from ill health, which is thought to be caused by an imbalance in one of the Doshas. These suggestions include dietary suggestions and lifestyle changes one could employ to regain one's balance.
The book has changed my perception about health. Ayurveda is the next big thing for health and humanity as a whole. This is the time when the world needs such books and its principles to be followed. Equally proud that the ancient Indian literature (or rather I should say Medicine Technology) is now being adapted in the West. The concept of Human Body and Quantum health is really a striking aspect to focus upon today. Articulate writing and the depth of the subject make you stick to the book. It's one of those books which you need to re-visit once every year!