“Take time to see the quiet miracles that seek no attention.” - John O’Donohue
Ayurveda is the sister science of Yoga. It is the oldest form of healthcare in the world, developed over 5,000 years ago as a science of healing that is focused on relieving the body and mind of disease through self-healing. Ayur means life and Veda means knowledge or science, so Ayurveda is the knowledge or science of life. Its practices are significantly different from any of the traditional treatment protocols found in our current healthcare system. Whereas western medicine is focused on diagnosing, treating, and curing a specific symptom or cluster of symptoms, Ayurveda seeks to restore balance to the whole person—physically, mentally, and spiritually—utilizing natural treatments that reflect a deep understanding of our connection with the universe.
The foundational principles of Ayurveda’s unique medical science are based in the Vedas, which are the oldest known records of human civilization. These principles address all aspects of health and use a variety of healing modalities, from diet, herbs, and exercise to yoga practices and meditation. Perhaps the biggest difference between Ayurveda and our current medical system is its unique appreciation of the individual. It specifically addresses each person’s constitution, providing individualized treatments targeted to a patient’s unique physical, mental, and spiritual nature.
As we become disillusioned with the “one size fits all” institutional approach of western medicine, Ayurveda is gaining attention as an alternative approach to wellness in the U.S. It is intimate and personal, offering a simple but elegant approach to healing that runs counter to the insurance driven, pharmaceutical approach of western medicine. But Ayurveda prescribes a lifestyle that can be challenging to fully embrace. It is a complex system that is quite detailed, and many of its practices require a significant shift in one’s lifestyle. Fully embracing its teaching has its rewards but requires considerable effort and dedication.
Just as many of us are introduced to yoga through physical postures, a westerner’s first encounter with Ayurveda is frequently with the doshas, usually through alternative health websites, yoga classes, or Holistic health practitioners. Doshas are based on ancient Vedic philosophies which state that the cosmos is an interplay of five elements—ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. Like the gunas we studied last month, these five elements exist in matter as well as within each of us, albeit in different proportions. Ayurveda groups these elements into three different types of energy: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We can think of these groupings as biological humors. In Sanskrit, dosha translates roughly as “that which can cause defect or fault”. Each dosha has its own unique set of qualities that, when out of control, create imbalance in the body and mind. Ayurveda considers these imbalances to be the root cause of all disease, so treating the doshas is the primary focus of all its treatment protocols.
The Vata dosha is a combination of the elements of air and ether. Vata in Sanskrit means wind, making this dosha the motivating power behind Pitta and Kapha. It governs sensory, emotional, and mental harmony, and promotes adaptability. Some of its qualities are light, cold, and clear. Pitta, with its elements of fire and water, is the dosha that causes things to ripen and mature. It rules our digestion and is responsible for all forms of transformation in the body. It is hot, sharp, and oily. Kapha means “what makes things stick together”. Made up of water and earth, it is the bodily container for Vata and Pitta, the substance that makes up our bodily tissues. It is heavy, sticky, and dense.
Everyone is born with a specific amount of the five elements, so each of us has a proportion of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. What makes us unique is the proportions of each dosha, which is why we all react so differently to our environments. Our constitutions can be primarily one dosha, a combination of two, or Tri-Doshic, which is a combination of all three. Within each person the doshas are continually interacting with one another, as well as with the external environment and with nature. It is this rich interaction that accounts for the endless variety in the way we behave and respond to the world.
Ayurveda believes that good health is a result of balance in the elements of our unique constitution. The general Ayurvedic rule is that “like increases like”. The more you live a life in balance with your dosha, the more you will be attracted to things that keep you in balance. The more imbalanced you are, the more you will move toward things that create instability. When any of the elements accumulate in the body beyond desirable limits, we start to move into a disease state. Ayurvedic treatments focus on treating imbalances through diet, bodywork, and herbs to help bring the doshas back in balance with our innate constitution.
Many things can cause the doshas to go out of control. Simple daily habits can cause disruption, including the foods we eat, the schedules we keep, the way we exercise. In addition to lifestyle choices, exposure to stressors, both external and internal, as well as our lifestyle practices can also throw our doshas out of whack. We must also live in harmony with our environment, which has its own combination of elements. Doshas are found throughout nature, in the rhythm of the seasons, characteristics of geographical areas, as well as the time of day and our time of life.
Whereas a deep dive into the principles of Ayurveda can take a lifetime, an introduction to the doshas can help us to examine how our choices impact our health. Ayurveda, like Yoga, can be embraced on many levels, from changing the types of fruit you eat, to a detailed protocol of daily habits that support your dosha. You may find information about the doshas useful as a guide that helps you make decisions in the produce aisle, or you may embrace it completely as a lifestyle. Some of you may already know your dosha and are following some of these protocols. Whatever level you wish to pursue, a quick dive into the doshas will heighten our awareness of how daily activities affect our physical and mental health.
Throughout June we will explore the doshas, examining their qualities, characteristics, and how they impact our body and health. This information is meant as a general introduction to the energetic properties of each dosha. If you’d like to determine your dosha, I recommend the dosha quiz offered on BanyanBotanicals.com. If you decide to take the quiz, please remember that its accuracy is limited. It is best to use this information as a guide, not as a personality test or as a description that is etched in stone. Only a skilled Ayurvedic practitioner can provide an accurate analysis of your constitution.
Ayurveda considers specific asana (yoga postures) an essential treatment modality in balancing the doshas. Not all postures are therapeutic to all doshas. Certain asanas and practices can overstimulate a dosha, which is why we may not always feel blissful at the end of every class. Overstimulating certain qualities of your primary dosha can leave you feeling sad, fearful, even irritable. Applying some general principles related to the doshas can help counter the negative energetic effects of a practice by making slight changes, such as our breathing patterns and the tempo of our movements.
I invite you to come with a curious mind to explore how the dance of the doshas shows up in your practice. My hope is that this introduction will, at the very least, open your mind to the rich and ancient practice of Ayurveda and what it offers to our health and wellbeing.
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