What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a funny word that no one can pronounce correctly, yet it has been a significant source and reference for health and well-being for over 5,000 years. Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words: “Ayuh,” meaning life or longevity, and “Veda,” meaning the science of or sacred knowledge. However you say it, Ayurveda means the sacred knowledge of life. Its ancient wisdom even influenced the great Hippocrates! Originating in India, its teachings spread across Europe and, hundreds of years later, reached the Americas. Because of its influence, Ayurveda is known as the “Mother of all healing.” It is also considered to be the sister to Yoga.
Life is about balance, and Ayurveda is all about that! It is about balancing life's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical aspects. It is based on finding your unique composition and working with that to help you manifest the best version of yourself. Wouldn’t it be great to consistently wake up full of energy and vitality? How about getting enough sleep so that you feel like waking rested and ready for your day? What about guidance on what foods are good and not suitable for your specific nutritional needs? Wouldn’t you like to find natural supplements that actually help and go to the root of the problem (rather than synthetic pills that only mask the symptoms)? This is Ayurveda!
The first step to living life the Ayurveda way: find your Dosha.
What are the Doshas? Three basic types of Doshas make a person’s constitution. They are the essential forces behind a person’s makeup. They are “Vata,” “Pitta,” and “Kapha.” Ayurvedic medicine teaches us to see the world as it relates to the five elements (air, space, fire, water, and earth) and each dosha has two of these elements.
Vatas are a combination of air and space. They are generally creative, active, and changeable. They are always on the go but may tire quickly and require much sleep. They are usually slim, angular, and long-limbed with dry skin. They may forget to eat. Vatas are ideal for coming up with solutions to problems. When out of balance, they have excess nervous energy, fear, confusion, and anxiety. Physical results are gas, constipation, poor circulation, and insomnia.
Pittas are a combination of fire and water. Pittas are competitive, driven, and perfectionists. They usually have a medium build with well-defined muscles, strong, warm hands, and dependable appetites. Out of balance, they can be angry with overblown tempers, ulcers, indigestion, and skin irritations.
Kaphas are a combination of water and earth. They have a great memory and are calm, kind, and loving when in balance. They tend to be big-boned and amply built, with large, soft eyes and cool hands. They love to eat but can go for long periods between meals. Out of balance, they tend to be lazy, have attachments, and withdraw from others, resulting in depression. Physical ailments tend to be excess mucus resulting in coughs, sinus and other congestion-related disorders.
Does any of this ring a bell for you? Discovering your dosha and traits can be a very valuable transformation in your life. Living the Ayurveda way can help with better digestion, increased energy, improved sleep and healing your body from the inside out.
We recommend having a consultation with a seasoned practitioner for two reasons. You will get a good, solid confirmation of your dosha. Also, a practitioner can prescribe the correct regimen and supplements to regain balance. It can save you a lot of time and money. But once you have that knowledge, you can find your balance in life. Living longer, stronger, and happier is all that we want, right? To have a good, healthy life.
Want to begin your journey in Ayurveda? Click here for our beginner course that has tons of information and get started today.
