AYURVEDA FOR SELF- HEALING
Ayurveda is a way of life, a way of cooperating with Nature and living in harmony with Her.
— Dr. Robert Svoboda
WHAT IS AYURVEDA?
Ayurveda is the traditional healing system from India that views each person as an individual, with a unique mind-body constitution and set of life circumstances.
It is believed to be a mother of medicine and the oldest medical system, but it is more than just medicine, it embraces philosophy, psychology, spiritual understanding as well astrology.
Although it is very old it is still up to date and current science proves what Ayurveda said 5000 years ago about gut & brain connection or the importance of the circadian rhythm to maintain vitality and longevity.
The ultimate goal of Ayurveda is to maintain a healthy person's health, prevent disease, and treat imbalances and diseases.
What I love about Ayurveda is that it looks at the person as a whole and it treats the root cause of any imbalance rather than symptoms. It deals with the person, not with a disease.
When it comes to healing with Ayurveda the toolbox is big, it includes lifestyle guidance, nutrition advice, herbal medicine, manual therapies & treatments, spiritual practices, home detoxes & panchakarma.
Ayurveda empowers you to take responsibility for your own health by tuning into your body and responding to any physical or mental imbalances in a healthy manner. It guides you back to yourself by helping you on the journey of understanding and accepting yourself, provides tools for self - care and helps you to discover, live and fulfill your dharma (life purpose).
YOU ARE UNIQUE - Ayurvedic concept of 5 elements and dosha
The understanding of Ayurveda starts with the concept of 5 elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth) and dosha (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).
In Ayurveda we see the whole universe through 5 elements and human beings are also made up of those 5 elements. Of course, we don’t take it literally but rather as a metaphor.
Those elements work in couples and create doshas, 3 energies, biopsychological forces that help us understand all functions in the body and in the external world.
For example Vata dosha represents movement principle in the body and it controls breath, nervous system and all the movements in the body. It brings creativity, inspiration, imagination when imbalanced it brings emotions like fear, anxiety, feeling restless and it makes us lose focus. The same energy manifests in our body and mind through physical and mental attributes.
Learn about yourself through the lens of Ayurveda
Knowing your dosha (body & mind constitution) is the first step when applying Ayurveda in your life.
We generally have a predominance of one or two doshas and it is important to find out which dosha is yours to choose appropriate treatments and lifestyle advice.
Let me give you an example: meet Kathy, she is a Vata – predominant person which means that she has many Vata-like features, and her dominant elements are ether and air. She is very tall with a narrow frame; very slim, you can barely see any muscles on her. She finds it difficult to put on weight and her appetite is irregular. Sometimes she follows the routine but so often she forgets about meals or drinking enough water. She loves snacking though, especially when she feels stressed, she goes for salty and crispy snacks. She has an irregular bowel movement, suffers from cramping pain and her skin is very dry. She works as a graphic designer and has lots of ideas, very creative and get along with everyone, she loves being with other people and has always something to say. She is quick with everything, always multitasking but it makes her tired physically and mentally quickly. When out of balance has the tendency to worry and mood swings but when she feels balanced, she is enthusiastic, intuitive and inspire others.
So those are just a few attributes of Vata dosha that manifest in the body and mind and other doshas Pitta and Kapha have their own characteristics. Note that even though the described person is a Vata predominant individual she has also some visible features of Pitta and Kapha dosha(not mentioned though to avoid confusion).
We need all doshas to live and be well but what makes us different from each other is the proportions of each dosha that manifest in our body in mind. Having it assessed by an Ayurvedic practitioner helps to choose an appropriate diet, lifestyle, herbs and other elements of Ayurvedic treatment in case of imbalances.
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