Ayurveda for Beginners

Yoga & Ayurveda

We all know Yoga. As of 2017, 37 million Americans were practicing yoga. If you haven’t already, meet Ayurveda, the sister science of Yoga, which I hope everyone finds some interest in as well.

They both come from the same philosophy.

However, the goal of Yoga is moksha (enlightenment),

and the goal of Ayurveda is dharma (living the right way).

Both are holistic systems of healing with the same perspective —people are seen as whole with a unified mind-body-spirit.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda originated in ancient India over 5,000 years ago, and it is the oldest healthcare practice in the world. 

Ayur | longevity, span of life

Veda | science or knowledge

Ayurveda is the science or knowledge of life and longevity.

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Ayurveda looks at the whole person (holistic) and understands the interconnectedness and importance of the health of one’s body, mind, and spirit. Unlike, conventional medicine which is a disease-based approach (looks at the parts rather than the whole). Ayurveda looks at the whole person to address the root cause of the dis-ease or imbalance. With the intervention and support of Ayurveda, the symptoms disappear and balance restores.

Ayurveda is about the balance and understanding of the natural laws —Mother Nature. 

All matter (everything within the universe) is composed of the combination of the 5 material elements called panchamahābhutas:

Ether | Akasha

Air | Vayu

Fire | Tejas

Water | Aap

Earth | Prithvi

At the point of conception, the 5 elements combine to form the constitutional makeup of our bodies called doshas. There are three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. 

Vata | air + ether

Pitta | fire + water

Kapha | earth + water

Each of us are predominantly one, or a combination of these three doshas.

We are all born with a certain combination of the elements which is unique to our constitution —Ayurveda views this as our perfect state of balance. However, as we move through life, we move away from this state of balance through our diet, lifestyle choices and other stressors.

When there is an imbalance in the body-mind, it is due to dis-harmony of these elements and, if not properly dealt with, manifests in the body as dis-ease,. By correcting the balance within ourselves and in relation to the world around us, we will promote health on all levels.

Ayurveda is knowing how to maintain the balance within the mind-body.

Ayurveda offers various tools to support the body and mind in its journey back to balance and health. The natural, holistic system offers nutrition, herbs, Yoga, meditation, breath-work, aromatherapy, sound and color therapies, rejuvenating therapies like massage and other balancing lifestyle practices to bring us back into balance. 

Since each one of us are unique as viewed through the lens of Ayurveda, so too are the tools employed to bring us back to a balanced state of health —thus Ayurveda offers us the most customized approach to health, once again very different from the one size fits all paradigm of allopathic medicine.