Sattvavajaya - Possibilities and limits of ayurvedic psychotherapy in the mirror of western psychology

Sattvavajaya Chikitsa is the general term for psychotherapeutic methods used in Ayurvedic treatment. Literally this means to gain control over the mind and thus to restrain the senses from unwholesome influences and to increase Sattva. This psycho-spiritual approach unites many different techniques on the basis of the Vedic conception of man without combining them into a unitary concept. As helpful as this method is for stabilization and spiritual development, it does not provide any concrete approaches for dealing with and solving concrete problems and inner conflicts. Thus western psychology and the Ayurvedic approach can complement each other to form a more comprehensive therapy system.