Ayurveda: The Science of Life

“The origin of Ayurveda is considered to be divine, from the Hindu God Brahman who is called as the creator of the universe. It is believed that the creator of the universe passed on this holistic knowledge of healing onto the sages for the well-being of mankind.” 

Ayurveda is a renowned holistic traditional medicine system originating from India over 5,000 years ago. Literally translating to “life science” or “wisdom of life,” this philosophy aims to achieve optimal vitality and balance a person’s consciousness through different therapies connecting the mind, body and soul. 

These therapies include panchakarma (five actions), yoga, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage therapy and dietary changes, emphasizing internal health just as much as external health. 

Modern medicine has a reactive tendency, while ayurvedic lifestyle is an actively preventative care practice, but can also be implemented alongside western medicine to rebuild and recover, after surgery for example. 

There are eight branches (or disciplines) of Ayurvedic medicine: Kaaya Chikitsa (internal medicine), Bhootavidya (psychiatry), KaumarBhritya (pediatrics), Rasayana (geriatrics), Vajikarana (sexology), Shalya (surgery), Shalakya (ophthalmology), and Agada Tantra (toxicology). 

This is one of the oldest naturopathic systems in the world. It views balance as the natural order, imbalance as disorder. Health is order, disease is disorder. It’s all about understanding the nature and structure between the two so as to empower one to heal themselves and others as well. 

It is understood that all diseases stem from an imbalance of energies within the body (read Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss). 

So, through healthy lifestyle interventions and natural therapies, Ayurveda can be helpful to treat allergies, joint pain, diabetes, insomnia, skin problems, back pain, weight, stress symptoms, etc. also emotional wounds and energy levels. 

The Doshas

The principles of Ayurveda acknowledge that the Universe is made up of five elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth. These five elements are believed to form the three basic body constitutions (doshas) in varying combinations; you usually have one or two dominant doshas in your constitution at a time but all three are always present. The tridoshas control the basic physiological functions of the body and the entire ayurvedic science relates back to these. Understanding yourself and which doshas are prominent in your body constitution is key to utilizing the ayurvedic medicinal practices to the favor of your health and vitality. 

Vata, made up of ether and air, controls our movement - breathing, blinking, muscle and tissue movement, heart pulse, movements of cytoplasm and cell membranes. This is light, airy creative energy and flexibility, but may also manifest in neuroticism, fear and anxiety when out of balance.

Pitta, the fire and water of our metabolic system, gatekeeps our digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism, and body temperature. The energy of pitta promotes understanding and intelligence, but out of balance its heat is felt with anger, hatred, perhaps jealousy.

Kapha controls our body structure (bones, muscles and tendons), the earth and water that glues everything together. It supplies water for all bodily systems, lubricates joints, moisturizes skin, and maintains immunity. When in balance kapha is expressed as love and calmness, and is evidently out of balance where there are feelings of attachment, greed and envy, also migraines.

The Four Pillars

Food

Finding the right diet based on your body constitution is the first and most important step in attaining a healthy lifestyle, healing from the inside-out. Your dosha determines which foods suit you best in promoting inner balance. A diet aligned with Ayurveda keeps the body free of toxins and disease, optimizes digestion, and positively impacts metabolism, stamina and the mind. 

-Pitta dosha is pacified with cooling, energizing foods and requires avoiding the use of spices, nuts and seeds.

-Vata dosha favors warm, moist and grounding foods while restricting dried fruits, bitter herbs and raw veggies.

-Kapha dosha limits heavy foods like nuts, seeds and oils in favor of fruits, veggies and legumes. 

Lifestyle

The Ayurvedic lifestyle encourages a healthy daily routine, which can look like maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, regularly exercising (refer to dosha), self-massage with use of Ayurveda oils, a daily stillness, meditation and yoga practice. 

The Ayurveda clock flows through the doshas each day breaking it into six four-hour zones (one am/pm for each dosha). Aligning our modern day life with the routine of doshas may prove challenging, but the balanced natural rhythms bring forth good health and vitality. 

-Sunrise (6am-10am) - kapha; cool, heavy, earthy 

-Midday (10am-2pm) - pitta dominates digestions so this is the best time to eat your primary meal of the day 

-Afternoon (2pm-6pm) - vata; light, dry, airy

-Evening (6pm-10pm) - kapha; dull, stable, heavy… wind down slowly

-Bedtime (10pm-2am) - pitta takes over to digest experience/emotions/foods to repair and renew. Resist a second wind from the ignited energy and get some rest!

-Rising (2am-6am) - vata energy brings subtle movement to our mind as our consciousness begins the process of awakening 

Rejuvenators 

Rejuvenation therapy is part of Rasayana, one of the eight clinical elements of Ayurveda medicine and one of the four pillars of an Ayurvedic lifestyle. These are medicinal herbal formulations that work as rejuvenators. An example of one is Chyawanprash, a metabolic turbocharger which is a medicinal blend of 40 odd herbs that supports vitality, energy, stamina, longevity, anti-inflammatory benefits, and freedom from cough and cold. Rejuvenators are typically recommended when the body and mind enter a degenerative period of aging, to boost energy and improve immunity and overall health, staving off specific diseases or infections to give people a second wind in life. 

Supplements

Herbal supplements, essential to Ayurveda medicine, are used to help promote longevity and maintain a healthy lifestyle. They aid in need of anything from detoxification or wanting to reduce stress, lethargy or poor digestion. Important for daily use are cumin (digestive system, immunity, sugar levels, heart conditions), gooseberries, turmeric (inflammation, brain/heart health, immunity), licorice root (inflammation, cools down system, antiseptic properties, digestive/skin conditions), ashwagandha and ginger. 

Ayurveda essentials: 

Know which elements predominate your body to make balanced choices

Keep your mind balanced by getting enough rest and stimulation

Invest the time to understand true nature and which elements rule the mind so you can build an active conscious lifestyle that works with your individual characteristics and strengths for optimal health. 

A deeper understanding and experience with Ayurveda taps you into a bottomless well of intrinsic wisdom on the relationships between cause and effect, immediate and subtle, to heal each unique person. Restore your confidence in your own vitality.

Written by Cassandra

Edited by Kaileah