What is Ayurveda?

The Sanskrit term Ayurveda translates to “knowledge of life.” Ayurveda  is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is psuedoscientific. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) characterises the practice of medicine by Ayurvedic practitioners as quackery. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using it.

Our five senses serve as the portals between the internal and external realms, as the five great elements of ether, air, fire, water, and earth dance the dance of creation around and within us. Ayurveda groups these five elements into three basic types of energy and functional principles that are present in everybody and everything. Since there are no single words in English to describe these principles; we use the Sanskrit words Vata, Pitta, and Kapha to describe their combinations. Everything that we experience, be it a physical substance, a thought, or emotion, has certain qualities. The ancient texts of Ayurveda classify these qualities — called gunas in Sanskrit — into 10 pairs of opposites, making 20 qualities total (for example, heavy vs. light). Everything in the universe can be described in terms of these gunas, or qualities, including the doshas. The foundation of Ayurvedic treatment relies upon recognizing when gunas have become excessive or deficient, as this is known to cause doshic imbalance and lead to disease. Ayurveda applies the opposite qualities to return to balance.

Importance of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is unique amongst the healthcare disciplines in the World as it places an emphasis on removing the causes of disease and suffering. Ayurveda teaches that suffering begins when a person forgets that they are one part of an interconnected whole. This primordial wound causes the mind to get caught up in the drama of individuality (me, my, mine) and as a result, the mind becomes dominated by fear, anger and attachment. The mind, preoccupied with its own dramas begins to make poor decisions about how to use the senses and interact with the world. As a result, a person over-indulges, under-indulges or misuses their senses. By taking in inappropriate stimuli through the senses (junk food, junk sights, junk sounds, junk smells, junk touch) the physiology of the body becomes disturbed resulting in disease. Swastavritta or the promotion of health is one of the strongest and most unique aspects of Ayurvedic medicine. While Ayurveda also prescribes remedies for disease, these remedies are counteracted when the senses are misused. During this program, depending upon the timeframe given, I will expound upon the causes of disease and suffering and explore how Ayurveda utilizes the senses both as a preventative form of medicine and as an adjunct to herbal medicine and panchakarma.

Benefits of Ayurveda.

The act of expressing life dynamically is multifaceted, as are the benefits of Ayurveda. Here are seven benefits, or displays of balance, that the practice of Ayurveda offers.

1. Staying Well (Preventive Care)

So much of western medicine is focused on the treatment of disease. While western medicine struggles to catch up to the ancient wisdom of preventive care, Ayurvedic medicine has for thousands of years offered practitioners the means to maintain health and stave off disease.By attuning our diets and lifestyles to our unique constitutions, we maintain the balance within ourselves that maintains good health. The best way to combat disease is to stay well in the first place.

2. Beautiful Skin 

Healthy skin is beautiful skin. When we use the harsh chemicals found in so many commercial skin care products, we so mistreat our skin that we may feel compelled to the further use of harsh chemicals to help mask the damage done.Better, then, to care for our skin by first understanding our skin. Whether you have dry vata skin, sensitive pitta skin, or oily kapha skin, once you understand your skin type, you can find which ancient, natural skin treatments will best balances these qualities and promote healthy, beautiful skin. In addition, by following a healthy diet and a balancing lifestyle, our skin will respond to these Ayurvedic practices, and will naturally balance itself as the entire body is eased into greater balance and health.

3. Improved Concentration

In our contemporary world, with the speed of travel, the overload of information, and the constant, mechanical noise that pervades our lives, it is easy to become distracted, to find our minds disquieted and anxious. When we slow down, when we get to better know and understand our body and the way in which our body’s natural constitutions require balance, our mind follows this lead.A balancing diet and lifestyle sooth our minds and allow for easier, more focused concentration. Mental balance is no less important than physical balance, and Ayurvedic practices are designed to promote mental balance as much as physical.

