Maharishi Ayurveda Products - Introduction

Maharishi Ayurveda Products was established in 1986 at the request of His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with the goal of creating a Disease Free Society and with the task of consistently producing the highest quality products without departing from the Vedic shastras.

Maharishi Ayurveda Products was the first Ayurvedic company in the world to obtain ISO 9001 certification and now has ISO9001:2000, HACCP, WHO GMP and Organic Farm certification. In addition to the manufacturer’s quality control procedures all batches of food supplements and medicines are retested in Europe and/or UK.  

Origins

In 1980 Maharishi had spent 25 years teaching the simple technique of Transcendental Meditation around the world through which one is able to experience pure consciousness, the most settle state of awareness, in a very easy, natural way. In doing so Maharishi had successfully revived the understanding that it was mankind’s birthright to enjoy 200% of life – to develop his full inner potential that is divine in its essential nature and at the same time to enjoy all success in the outer values of life - family, job, society etc.

Extensive research on Transcendental Meditation had shown that its deep rest and revitalising effect improves health, mental functioning and relationships and that it creates a harmonious influence in society as a whole.

Revival of Ayurveda

Maharishi wanted to enhance the benefits of the mental approach of Transcendental Meditation with the physical benefits of Ayurveda. But he noted that the status of Ayurveda in India had fallen a long way from its ancient glory. This he ascribed primarily to foreign invasions and influences. In 1980 the Ayurveda that was known to most people was no more than little packets of medicine obtained from a vaidya – ‘vaidyaji kipurya’ - and that the many branches of Ayurveda were often understood to be separate, alternative and sometimes conflicting.

Maharishi realised that to revive Ayurveda to its wholeness and completeness it was necessary to enliven that most fundamental value that is the basis of all the different branches of Ayurveda. This he identified as the coherent consciousness of the vaidya and the patient.

He therefore began calling to the vaidyas in India to recognise that Ayurveda was a complete whole and the importance of development of coherent states of consciousness as the basis for integrating and reviving Ayurveda. It was felt necessary and appropriate to distinguish this revival of Ayurveda from what had gone before by calling it Maharishi Ayurveda

Maharishi sent out a call to the Ayurveda community asking for help and many leading vaidyas responded, of whom the most prominent were Dr Brihaspati Dev Triguna, then President of the All India Ayurveda Congress and expert in nadi vigyan, Dr V.M Dwivedi, an expert in rasayana, and Dr Balraj Maharishi, renowned for his extensive knowledge of dravyaguna.

Inner Intelligence

Ayurveda, as an aspect of Vedic knowledge, is basically about developing the full potential of the individual and society. In subjective terms this means development of the highest state of consciousness and in the Ayurvedic terms it means the development of perfect health.

Maharishi has explained that the unique aspect of Ayurvedic formulas, dietary advice etc is that they enliven the inner intelligence, the organising principle, of the mind and body to maintain and increase health. Thus we understand that Ayurveda is always promoting the health/order of mind and body rather than removing illness.       

Making top Quality Products

Maharishi Ayurveda recognises that there are three factors that are key to the effectiveness of Ayurvedic products.

Uniquely Maharishi has established 5000 schools in India to train young pundits to use the Vedic technologies of yagya and yoga to create sattwa not only for India but the whole world.

We have identified the best geographical sources for all our ingredients and use these as first choice. Fourteen collection centres have been set up around India and 3000 collectors have trained in plant identification, collection and preparation techniques.  

Maharishi Ayurveda adheres to the requirements of the classical texts as closely as possible. For example we use the wild variety of Amla fruit (Emblica officinalis), which has greater therapeutic value than any of the cultivated varieties. However the wild fruits are smaller and the seeds bigger than the cultivated ones and as a result the fruit rind is significantly more costly.

Another example is in the preparation of bhasmas. If the shastras call for 100 repetitions of the heating process then we do 100, not 80 or even 99, even if it takes more than a year to do it.

Two organic farms have been established in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. These have transitional certification (2005) and will act as training centres for organic outgrowers.

Cultivation of bamboo on 2000 acres in Arunchal Pradesh is planned to maintain genuine supply of the rare but important ingredient vansalochana.

The Maharishi Ayurveda Products factory is situated in Noida, UP, India. It has ISO 9001:2000, HACCP and WHO GMP certification and is preparing for Australian TGA and PICS certification. All staff engage in twice daily practice of Transcendental Meditation on the premises.

Product Formulation

Initially Maharishi asked the top vaidyas if there was one formula that could solve all problems. They offered two very special formulas that enliven ojas – that finest value of the human physiology that is almost subjective.

Ojas is that but which ‘consciousness slides into the physiology’ as Maharishi puts it. By enhancing the quantity and quality of ojas all the other dhatus and doshas are brought into balance. These two special formulas were given the collectively name of Maharishi Amrit Kalash and were the first products to be produced by Maharishi Ayurveda Products in 1986.

We have invested a large amount of time in formulation of products. Leading vaidyas have offered their treasured family formulas; sometimes classical formulas have been the basis of our products; at other times non-availability of some ingredients and regulatory restrictions on others have meant we had fall back on first principles of dravyaguna vigyan and samyoga.