When I wrote this book, it was extremely important for me to have my views validated by qualified medical professionals. I wanted to provide you with authentic information that you could rely on, and not just a figment of my imagination. What you have in your hands is not merely an introduction to Ayurveda, but a detailed exposition of the collective wisdom contained in Ayurvedic and yogic scriptures. I wanted to eliminate even the slightest possibility of overrating my own experiences or misinterpreting medical texts in any way. To this effect, I am deeply indebted to the following brilliant and busy doctors, who not only took time out of their hectic schedules to read my manuscript but also provided comprehensive and insightful feedback:
- Vivek Tripathi, MBBS
- Renu Madan, BHMS
- Jayavani Pandey, BAMS
- Ravi Verma, MD
- Priyanka Sara, MD
- R.C. Pandey, MD
- Chetana Verma, MD
- L. Mahadevan, MD
I would like to thank the commissioning editor at HarperCollins, Ajitha G.S., who not only agreed to publish this book so that it reaches a wider audience, but also personally reviewed the manuscript, offering wonderful and candid feedback along the way.
I would specially like to thank Sameer Mahale, national sales manager at HarperCollins, who saw the promise in this book and worked hard to ensure that it is released well within 2015.
Also, I can’t thank enough my first editor, Ismita Tandon, for doing a magnificent job with the early draft of my work. I’m equally grateful to some very kind people, notably John Coen, Camila Vicenci, Jocelyn Meli, and Shaun Jenkins, who went the extra mile and gave me detailed feedback.
My gratitude to Garima Om and Anju Modgil for going over the manuscript with impeccable attention to detail, reviewing each and every word.
I would also like to thank Carl A. Harte for his thoughtful review, and Rea Mukherjee for the final scan.
My gratitude to Saurabh Garge at HarperCollins for the beautiful cover design.
And, above all, my deepest gratitude to Mother Nature for using me as an instrument and allowing the ancient wisdom to flow through.