4. De-Stressing

Much in the same way our minds lose focus, we stress. Working under pressure, as most of us do, aggravates vata and produces stress. This vata imbalance affects the joints first—and isn’t it so that we often first notice high stress levels by a sore, clenched jaws? Ayurveda, through diet and lifestyle, alleviates stress. These practices ameliorate vata imbalance and soothe pitta.
5. Revitalizing Energy

It is so easy in this world to shirk sleep when working toward a deadline, to unmindfully eat foods out of season or even too late in the evening. We all do things that unbalance our bodies and minds, and this leads to sluggishness and lethargy.Coffee and other stimulants might work in a pinch, in the short term, but Ayurveda has a comprehensive, long-term approach to revitalizing energy. When we understand our natural dosha, our constitution, we can determine how to balance ourselves. A vata person doing vata activity is overloaded with vata, and, could benefit from more elements of pitta and kahpa to balance this excess vata.

6. Relaxation

Grounding and relaxing vata types is vital to maintaining healthy skin and hair, to preventing stress, and to revitalizing energy. It is so easy to get out of sorts, and being mindful of our body’s natural constitution helps us to restore the balance that leads to relaxation. When you are relaxed, you feel comfortable and content in mind and body, and so this is an important benchmark for physical, mental, and spiritual balance.Abhyanga, body massage, is also important for relaxation. Whether using self massage practices or pursuing a therapeutic massage, these practices, especially when enhanced with Ayurvedic oils and various heat sources, helps remove excess vata that causes our stress.

7. Anti-Aging

Have you ever known a person who seems to have aged beyond their years? We say that they lived a hard life, meaning one of great stress, a life of significant physical, mental and spiritual imbalance. We wear the signs of our health on our faces.Through balancing doshas, maintaining a healthy relationship among vata, pitta, and kapha, we ameliorate the very stresses and anxieties that wear out our bodies. This harmony not only promotes a healthy, youthful body; Ayurvedic medicine also promotes a vibrant, dynamic mind, even as we age.

By being mindful of what we eat, the way we live, and the way we handle stress, we can maintain and promote the balance so vital to the dynamic expression of life. The regular practice of Ayurveda can manifest these seven benefits and many more in our lives.

Ayurvedic Treatment.

An Ayurvedic practitioner will create a treatment plan specifically designed for you. They’ll take into account your unique physical and emotional makeup, your primary life force, and the balance between all three of these elements.

The goal of treatment is to cleanse your body of undigested food, which can stay in your body and lead to illness. The cleansing process—called “panchakarma”— is designed to reduce your symptoms and restore harmony and balance.

To achieve this, an Ayurvedic practitioner might rely on blood purification, massage, medical oils, herbs, and enemas or laxatives.

Three Doshas of Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic methods of prevention and cure strive to bring our bio-physiology back to its primordial state because, according to Ayurveda, the imbalance of doshas results in disease.

Each individual has the characteristics of all 3 doshas, but in different proportions and it is these proportions that determine our physical and psychological traits.

The basic doshas are: vata, pitta and kapha.

VATA

Vata consists mostly of the two elements air and space (also known as ether) and is generally described as cold, light, dry, rough, flowing, and spacious. Autumn represents vata for its cool, crisp days.Those with the vata dosha are usually described as slim, energetic, and creative. They’re known for thinking outside the box but can become easily distracted. What’s more, their mood is highly dependent on the weather, people around them, and foods they eat.

Strengths: learn quickly, highly creative, multitasker, kind-hearted, flexible, “on the go,” naturally slim

Weaknesses: forgetful, anxious, unstable mood, can get overwhelmed easily, highly sensitive to the cold, has trouble sleeping, irregular appetite and eating patterns, prone to digestive issues and gas, poor circulation.

According to Ayurveda, for optimal health, a vata-dominant person should follow a regular daily routine, manage stress through meditation and other calming activities, and maintain a warm body temperature by avoiding cold weather and consuming warm foods and drinks.

