Ayurveda is an ancient, holistic system of healing that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. It focuses on prevention of disease and works to correct imbalance in the body through diet, lifestyle and herbs. One of the main principles is living in accordance with nature, through the observation of the seasons, the circadian rhythms and phases of life. Our bodies essentially mimic everything that is going on within nature (as is the macrocosm, so is the microcosm), and the key to good health is honoring these natural rhythms. When we surrender to the natural flow of the river, we will be effortlessly carried downstream.
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that translates to “the knowledge of life” (ayur=life veda=science/sacred knowledge) and is based upon the principle that everything in life, or in nature is interconnected. Our five senses (sight, smell, taste, sound and touch) help connect us to the outside world. The five great elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) exist everywhere in nature and are the basis for all life. These five elements can be further broken down into three energy types known as the doshas. These energy types are present in everyone and everything in varying degrees and are known as vata, pitta, and kapha. Vata is made of the ether and air elements, pitta is composed of fire and water and kapha is made up of water and earth. Ayurveda focuses on bringing these five elements into balance, both internally and externally, to bring about greater health.
Everything that we experience in life (thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, foods etc.) contain certain qualities, or gunas in Sanskrit. These qualities are grouped into ten pairs of opposites, with 20 qualities in total. These qualities are heavy/light, sharp/dull, hot/cold, oily/dry, smooth/rough, cloudy/clear, dense/liquid, subtle/gross, mobile/static, and soft/hard. Ayurveda operates under the theory that like increases like and opposites balance. If we are feeling hot, the last thing we want to do is to pile on the blankets and drink warm tea. Without much thought, we shed a layer, sip on a cooling beverage, or maybe take a swim to cool down. Oftentimes, we go against this theory, either intentionally or unintentionally. We may have lost touch with our ability to feel what is truly going on in our bodies, or we may know that deep down something is not right for our mind-body-spirit, but we do it anyway. In Ayurveda, we refer to this as prajnaparadha, which translates as an “offense against wisdom”. Eating salads or drinking cold smoothies in the dead of winter is one example. It’s a sure way to dampen our digestion, increase mucus and cause more stagnation in the body. Eating that same salad in the spring/summer when it is warmer can actually assist our body in cooling down and can help stimulate digestion. Ayurveda teaches us to tune into how we are feeling internally while honoring what is happening externally to make the best choices for our body at each moment.
Ayurveda believes that all imbalance in the body occurs as a result of poor digestion. The term agni, meaning fire in Sanskrit, is responsible for digesting, absorbing and assimilating everything that we take in through our five senses. Our main digestive fire, or jathara agni, is the main focus of Ayurveda. When our digestion is strong, we absorb and assimilate nutrients from our food, which goes on to nourish the blood and the tissues of the body. When digestion is weak, undigested food creates toxicity in the body, known as ama. Ama in the digestive tract may show up as bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation and are considered early warning signs. We can help eliminate ama from the digestive tract by eating unprocessed, warm, easy to digest food in a calm relaxed atmosphere. If left untreated, this ama enters into our bloodstream, circulates around the body, settles into the tissues and becomes much more difficult to eliminate. It can not only interfere with bringing nutrition to our tissues, but can also inhibit cellular communication and weaken the immune response. This loss of intelligence at the cellular level can cause more serious issues like auto-immune diseases and cancer.
Some telltale signs of ama include any odors in the body (sweat, urine, stool, breath) or a coating on the tongue. It may also present as a feeling of heaviness of fatigue, indigestion, lack of appetite, congestion, and brain fog. Some of the main causes of ama are overeating, eating on the go, excess amounts of raw or cold foods, processed foods, lack of exercise, sleeping or eating before food is digested and unresolved emotions.
Ayurveda works to bring balance to the body by focusing on the specific needs of each individual and determining the root cause of disease, rather than to treat the imbalance symptomatically, which is common with the Western, allopathic model. Working with an Ayurvedic health counselor or practitioner is the best way to determine the strength of your digestion, what gunas, elements or doshas may be out of balance and what dietary and lifestyle factors may be contributing to imbalance or disease.
Ayurvedic therapies include meditation, yoga, exercise, massage, cleansing therapies, and herbal medicine, however the greatest emphasis lies in our dietary and lifestyle practices. Ayurveda allows us to tap into our natural intelligence or true nature and holds the key to resolving dis-ease within the body and living a more harmonious life.
