Ayurvedic practitioners postulate that mental, physical, and spiritual faculties are inextricably tied and that dysfunction in one or more of these areas impedes overall well-being. In keeping with this dogma, Ayurvedic practitioners provide holistic treatment that typically includes non-western remedies. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using it. Ayurveda therapies have varied and evolved over more than two millennia. Therapies include herbal medicines, special diets, meditation, yoga, massage, laxatives, enemas, and medical oils.

Ayurveda is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda are pseudoscientific. The Indian Medical Association describes Ayurvedic practitioners who claim to practice medicine as quacks.