Ayurveda

A holistic healing method, Ayurveda has been used to treat a variety of diseases and help the body maintain its health and well being. Over the last two decades, it’s become increasingly popular throughout the United States and has been recognized by many as an alternative medical treatment for both the mind and body – without the side effects that come with other forms of treatment.

What is Ayurveda?

Developed in India more than 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda is a system of preventive medicine and health care. Translated as “the science of life,” it’s made up of two Sanskrit words – Ayus, which means “life,” and Veda, which means “knowledge or science.” Ayurveda is based on tools, insights, and a wealth of information that is designed to encourage a life of balance and good health without interference from illness.

Those who practice Ayurveda believe there are five fundamental elements known as mahabhutas that make up everything both inside and outside of our bodies. These elements are water, fire, space, air, and earth. Ayurveda looks at the elements based on what they do, rather than what they are, and from those roles has created three psycho physiological energies called doshas. These doshas are considered mind-body principles that influence how we think and behave. Here’s a closer look at the three types of doshas and what they mean:

Vata dosha – This is a combination of space and air elements. It regulates movement and change in our minds and bodies.

Pitta dosha – Comprised of fire and water, this dosha regulates digestion and metabolism.

Kapha dosha – This dosha is made of earth and water, and helps maintain and protect our integrity and the structure of our mind and body.

Each of these doshas are present in every cell, tissue, and organ of our body. Every person in the universe is different because their doshas are mixed together in a unique way, giving them distinctive qualities that are specific only to them.

The combination of doshas a person has when they’re born is called their prakriti. Your prakriti is as unique to you as your DNA or fingerprint. Although it’s rare for a person to have an equal balance of the three doshas, it does happen. Most people have two doshas, with one that is less dominant. Ayurveda encourages everyone to know what their dosha is, because it will provide them with essential information that helps them get in touch with their inner intelligence, and in turn, help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Take an in-depth look at Ayurveda – and find your dosha:

Maintaining Your Prakriti

The three doshas within our bodies need to be in balance – but, it’s important to note that this doesn’t mean equal. It means you should aim to maintain your original prakriti throughout your life for good health and well being. The prakriti that was present at the time of conception should be used as a guide of the balance that is right for your body. There are several things throughout life that can affect your dosha:

  • Dietary choices
  • Climate
  • Environmental pollution
  • Your career
  • Your personal relationships
  • The passing of time

Each of these factors can cause one of the doshas in your prakriti to waver from its original level, which will create in imbalance, or vikriti. If the imbalance is not corrected in a reasonable amount of time, your health will deteriorate. This circles back to the central theme of ayurveda – restoring balance to your body.

Maintain your body’s balance. Learn more here:

The Principles Behind Ayurveda

Ayurveda is considered a form of holistic medicine, as it treats the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – instead of treating individual symptoms. It also focuses on treating each person as a part of the entire universe, instead of their individual self. The reason behind this idea is that India’s ancient Vedic tradition believes that there is energy and intelligence that flows through the entire universe from person to person, connecting everyone and everything in the process.

Ayurveda focuses on this exchange of energy between people and their environment. The belief is this: If a person’s environment is healthy, they thrive. If it’s toxic, they may become sick. For this reason, Ayurveda aims to eliminate toxicity and encourage people to surround themselves with a healthy environment.

Ayurveda vs. Traditional Western Medicine

Practitioners of Ayurveda can be trained in several different ways. Some are trained in Western Medicine, then study Ayurveda. Others are trained in naturopathic medicine, which can take place before or after their Ayurvedic training. These are just two of the most common training methods, but there are several others.

One of the basic principles of Ayurveda is that individuals differ – and diseases differ primarily because every person is different. Western Medicine, on the other hand, looks at the differences between diseases instead of people.

Those who study Ayurveda believe that things like an exercise program, diet, or even herbal supplements, should be based on the understanding of a person’s dosha and prakriti. Ayurvedic healers can recommend an effective therapy, diet plan, or exercise routine based on knowing this information. This will also help them know which plans aren’t effective – and even which ones could cause harm.

Another big difference between Ayurveda and Western Medicine is that the latter treats a disease’s symptoms, rather than the underlying cause, as Ayurveda does.

Here’s an example: If an individual is suffering from ongoing headaches, a physician would look into their current symptoms and prescribe medication to help with their pain. An Ayurvedic doctor, on the other hand, would look to the root of the problem and try to discover the imbalances in the person’s body that are contributing to the headaches.  He or she would look at the person’s daily activities, diet, lifestyle, and beliefs, then determine a treatment plan.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean Ayurveda rejects the use of medication. In fact, it believes we should make use of anything around us that will help restore a person’s health, whether it’s a change in diet, certain medications, exercise, or something else entirely.

Learn more about Ayurveda and how it differs from Western Medicine:

Ayurveda Healing

Ayurveda is practiced in many areas throughout the world and is known to help heal certain health conditions and diseases. The aim of Ayurveda healing is to treat a person’s condition without causing any side effects. It’s been known to heal a variety of conditions, including liver disorders, mental and muscular dystrophy, and chronic conditions. There are 8 essential components of ayurveda healing that a doctor goes through when treating a patient.

The doctor:

  1. Determines a person’s vata, pitta, and kapha
  2. Locates the imbalance of doshas in the body
  3. Finds the causes of illness within the body, such as diet, lifestyle, psychological stress, etc.
  4. Removes the cause by undergoing initial treatment
  5. Gives an appropriate regimen according to the individual’s constitution (Ex. exercise program, yoga, diet, or relaxation)

The individual will then:

  1. Undergo a detoxification treatment
  2. Rejuvenate the body to strengthen specific organs and tissues
  3. Undergo one of two therapy types:
    1. Santarpan – This type of treatment is made up of rejuvenation therapies that aim to enhance a person’s immunity, happiness, and peace of mind.
    2. Apatarpan – This therapy aims to remove toxins from the body and balance the dosha. Many times, this includes internal medicines and specialized cleansing therapies.

Ayurveda healing methods are growing in popularity. Learn more:

Healing Disease Through Ayurveda

According to this school of thought, an illness can’t be completely cured without a change in behavior – particularly those that are causing the illness. As mentioned above, the illness could be caused by a variety of things, including stress, a poor diet, inadequate exercise, or bad habits like alcohol and smoking. Discovering which of these caused the disease is an important step in the healing process.

An Ayurvedic doctor will identify the health problem and what factors may be causing it, then make a diagnosis based on the imbalance of vata, pitta, and kapha. Many Ayurveda remedies are simple and natural, and work over a period of time – instead of a quick remedy like pharmaceutical medicines. Treatment plans also rely heavily on herbs, plants, and common spices. The “pharmacy” of Ayurvedic treatments is filled with more than 600 herbal formulas and 250 single plant drugs that are grouped into categories based on their effects. This includes things like healing, relieving pain, and promoting vitality.

Before beginning an ayurvedic treatment plan, it’s important to realize that the plan is created to work over time – not immediately. It’s designed to give your body time to process at its own pace and momentum. The healing process is centered around gentleness and a cure that happens over time. A treatment will usually be paired with behavioral changes, like a special diet, regular yoga practice, or even relaxation therapies – and it’s important to continue this lifestyle for rich, cumulative health benefits for years to come.

Maintaining an Ayurvedic lifestyle is the key to good health. Learn more here:

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