Kapha

Kapha (pronounced “kuffa”) is based on earth and water. It can be described as steady, stable, heavy, slow, cold, and soft. Spring is known as kapha season, as many parts of the world slowly exit hibernation.People with this dosha are described as strong, thick-boned, and caring. They’re known for keeping things together and being a support system for others. Kapha-dominant people rarely get upset, think before acting, and go through life in a slow, deliberate manner.

Strengths: empathetic, caring, trusting, patient, calm, wise, happy, romantic, strong bones and joints, healthy immune system

Weaknesses: prone to weight gain, slow metabolism, sluggishness, over-sleeping, breathing issues (i.e., asthma, allergies), higher risk of heart disease, mucus buildup, susceptible to depression, needs regular motivation and encouragement

For good health, a kapha-dominant person should focus on regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintain a warm body temperature (e.g., by sitting in a sauna or eating warm food), and establish a regular sleep routine.

Pitta

Known for being associated with a tenacious personality, the pitta dosha is based on fire and water. It’s commonly described as hot, light, sharp, oily, liquid, and mobile. Summer is known as pitta season for its sunny, hot days.People with pitta are said to usually have a muscular build, be very athletic, and serve as strong leaders. They’re highly motivated, goal-oriented, and competitive. Still, their aggressive and tenacious nature can be off-putting to some people, which can lead to conflict.

Strengths: intelligent, purposeful, learns quickly, self-determined, masters skills easily, strong desire for success, strong, natural leaders, good circulation, healthy skin and hair

Weaknesses: impatient, prone to conflict, always hungry, mood swings when hungry, prone to acne and inflammation, sensitive to hot temperaturesThose with a pitta-dominant dosha should focus on work-life balance and avoid extreme heat (e.g., weather, spicy food).

Diet.

Dosha	Foods to eat	Foods to avoid
Vata	warm, “moist”, and soft foods (e.g., berries, bananas, peaches, cooked vegetables, oats, brown rice, lean meat, eggs, dairy)	bitter, dried, and cold foods (e.g., raw vegetables, cold desserts, dried fruit, nuts, seeds)
Kapha	spicy, acidic, and filling foods (e.g., most fruits and vegetables, whole grains, eggs, low fat cheese, unprocessed meats, hot spices)	heavy, “fatty” foods (e.g., fats, oils, processed foods, nuts, seeds)
Pitta	light, cold, sweet, and energizing foods (e.g., fruits, non-starchy vegetables, oats, eggs)	heavy, spicy, and sour foods (e.g., red meat, potatoes, hot spices)

Exercise.

Depending on your unique dosha, your Ayurvedic practitioner may recommend specific types of exercise:

• Vata. Due to their “on-the-go” nature, those with vata-dominant doshas should focus on activities that involve constant movement, such as cycling, running, walking, yoga, tai chi, etc.
• Kapha doshas work best with a workout buddy and should focus on a combination of cardio and weight-
  resistance exercise to stay interested and motivated. Any type of movement is beneficial for this group.
• Pitta. Pitta doshas tend to push themselves too hard and should avoid exercising in the heat. Team sports are an excellent way to stay active while satisfying pitta’s natural competitiveness.

Most research on exercise and Ayurveda surrounds slow, gentle movements, such as yoga and tai chi. These exercises have been shown to have numerous health benefits, such as improved quality of life, physical fitness, and stress management.

SUMMARY

Ayurvedic medicine is widely used today for its focus on whole-body healing.

Many proponents of Ayurveda claim that good health is based on one’s dosha, yet there’s little evidence to support this.While research on the Ayurvedic doshas is lacking, incorporating the many healthy lifestyle habits of Ayurveda into your routine is a great way to promote good health. Despite many claims, little research shows that diet, exercise, or other lifestyle practices will help you balance your dosha. However, many lifestyle habits promoted by Ayurveda can still benefit your health.