Introduction to Ayurveda (Part 1) – What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda

Author diane

I am a self-professed control freak who found yoga, meditation, and NLP to manage self-induced stress. I obsess over anatomy books, full moons, and the mysteries of being human. I have been practicing various styles of yoga and meditation for over twenty years. I am a master NLP Practitioner, I am registered with the Yoga Alliance as an RYT-500 yoga teacher. I am also a certified meditation instructor and Ayurvedic practitioner.

Introduction to Ayurveda – Part 1

Ayurveda is the science of life or the knowledge of life. It is an ancient, traditional form of holistic medicine that shares its roots with Yoga. It defines health as more than the absence of disease. Health is a balance of body, mind, and spirit. It taps into the intelligence of nature, the nature that exists in every cell of your body.

Ayurveda is more than following rules. It helps you apply self-knowledge and self-awareness to bring you into balance. Ayurveda is living in harmony with the natural world around you. It accesses wisdom in every cell of your body, and learning to use this intelligence to create wellness.

Your Unique Blueprint

Each of us has a unique blueprint, known as your constitution, or Prakriti, in Sanskrit.

Your constitution is a unique combination of the five elements that are the building blocks of everything around you, including your body and mind.

You are unique. You have a unique physical and mental constitution, expression, and purpose. As you move away from alignment with your unique blueprint, this opens the door to dis-ease.

Ayurveda gives you a guidebook

Ayurveda guides lifestyle choices that best support your uniqueness. These guidelines support aligning with your true nature, body, mind, and soul. These are not rulesets but help you maintain balance through changing states of health, different stages of your life, seasons, location, and even the time of day.

The Basic Building Blocks: The Five Elements

All animate and inanimate objects in the universe are composed of these five elements and their corresponding energy and attributes, Ether (space), Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Ether (Akasha)

Ether, space, is immobile and light because it contains nothing. It is the dark, cold space the other elements fill. It is the most subtle element.

Air (Vayu)

Air arose from the movement of Ether. Air has the qualities of being subtle and mobile. It is light like Ether, clear, dry, and rough. It represents movement.

Fire (Tejas)

Fire evolved as the movement of air created friction and heat. Fire is heat and light. It flows and is clear, soft, and dry. Fire gives vision and clarity, the light we see, and heat for transformation.

Water (Apas)

As fire became denser and began to cool, water was created. Water is cool, heavier than fire, moist, and smooth. Water is flow, including emotional flow.

Earth (Prithivi)

Earth is the most solid and stable element. It evolved as water became denser. It is heavy and solid. It is the grossest and densest of the elements. It provides stability and resistance to movement.

The Doshas

The three Doshas are energetic principles that are combinations of the five elements. The Doshas are present to some degree in all of creation. No Dosha is better than another. Each Dosha has essential attributes.

Vata

Vata combines Ether and air and combines their qualities of light, dry, coarse, changeable, and moveable. Vata governs movement, transportation, communication, and the nervous system from its seat in the colon. Vata’s predominant individuals are the lightest, moving and speaking quickly. Vata individuals tend to have variable sleep and appetite and are talkative and enthusiastic when balanced.

Pitta

Pitta is the combination of Fire and Water and contains the qualities of both. It is hot and intense but also soft and flowing. It governs transformation and digestion. The seat of Pitta is in the Small Intestine. Pitta’s physical types are of medium build. They are intense and goal-oriented and generous when balanced.

Kapha

Kapha is the combination of Earth and Water. It is the most stable Dosha and is responsible for strength, immunity, and lubrication. The Kapha physical type is the largest build and the most muscular. They are sweet, loving, and loyal when in balance.

Why is Ayurveda still relevant?

Humans are distanced from nature and our true nature more than ever. We no longer recognize or listen to the innate wisdom within ourselves. We are out of balance, stressed out, eating foods that don’t nourish us, overconsuming food, and sensory input. As a result, we are not grounded, not connected. We have lost the understanding of the beauty of our unique blueprint, our unique beauty, talent, and contributions.