Ayurvedic medicine is set of practices

Ayurvedic medicine is set of practices promoted by proponents of transcendental meditation (TM). Ayurveda (meaning "life knowledge") is a traditional Indian approach that includes meditation, "purification" procedures, rejuvenation therapies, herbal and mineral preparations, exercises and dietary advice based on "body type."

Its origin is traceable to four Sanskrit books called the Vedas -- the oldest and most important scriptures of India, shaped sometime before 200 BCE. These books attributed most disease and bad luck to demons, devils, and the influence of stars and planets.

Ayurveda's basic theory states that the body's functions are regulated by three "irreducible physiological principles" called doshas, whose Sanskrit names are vata, pitta, and kapha. Like the "sun signs" of astrology, these terms are used to designate body types as well as the traits that typify them.

Like astrologic writings, ayurvedic writings contain long lists of supposed physical and mental characteristics of each constitutional type. Through various combinations of vata, pitta, and kapha, ten body types are possible. However, one's doshas (and therefore one's body type) can vary from hour to hour and season to season.

Ayurvedic proponents claim that the symptoms of disease are always related to "imbalance" of the doshas, which can be determined by feeling the patient's wrist pulse or completing a questionnaire. Some proponents claim that the pulse can be used to detect diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletal disease, asthma, and "imbalances at early stages when there may be no other clinical signs and when mild forms of intervention may suffice."

"Balance" is supposedly achieved through a multitude of procedures and products, many of which are said to be specific for specific body types.

The full Maharishi Ayur-Ved program for "creating healthy individuals and a disease-free society" has 20 components: development of higher states of consciousness through advanced meditation techniques, use of primordial sounds, correction of "the mistake of the intellect," strengthening of emotions, Vedic structuring of language, music therapy, enlivening of the senses, pulse diagnosis, psychophysiological integration, neuromuscular integration, neurorespiratory integration, purification (to remove "impurities due to faulty diet and behavioral patterns"), dietary measures, herbal food supplements, other herbal preparations, daily behavioral routines, prediction of future imbalances, religious ceremonies, nourishing the environment, and promoting world health and world peace.

Most of these cost several hundred dollars, but some cost thousands and require the services of an ayurvedic practitioner

Source: Miniglossary of "Alternative" Methods by Stephen Barrett, M.D.. at Quackwatch

More informations here:
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/ayurvedic/ayurvedic.htm
http://www.dreddyclinic.com/education/education.htm