AYURVEDA – HOLISTIC HEALING THROUGH AYURVEDIC MEDICINE

Ayurveda is believed to be the oldest healing science there is! Originated in India, in Sanskrit it means ’The Science of Life’ – and what a powerful statement that is. It’s knowledge and insights date back to over 5000years ago and many of the Western natural healing practices such as Homeopathy, have their principles and healing systems rooted in Ayurveda.

Based entirely on using natural herbs and actives, Ayurveda is all about balance in which body, mind and consciousness work together to maintain an ideal balance for the body to function in ultimate harmony. Whatever your constitution or energy type, defined by three so-called ‘doshas’, might be, the idea is to balance them out in order for your body & mind to function like a ‘well-oiled’ engine. Often, dual dosha constitutions can be found in one and the same body, and very rarely, you can even determine tri-dosha constitutions. As a matter of fact, all people hold the qualities of the three doshas, but what’s important is which one is primary and therefore guiding the body the most. Back to the point of balance within the body, Ayurveda is an entirely different approach to healing in comparison to Western allopathic medicine, which focuses on symptomatology and disease, and the organs that might be affected.

Life is based on energy: the human body is one large energy field, even a single thought process is pure energy, and according to Ayurvedic medicine, the entire cosmos is an integral playing field of energies based on five primal elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Energy is also required to create movement so that nutrients and fluids can reach the body’s cells in order for them to function in a healthy way. What causes disease, according to Ayurvedic principles, is the lack of proper cellular function caused by either too much or too little impact by any of the doshas, or so-called life forces. In addition, Ayurveda also looks at the presence of toxins in the body, which in Western medicine doesn’t seem to exist at all. The toxicity of drugs seems to be understood far too little, as many people suffer even more, having their bodies weakened by the compounds of the administered, synthetic drug. The difference with Ayurveda is that is doesn’t focus on disease, but the theory that all life must be supported by energy in balance.

What are doshas?

Doshas are the life energies behind all our bodily functions. They reflect our physical and mental constitution, commanded by specific forces in our bodies, which can therefore ‘define’ certain characteristics and behavioural patterns associated with our personalities. Each human being has its own dominant dosha, or combinations of doshas. Knowing your dosha or dosha-combo ultimately helps you in maintaining great health, improved life quality and therefore a longer lifespan.

Here’s an overview of the three doshas and some of their characteristics, as well as advice of what to do to keep them in balance:

Vata

This dosha is ruled by the energy of movement and provides the all important motion for bodily processes to function, which is absolutely vital for good health. If you’re Vata dominant, you’re super flexible, creative and have a quick mind, grasping situations and concepts as quick as a flash. Always alert, Vata people can also tire easily due to their restless nature, being super active all the time. Often feeling unstable, regular grounding is huge for this dosha to be in balance. Digestive disorders are part of the greater picture, as Vata-dominant people do like astringent, raw foods like salads & raw veg, although they would benefit much more from warm and fully cooked dishes, heating them from the inside. Avoid frozen, cold or raw foods, eat warm foods and spices, keep physically warm and calm, with plenty of rest and a regular routine in order to balance out your Vata energies.

Pitta

This dosha expresses the energy of digestion and metabolism, as Pitta-dominant bodies are rules by fire and heat. With a Pitta-dominant energy, you like your food and drink, have a strong digestive system as well as a strong metabolism. Your mind is razor sharp and your intelligent ideas can often be penetrating and quite a challenge to others.

Pitta people like to be leaders and are good planners too, yet all this fiery heat can cause inflammation. This is reflected in their skin, which often has a pink or reddish tone, speckled with freckles or moles. When Pittas are out of balance they can suffer from liver issues, so a balancing diet needs to be kind to the liver by drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, and eating as organic as possible to avoid toxins settling either in the liver or indeed on a cellular basis. Hence, coffee, black tea, alcohol and smoking are a big no-no, whilst avoiding excess heat, excessive oil & heavy salt intake, as well as exercising during the cooler part of the day will help balancing this dosha.

Kapha

This dosha’s ruling energy is lubrication – sounds strange? Well, a typical Kapha-dominant type is defined by great stamina, endurance and strength. With a loving and sweet disposition, they can be calm and grounded, and quite forgiving too. They may also gain weight easily, due to a slow metabolism…does that ring a bell? Winter is the season when Kapha energies accumulate the most, so a balancing diet and appropriate lifestyle change are the most important then. Kaphas like invigorating dishes, keeping their minds active, whilst they should control their food intake, as too much of a good thing is just not good for them after all. Dairy or greasy foods are also dangerous, whilst sweets and cakes don’t serve a Kapha well either. So, get plenty of exercise, avoid heavy, oily or fried meals, including frozen or iced foods, keeping physically active, eating light and dairy free, then this will sort you out in keeping your Kapha energies balanced.

Balance of Body & Mind, and therefore Soul

Ever had a situation, when you’re feeling out of sorts or a degree under and you go to the GP, who says that there’s actually nothing wrong with you? And yet, YOU KNOW that you’re not doing great, you’ve got no energy and you have no idea why! You think, you’ve done nothing ‘wrong’ to bring on that sensation of ‘feeling unwell’ and because the doc can’t find anything that’s actually is ‘wrong’ with you, he won’t prescribe you medication that you believe could put you right – classic!

Feeling ‘out of balance’ like that could mean the onset of an illness or disease, and because Ayurveda is all about prevention, balancing the principles of the three energies within the body is the first step to help prevent a health issue to escalate further.

Many aspects of our modern day life cause an imbalance in our bodies, whether that’s emotional or physical stress brought on by work, family or relationship issues, bad experiences and their subsequent trauma, poor food and dietary choices, intake of toxic substances and even too much screen time. Imbalance means disorder and balance means (healthy) order.

In Ayurvedic medicine, maintaining a good and harmonious balance means that body, mind & consciousness have to work together. Consciousness or awareness about the imbalance (feeling unwell) is key, so learning about how the three doshas work in conjunction with each other means that you can find a start point for balance to be restored. Don’t forget: all three doshas are present within us, hence enlisting the help of an Ayurvedic professional is vital to determine prevalence and dominance. And with his/her guidance, you should be able to restore your body back to good health the natural way, without the need of synthetic or toxic drugs, which can make things worse. Always consult your physician for approval.

Don’t forget: the body is an amazing thing – it’s own healing powers must not be underestimated, as BALANCE is the key to almost everything in life.