Ayurveda, literally meaning "Science of life," is an ancient Indian system of medicine said to have originated over 5000 years ago. It comes from the Sanskrit words Ayu (life) and Veda (knowledge or science). The inference drawn from these words is the all-encompassing approach towards health and well-being. This, therefore, implies that this traditional practice does not treat sick people only but encourages healthy living and an extended life.

Historical Background of Ayurveda

The basis of Ayurveda is found in the Vedas, especially in the Atharva Veda, where there are references to medicinal plants and healing practices. This system was largely developed during the golden age of Indian medicine from 800 BCE to 1000 CE, when the key texts, Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, were written. It has been fundamental for the principles of Ayurveda and has described various treatment options and surgical procedures with a philosophical understanding concerning health.

Core Principles

Balance among the three fundamental energies- the Doshas Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water) are the basis of Ayurveda on a condition. Each person has a unique Dosha combination affecting their external and internal spaces. The Ayurvedic treatment approach intervenes to restore this balance, considering embracing personalisation in diet, weight loss, herbal therapy, yoga, and changing lifestyles.

Advantages of Ayurveda

• Healing through Holism: Ayurveda addresses diseases of the body and also caters to the mental and spiritual equanimity of the individual. It encourages a person to adopt a balanced lifestyle, which offers thorough health benefits.

• Combative Medicine: It mostly insists on preventive measures and so has seen to it that regular health checkups and changes in lifestyle are done to avoid wellness disorders in the first place before they occur. 

• Natural Cure: The benefit of Aryan treatments is that they generally afford the use of a broad spectrum of herbal medicines and natural substances, and they are generally safe with few side effects.

• Individualised Therapy: Each treatment plan is strictly designed to suit each individual's specific constitution (Prakriti), thereby making it relevant to his needs. 

Modern Day Relevance

With today's pace of life, stress grabs everyone, and lifestyle diseases are very much widespread. Ayurveda has furnished significant insight into keeping health through natural meaning. For instance, the principles stipulated by Ayurveda fit into most of today's wellness trends that focus on holistic health. Yoga and meditation are slowly but surely becoming practices of Ayurvedic systems in the name of people seeking fitness, mental clarity, and emotional stability.

Moreover, Ayurveda's emphasis on diet as a keystone of health matches modern nutritional science. The acknowledgement of food as medicine has gradually found support in research from both traditional and modern medical fields.

Holistic Approach Towards Ayurveda

Ayurveda has timeless wisdom on health and wellness in its essence. It does embrace an organismic understanding of health as an entire system that concerns the body, psyche, and spirit, and so creates concepts of health which are worth living even in contemporary times. It gains momentum as the world's attention on holistic health practices increases, shining light as a reference point to people seeking balance in life.