What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is an ancient form of natural medicine originating in India about 5000 years ago. It is a holistic approach that not only treats the physical body but addresses all levels of wellbeing including mental, emotional and spiritual health. Ayurveda essentially teaches us how to flow with the natural rhythms of life, offering tools to assist the body in returning to balance and healing itself. Ayurveda is not only about ‘getting better’ or recovering from illness, it is about maintaining wellness and preventing dis-ease in the body.
In Ayurveda, there are three doshas; vata, pitta and kapha. These are energy forces within the body that govern all physiological activity. Each of these doshas is comprised of two elements:
Vata
Vata is the space/ether (akasha) and air (vayu) elements
Pitta
Pitta is fire (agni) and water (jala) elements
Kapha
Kapha is water (jala) and earth (prithvi)
Want to know which is your prominent dosha?
Every one of us has all three doshas; however, we are each comprised of differing proportions, making us all unique. Our constitution (prakruti) is the doshic blend we are born with, like a fingerprint. As we go through life, this doesn’t change; however, we may deviate from our core constitution due to many factors such as ageing, stress, climate, season, etc. This is known as our vikruti.
Understanding our constitution (prakruti) and being aware of imbalances (vikruti) allows us to move towards a state of balance and connection to what the body truly needs on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Through learning about the doshas we not only come to understanding ourselves better but also others.
