What is Ayurveda?
Simple Definition
![[ ]](blank.gif) Ayurveda is a
holistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. Its aim
is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can
stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health.
There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite
unique:
- Its recommendations will often be different for each
person regarding which foods and which lifestyle they should follow in order
to be completely healthy. This is due to it's use of a constitutional model.
- Everything in Ayurveda is validated by observation,
inquiry, direct examination and knowledge derived from the ancient texts.
- It understands that there are energetic forces that
influence nature and human beings. These forces are called the
Tridoshas.
- Because Ayurveda sees a strong connection between the
mind and the body, a huge amount of information is available regarding this
relationship.
Origin
Ayurveda is an
intricate system of healing that originated in India thousands of years ago. We
can find historical evidence of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as
the Vedas. In the Rig Veda, over 60 preparations were mentioned that could be
used to assist an individual in overcoming various ailments. The Rig Veda was
written over 6,000 years ago, but really Ayurveda has been around even longer
than that. What we see is that Ayurveda is more than just a medical system. It
is a Science of Life. We are all part and parcel of nature. Just as the animals
and plants live in harmony with nature and utilize the Laws of Nature to create
health and balance within their beings, we, too, adhere to these very same
principles. Therefore, it is fair to say that Ayurveda is a system that helps
maintain health in a person by using the inherent principles of nature to bring
the individual back into equilibrium with their true self. In essence Ayurveda
has been in existence since the beginning of time because we have always been
governed by nature's laws.
Meaning
Ayurveda is made
up of two Sanskrit words: Ayu which means life and Veda which
means the knowledge of. To know about life is Ayurveda. However, to fully
comprehend the vast s cope of Ayurveda let us first define "Ayu" or life.
According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" is comprised of four
essential parts. The combination of mind, body, senses and the soul.
Mind, Body, and Sences
We tend to
identify most with our physical bodies; yet, in actuality, there is more to us
then what meets the eye. We can see that underlying our physical structure is
the mind, which not only controls our thought processes but helps assist us in
carrying out day-to-day activities such as respiration, circulation, digestion
and elimination. The mind and the body work in conjunction with one another to
regulate our physiology. In order for the mind to act appropriately to assist
the physical body, we must use our senses as information gatherers. We can think
of the mind as a computer and the senses as the data which gets entered into the
computer. Smell and taste are two important senses th at aid in the digestive
process. When the mind registers that a particular food is entering the
gastrointestinal tract, it directs the body to act accordingly by releasing
various digestive enzymes. However, if we overindulge the taste buds with too
much of a certain taste, such as sweet, we may find that the ability of the mind
to perceive the sweet taste is impaired; and thereby the body becomes challenged
in its ability to process sweet foods. Maintaining the clarity of our senses is
an essential part in allowing the mind and body to integrate their functions and
help in keeping us healthy and happy individuals.
SOUL
Ayurveda also
sees that before we exist in physical form with the help of the mind and senses
that we exist in a more subtle form known as the soul. The ancient seers of
India believed that we were comprised of a certain energetic essence that
precluded the inhabitance of our physical entity. In fact, they hypothesized
that we may indeed occupy many physical bodies throughout the course of time but
that our underlying self or soul remains unchanged. What we see to help
illustrate this concept is what transpires at the time of death. When the
individual nears the time to leave the physical body, many of his/her desires
will cease to be present. As the soul no longer identifies with the body, the
desire to eat food or indulge in a particular activity that used to be a great
source of satisfaction for that person drops by the wayside. In fact, many
individuals have been documented to experience the sensation of being "out of
their bodies."
These are just a few examples of how we are made up of
these four components that we call life.
Principles
Now that we have
a better understanding of what comprises life, let's look at some of the
principles of Ayurveda and how they might affect us.
In Ayurveda we
view a person as a unique individual made up of five primary elements. The
elements are ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. Just as in nature, we
too have these five elements in us. When any of these elements are present in
the environment, they will in turn have an influence on us. The foods we eat and
the weather are just two examples of the presence of these elements. While we
are a composite of these five primary elements, certain elements are seen to
have an ability to combine to create various physiological functions.
Ether and air combine to form what is known in Ayurveda
as the Vata dosha. Vata
governs the principle of movement and therefore can be seen as the force which
directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, and elimination.
Fire and water are the elements that combine to form the
Pitta dosha. The Pitta
dosha is the process of transf ormation or metabolism. The transformation of
foods into nutrients that our bodies can assimilate is an example of a pitta
function. Pitta is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and tissue
systems as well as cellular metabolism.
Finally, it is predominantly the water and earth
elements which combine to form the
Kapha dosha. Kapha is
what is responsible for growth, adding structure unit by unit. Another function
of the Kapha dosha is to offer protection. Cerebral-spinal fluid protects the
brain and spinal column and is a type of Kapha found in the body. Also, the
mucosal lining of the stomach is another example of the Kapha dosha protecting
the tissues.
We are all made up of unique proportions of Vata, Pitta
and Kapha. These ratios of the doshas vary in each individual; and because of
this, Ayurveda sees each person as a special mixture that accounts for our
diversity.
Ayurveda gives
us a model to look at each individual as a unique makeup of the three doshas and
to thereby design treatment protocols that specifically address a persons health
challenges. When any of the doshas ( Vata, Pitta or Kapha ) become accumulated,
Ayurveda will suggest specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist
the individual in reducing the dosha that has become excessive. We may also
suggest certain herbal supplements to hasten the healing process. If toxins in
the body are abundant, then a cleansing process known as
Pancha Karma is recommended to
eliminate these unwanted toxins.
Conclusion
This
understanding that we are all unique individuals enables Ayurveda to address not
only specific health concerns but also offers explanation as to why one person
responds differently than another. We hope that you will continue to explore
Ayurveda to enhance your health and to gain further insights into this miracle
we call life.
NOTE: Nayla Lewis will be
completing her 2 year certification program spring 2005 and will be available
for Ayurvedic Consultations this summer.
| 
House
of YOGA