This system of medicine has been in use for thousands of years in India. Deepak Chopra has been responsible in large part for the increase in its use here in the US. It is similar to traditional Chinese medicine in that it stresses the connection between body, mind and spirit and of the individual to her environment. First, a person's basic body type is determined by the practitioner after an extensive history is taken. This serves as the cornerstone for the treatments. A physical exam is done as well as pertinent laboratory studies. The treatment prescribed is entirely individual and includes a combination of herbs, dietary and lifestyle changes, purification therapy and mental exercises. These may be augmented by yoga, meditation and breathing exercises. The lifestyle changes are believed to do for the mind what the herbs and purification therapy does for the body: rid the mind of negative emotions and thoughts in order to achieve a higher, more harmonious level of functioning.