What Is Ayurveda?

The term ‘Ayurveda’ itself is derived from two Sanskrit root words: Ayu – life and Veda – knowledge/science. Ayurveda- The Science of Life

Ayurveda is arguably the world’s oldest holistic healing systems. Detailing exactly to to heal the body, mind and spirit Ayurveda has scientists around the world agree that it originated well over 5000 years ago, with ancient texts that claim much before then. Regardless of how “ancient” this knowledge is, for the people of this age it is should be taken into relevancy more than ever before.

Unlike Western medicine, Ayurveda is a holistic science that emphasizes wellness from the core. The principle is that true health is defined as a state of balance between mind, body and spirit.

Ayurveda puts focus on finding and treating the root cause of dis-ease, rather than treating only the symptoms.

In Balance

The wisdom of Ayurveda teaches that all dis-ease, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual is caused by some sort of imbalance in life. Ayurveda uses a simple equation for healing and bringing the body, mind and consciousness back into balance. “Like increases like” and “opposites balance.” For example, in the wintertime if you are feeling cold and drink a cold glass of water you will likely feel colder. Like increases like. However if you opt to drink a hot cup of tea drink, you are likely to warm up. Opposites balance.

Ayurveda’s simple yet profound understanding that opposites balance can be a life changing principle for those who have yet to implement it. Ayurveda teaches us to become aware of our lifestyle choices, moment to moment but without the stress of trying to artificially keep track. Ayurveda and it’s principes become so natural once we begin. It truly supports our mind bodies and spirits to come back into balance.

By practicing Ayurveda’s deep and intricate science we find ourselves effortlessly living in harmony with natures laws.

Having knowledge of Ayurvedic principles can support one to understand how to create balance of body, mind and consciousness according to one’s own individual constitution and how to make lifestyle changes to bring about and maintain this balance.

Diet is a large part of this wisdom but Ayurveda goes even further by inviting us to become conscious of our current experiences in social interactions, spiritual practices and other aspects of our lifestyle and how to address our dis-ease.

The three Doshas

In order to maintain health and promote healing, there is a great emphasis on balancing the 3 doshas, namely Pitta, Vatta and Kapha. These are based on the concept of the 5 fundamental elements of this world. Earth, fire, water, air and ether.

These elements come together to form the 3 doshas. These doshas influence all of our body processes. Our doshas are established as we grow within the mothers womb and remain throughout our lives. Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, each person has a particular pattern of energy that can be categorized into the three doshas.

Vata- composed of Space and Air. Vata controls movikity, everything from blinking to your heartbeat. Vata can be thrown out out of balance when a mother has just given birth and baby leaves the womb leaving behind a large space in the mothers body or when flying in an airplane or fast moving car. This can promote fear and anxiety. When in balance, think grounded walks in redwood Forrests and proper rest, Vata promotes creativity and stability of the mind.

Pitta— composed of Fire and Water. It governs digestion, absorption, nutrition and regulation of body temperature. It can be thrown out of balance during the summer when the temperature heats up. When out of balance pitta can come out as aggressiveness and compulsion. When in balance it reflects a state of intelligence and focus.

Kapha- is the energy that forms the body’s structure — bones, muscles, tendons — and provides the “glue” that holds the cells together, formed from Earth and Water. Kapha supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin, and maintains immunity. While in balance, kapha is expressed as loving and forgiving. Out of balance, it leads to attachment and lethargy.

Agni The Fire of Digestion

A huge part of an Ayurvedic lifestyle is diet. The concept of Agni, or fire of digestion is pillar of one’s health. If we have undigested foodstuffs or poor digestion we have poor health. Avoiding cold water while eating can be a simple yet profound change in our lives. Being aware of and stoking the fire in our bellies throughout our days can be life changing. It certainly has been for me. Eating foods that are supportive of our individual dosha is especially important to sustaining balance in our lives.

Kapha people are recommended to eat bitte and astringent foods while avoiding dairy, greasy  and fried foods. They actually need foods that will invigorate their minds and need to avoid overeating.

Pitta persons can bring balance by avoiding sour, salty and pungent foods. A vegetarian diet is best for those with Pitta dosha. To support calming aggression and compulsion they need to eat a balanced diet of sweet, cooling and bitter foods.

Vatta dosha people will be balanced by eating warm well cooked foods and avoiding astringent foods and sugar. They can usually handle more oil in cooking then the other two dosha’s and do well with soupy foods and regulated meal time.

Ayurvedic medicine is a deep world of healing that utilizes powerful herbs to bring in and maintain balance in our life.

This is just a short synopsis to introduce you to this profound healing knowledge.