Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing that has its
origins in the Vedic culture of India. Although suppressed during years of
foreign occupation, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major resurgence in both its
native land and throughout the world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese
Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced
many concepts originally described in the classical ayurvedic medical texts
dating back thousands of years.
More than a
mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life,Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom
designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential.
Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and
the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced
and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.
Recognizing
that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental
energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement,
transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire),
and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics
of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces
that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin,
light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our
nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a
strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going,
methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most
people have one or two elements that predominate.
For each
element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. When Vata is balanced, a
person is lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the
system, a person tends to experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation,
and difficulty focusing. When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a
person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When
Pitta is out of balance, a person tends to be compulsive and irritable and may
suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition. When Kapha is balanced, a
person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a
person may experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.
An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.
An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.
A simple
questionnaire can help you determine which ayurvedic element is most lively in
your nature. Take the dosha quiz here. Answer the following
questions as honestly as possible and see which element(s) receives the highest
score.
