Publisher Summary This chapter on the whole gives an excellent account of the system of natural medicine from India, and its application to the field of mental health. Ayurveda is the world's oldest existing system of traditional medicine. Its source is the Vedic tradition of India. In addition to providing treatment approaches for mental and physical disorders, Ayurveda also emphasizes treatment strategies for disease prevention and the promotion of mental and physical health. These treatments are holistic in a way that they involve a comprehensive approach that simultaneously addresses the psychological, physiological, behavioral, and environmental components of the individual. According to Ayurveda, the prevention and treatment of all physical and mental disorders should include practical techniques that promote the holistic development of both mind and body. The treatment is not limited to one part of the individual, such as one organ system or one chemical, because a disease is understood to affect the whole system. All of the modern, scientific understandings of the body's composition and function can be organized according to these three principles: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Every individual can be categorized as one of 10 different psychophysiological constitutional types called “doshas.” Both mental and physical ill healths are seen as arising as a consequence of imbalances among the doshas. Thus, if there is some psychological or physiological imbalance present, herbal preparations as well as other recommendations can be prescribed that will restore balance for that given individual.