WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

aye-your-VAH-duh

In Sanskrit, the word ayur means ‘life’ and veda means ‘knowledge’. Ayurveda originated in India as the traditional healing system over 3,000 years ago. Considered one of the oldest forms of medicine, it is the sister science to yoga and works both as a preventative and curative medicine that promotes daily self-care as a means to acquire balance in our mind and body.

Ayurveda is a vast topic. It’s a chemistry that involves many variables, but the Ayurveda’s view on life is nothing in this world exists as an isolated entity. Like increases like. Our physical conditions are a reflection of our mental and vice versa. Everything is connected and whenever there is imbalance, we only need to look within to find the answers. Ayurveda is not meant to replace Western medicine but rather to complement it. Its focus is more preventative, whereas conventional medicine’s concentration is more symptomatic. Ayurveda’s approach to health is to inhibit the disease from appearing. The Western approach to health is to deal with the disease after it has appeared. As advanced as Western medicine is, there is a lack of understanding of the interconnectivity of the symptoms and why they keep reoccurring.

AYURVEDIC CONSTITUTION

According to Ayurveda, the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) make up the universe and combine in the body to form the three life forces or doshas- (vata, pitta, kahpha) that comprise our body, mind, and emotions.

A remarkably individualized system of medicine, Ayurveda is rooted in the idea that each of us is born with a completely personal blueprint for optimum health. According to Ayurveda, our health relies on our harmony and balance and looks at each person as an individual with a unique expression of the elements instead of a one-size-all model. The more in tune we are with nature and the elements, the more we can invoke our self-healing.

Vikruti (dis-ease state) is when you are experiencing an imbalance in your body, mind or emotions. Any imbalance signifies that one or more of your doshas are out of alignment and you are in a current state of vikruti.

Prakruti is the Ayurvedic constitution, or the dosha that you are born with. It is how and what initiates our first reaction to stress. You came into this life with specific characteristics & tendencies that define you and stay constant throughout your lifetime. This is your prakruti.

Doshic imbalances notify you to make changes in your current state of being in order for your doshas to return home to their ideal state of balance, your prakruti. Knowing your prakruit, we are able to determine lifestyles, preventative medicine, and daily routines to enhance our health and well-being.

THE DOSHA’S

We are all made up of all three doshas (vata, pitta, and kapha), which are a combination of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space—though usually one or two of the doshas is predominate. Ayurveda acknowledges that we are part of nature and nature is part of us. By understanding these energies on a more personal level and how they take form in our bodies and our lives, we are better equipped to manage and be responsible for our lifestyle and health choices.

Vata

“what moves”

Air + Ether/Space

Vata represents motion. It is dry and cold, like the fall wind. Light, mobile, and erratic; it is balanced by warm, heavy, and grounding qualities.

Vata governs all movements of any kind in the physical and mental body; the nervous system, breath (prana), assimilation, and limbs. It is considered to be the most important (or primary) of the three doshas.

Pitta

“what cooks”

Fire + Water

Pitta represents transformation. It is hot and fiery, like the summer sun. Oily, sharp, and spreading; it is balanced by dry, heavy, and cooling qualities.

Pitta governs the metabolic processes regulating the transformation of food into energy and is responsible for body temperature and the processes of digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food nutrients.

Kapha

“what sticks”

Earth + Water

Kapha represents structure. It is cool and moist, like a spring day. Dense, slow, and stable; it is balanced by dry, light, and uplifting qualities.

Kapha governs the stabilizing influences in the body like the fat, muscle, and skeletal systems, and is the most stable of the doshas, expressed in nature as the solid structures of rocks and mountains.

THE AYURVEDIC PATH

Cultivates a deep awareness and understanding of ones’ relationship with what they do. It is a process of self-empowerment as well as self-compassion. When deeper self-awareness and self-compassion are achieved, one can lovingly move through life with ease and awareness. Nature is our guide and teacher. It is the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda that teaches us how to live in alignment with these daily rhythms and how to look to nature’s natural rhythm for clues.