The Heart of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a traditional medicine system that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is considered the ‘sister science’ to yoga asana, or the physical practice that has been popularized in the West over the last several decades.
In recent years, Ayurveda seems to have followed suit in this rise of interest in Eastern philosophies and the Westernizing of yoga asana. At its core, Ayurveda came to be from the traditional teachings in India from the Vedas. Practitioners often study and practice Hinduism, as well.
Ayurvedic medicine takes a holistic or ‘whole-body’ approach to healing the physical body, as well as the mind and spirit. It is based in the idea that there is a delicate balance to be found between mind, body, and spirit. This balance can be achieved through numerous daily practices that are uniquely chosen for an ayurvedic practitioner based on their dosha and the given season or climate, among other things.
The Doshas
There are three doshas. Each dosha is found within a person, but to varying degrees. The doshas that need balancing or are more prominent in someone’s body allow for insight as to what is the exactly right health regimen for their ayurvedic constitution, or ‘profile.’
In order to find out what your dosha(s) imbalances are, you have two options. Either find an ayurvedic doctor near where you live or take an online evaluation quiz, which is often free, though not as thorough as going to an actual doctor.
Not only are the doshas applicable to humans, but they can be placed into the shifts of the Earth’s seasons. Vata season begins in Autumn and ends in early Winter. Kapha season begins in late Winter and lasts until early Spring. Pitta season is most potent in late Spring through Summertime. Below, the three doshas are described a bit.
Vata
Main element: Wind (Air)
Secondary element: Ether
Qualities: Dry, Cool, Light, Quickened movement
Purpose: Movement, Communication
Pitta
Main element: Fire
Secondary element: Water
Qualities: Hot, Spacious, Oily, Sharpened
Purpose: Digestion, Transformation
Kapha
Main element: Water
Secondary element: Earth
Qualities: Weighted, Slow, Dense, Stable, Grounded, Clouded
Purpose: Brevity, Grounding, Structure
You might have an imbalance in more than one dosha, or be told to focus more heavily on one than the other two. Some people, though it is less common, are tri-doshic and focus on balancing all three doshas to bring themselves into a steady state of being and mind.
Imbalanced Doshas
Sometimes, certain aspects of your health or lifestyle can clearly show where there are imbalances. For instance, if you are feeling more anxious than usual, or anxiety has been a consistent part of your life for some time, it’s quite likely you have a Vata imbalance. As Vata is dry, cool, and often prominent in people who are always running about and seem to never slow down, this makes sense.
Following along with that logic, a Pitta imbalance could be attributed to immense frustration in the mind or even build up in the body. Pitta is fiery, and also connected to many inflammatory disorders.
When experiencing a Kapha imbalance, chances are behaviors of stubbornness or over-attachment are present. Kapha is heavy and muddy in the physical body and mind, as is late winter and early spring as the sun arrives to melt away the snow and rain.
Below, the imbalances are outlined a bit further.
Vata imbalances: Fear, anxiety, stress, worry, poor memory & Dry skin, constipation, osteoporosis
Pitta imbalances: Anger, temper, frustration & Heartburn, acne, nausea, migraines, endometriosis
Kapha imbalances: Envy, grudges held, attachment, stubborn & Overweight, allergies, lethargy, congestion
The balanced doshas look & feel a bit ‘better’...
Vata: Creative, spiritual, calm & Blood flow, fast in actions, steady
Pitta: Intelligent, strong memory, energized & Steady metabolism, digestion, clear eyes & skin
Kapha: Loving, nurturing, compassionate, patient & Strong, nourished, protected, fluid
Daily Practices
There is a lot to ayurveda and it can take a bit to get the hang of some of the practices. Allow yourself some space to ease in. There’s no rush to be a fully devoted practitioner from the get go, you can start by adding a couple practices to your day or week and move from there.
A few beginner-friendly practices:
Dry brushing
Tongue scraping
Oil pulling
Eating based on your Ayurvedic constitution & the seasons, while considering your climate, as well
Ayurvedic Abundance
Ayurveda is thousands of years old, so the abundance of wisdom and knowledge it holds is to be expected. That doesn't make it any less intimidating upon first glance, though. This medicine system has shown itself to be immensely healing as it has lasted and been of benefit for all these centuries. If you are new to the world of Ayurveda, trust that the time it takes to begin to learn the system and your unique Ayurvedic constitution will be worthwhile and ultimately lead to a more balanced and fulfilled day to day life.
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