Ayurveda is the worlds oldest health and wellbeing system, also known as the knowledge of longevity and roughly translating to the science of life.
It is also closely linked to yoga and is sometimes referred to as the sister science of yoga. It is thought that ancient Ayurveda texts were the first to identify our lifestyles as an important factor for our health and wellbeing.
Through Ayurveda we can learn to recognise the qualities that lie within us, enabling us to understand and act upon any potential health issues by looking at the root cause of a problem. When we learn how to identify with what is occurring within our mind and body we begin to recognise “indicators” or “qualities” in Ayurveda. These qualities can be as small as a niggling headache that might, if left unresolved, develop into a migraine or perhaps a feeling of “grossness”, being brought about by a bloated stomach, that could quite easily be remedied by a change of diet!
Taking on board the Ayurvedic principle of “like increases like and opposites attract balance”, there are many things we can do to stop dis-ease manifesting into disease and improving the way we live and function as humans.
I would like to begin by shedding some light on some of the more common topics:
Seasonal Living
Seasonal living is simply the art of aligning with and embracing the cycles of nature. In our modern world, we tend to celebrate “doing” and “activity” and we appear to resist stillness, introspection, and rest. So learning to wake, eat, work and sleep according to the season can balance our wellbeing.
Routine
Maintaining good habits, such as diet, sleep and activity, are the things we should be mindful of. Dinacharya (a Sanskrit word made up of 'Dina' meaning day and 'acharya' meaning activity) is a daily routine designed to connect us to our internal body clock. Dinacharya guides us, based on our unique constitution - on the best times to sleep, eat, exercise, work and when to relax in order to promote self care.
Dosha’s (mind and body types)
According to Ayurveda, universal life force manifests, as three different energies (Doshas) known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We are all made up of a unique combination of these three forces.
Vata
The Vata Dosha contains the properties of the elements ether and air. Air provides characteristics such as dryness and mobility, while ether makes it subtle and light. Vata is responsible for our energy and movement as well as for nerve impulses. Breath, speech, circulation, and digestion are all the manifestation of Vata.
Pita
The Pita Dosha is made up of the elements of fire and water. Pita is known as a fiery, intense dosha. It takes on characteristics, such as heat and sharpness from fire and fluidity and oiliness from water. Pita predominantly governs metabolism - controlling hormones, digestion, appetite and skin.
Kapha
Kapha's elements are earth and water, the qualities included in Kapha are heaviness and stability from earth and oiliness and smoothness from water. Kapha gives the body, substance, strength and cohesion and governs all structure, lubrication, and immunity. It is also responsible for healing.
Learning how to live in a calm and balanced manor according to the seasons is just the start of being in tune with your mind and body and when we weave Ayurveda and Yoga together, these pathways can provide harmony to our health and wellbeing.
If you would like to learn more come along to Lu’s workshop “An introduction to Ayurveda” on Saturday 9th October at 14:30 - 16:00pm.
Written by Lu Mays and published on Wednesday 8th September 2021 at 13:11
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