WHAT IS AYURVEDA?
Ayurveda (pronounced ah-yoor-vay-dah)
Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine which originated in India over 5,000 years ago and is the oldest continuously practiced health-care system in the world. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge), thus translating to knowledge of life. It is also commonly referred to as “Yoga’s sister science.”
Ayurveda takes a holistic, preventative and therapeutic approach to wellness + good health. One of the reasons why it is so unique compared to other holistic paths is because it addresses all aspects of one’s being: the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual body. It also places a large emphasis on preventive care. Prevention has always been the first and major goal of Ayurveda. Whereas modern day medicine uses temporary fixes for health problems, Ayurveda focuses on discovering the root of the problem and healing one from the inside out.
Ayurveda looks at each person as an individual, made up of the 5 elements of nature: space, air, fire, water and earth. These elements combine to create the doshas – the mind/body constitution of the person. Some people are more airy, spacy and ungrounded, creative, thin build (Vata dosha), some are more fiery and intense, sharp, medium build (Pitta dosha), and others are more earthy, sweet and content, more robust, and heavy build (Kapha dosha).
Side note: Ayurveda in no way tries to box people into categories (which is one of the reasons why I’ve heard it turns people off from it) rather it provides us with an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and how our environment and lifestyle choices affect our body + mind. We can then choose (rather than live life blindly or in ignorance) what actions to take that will make us happy, healthy and content. *Suffering as they say is inevitable, but avoidable!
While we are all a combination of these elements and specific doshas, one or two usually predominate. There is a combination of doshas we are born with, called our constitution, Ayurvedic body type, or prakriti. We also have a state of balance, vikriti, which represents the doshas that are elevated within our body at a given time. If the doshas accumulate beyond healthy limits (those determined by one’s constitution), they can create an imbalance in our health.
Ayurveda treats imbalances by changing habits of lifestyle such as the food we eat, the hours we work, how much we sleep, what sort of exercise we do, etc., we can begin to bring balance to our lives. Disease is also viewed as doshic, so by treating the area of imbalance we can help to mitigate disease.
Ayurveda’s goal is designed to promote human happiness, health and creative growth. It allows the healthy to maintain good health, and the dis-eased to regain their health. Most importantly, it recognizes that we are an active participant in our own path to healing and so it asks the patient to take their health and healing into their own hands. This process can be very empowering and life transforming!
I discovered Ayurveda shortly after beginning my yoga journey. I had a friend/mentor at the time who was an Ayurvedic practitioner and she introduced me to some of the ancient teachings. At the time I was battling hormonal imbalances — cystic acne, migraines and painful menstrual cycles. After learning more about my specific constitution, I was able to bring my health back into balance through a combination of herbs, diet and exercise change and other self-care practices. During both of my yoga teacher trainings, I’ve been able to delve deeper into the philosophy and science of Ayurveda. These teachings resonate with me deeply and now I’m so grateful to be able to have a better understanding of my own body and mind.
Essentially with Ayurveda, we find ways to “move” through the changes of life with ease and more awareness. I think it’s important to meet yourself where you are at and encourage yourself to commit to changing some of these old patterns to help promote longer lasting results. Because we are all different, Ayurveda’s treatments are specialized individually according to one’s constitution. It carries the idea that ”one man’s food, is another man’s poison.”
I encourage you to do your own research, if interested in learning more about Ayurveda, or your specific dosha, seek advice from an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner.