One essential foundation of adopting the Consciousness Lifestyle is Ayurveda. The first step to this process is to explain the ‘what.’
What is Ayurveda?
The literal meaning behind the word Ayurveda is in the Sanskrit translation. The rough translation many prefer to use is the “science of life.” This science is one of the world’s most ancient forms of medicine (approx 5,000 years old) and is still actively practiced to this day, without much variance from its original teachings. The symbolic aspects of Ayurveda are where we stand to benefit the most.
Ayurveda comes from the Vedic culture of India. It is believed to have come initially directly from the Absolute Truth, The Source, The Universe, God, Allah, Yahweh, Brahma, (whatever title you would like to use), and it was passed down from Diety to Guru to Khal for centuries. It has withstood the test of time, including British Colonialism. Despite every attempt by British rule to destroy Ayurveda (by unconscious misunderstanding and fear), it survived. And, in recent years, it has started gaining popularity & momentum in the Western world, for a good reason.
Ayurveda does not have any intention of replacing modern medicine. It is best suited to complement current medical practices. One substantial weakness of contemporary medicine is in the chronic care department. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, all have long-term impacts that modern medicine has yet to establish productively.
Western medicine is best suited for acute care conditions — heart attack, stroke, broken bones, etc. If I get into a car accident, please take me to a Western Hospital!
Ayurveda is meant to establish long term doctor-patient relationships that cultivate better trust and longevity with patient care. Something that we used to have several generations before us, but currently lack in our medical insurance run ‘healthcare’ system.
The most significant part about Ayurveda is that once the basic principles are understood, everyone can easily apply them to everyday living to prevent needing medical care.
Have you ever heard the expression “give a [human] and fish and they eat for a day, teach a [human] how to fish, and they eat for a lifetime”? This expression rings true with Ayurvedic principles.
Here is a very simplified rundown and a couple of examples of Ayurveda:
Ayurvedic theory bases its principles on the 5 Great Elements: Space (ether), Air, Fire, Water, Earth. These elements have particular qualities that we feel throughout the mind-body. For example, space is cold, empty, light, and spreads quickly. The space element resides in many parts of the body. This element predominant in any orifice because this what takes up the emptiness of the openings.
Each element rules each of the five senses. Space represents hearing, Air represents touch, Fire represents sight, Water represents taste, and Earth represents smell. The ‘why’ question is a conversation for another day since there is a lot of depth here.
From the five elements comes the 3 Doshas: Vata, Pitta, Kapha. The Doshas are a balance of all five of the elements. Since water makes up most of our bodies (and our planet), it shows up twice in the Doshas.
Vata = Space + Air
Pitta = Fire + Water
Kapha = Earth + Water
Every person, place, or thing in the Universe has a balance of these elements (and subsequently the Doshas). Each Dosha represents a balance of qualities provided by the elements they represent.
Dosha examples:
Since Vata's comprised of Space & Air, its qualities are: Dry, light, cold, rough, minute, and moving. Vata is responsible for a majority of our chronic ailments. Anything that feels like pain is Vata. Respiration is Vata. Vata Dosha imbalances cause hyper or hypo fluctuations of organs, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Over-active Vata causes Anxiety, fear, and stress-related issues.
Pitta is fire and Water. Pitta’s qualities are sharp, hot, slightly oily, transformational, spreading in nature, and cause movement. Pitta Dosha is in charge of digestion since the digestive fire (Agni) is also hot, sharp, and transformative. Our immunity lives in our gut, so when Pitta is imbalanced, it causes a ton of issues. People who are aggressive, quick to anger, or have excessive desires are said to be suffering from too much Pitta Dosha in the mind-body.
Kapha is Earth and Water. Kapha is slow, cold, viscous, slimy, and sturdy. Kapha is in charge of mucus production and comprises the firm materials in our mind-bodies. When we have excessive mucus issues, we are suffering from an excessive Kapha imbalance. When we are dealing with deep depression, we are going through extreme amounts of Kapha in the mind-body.
These are all very vague representations. There is far much more to learn about the Doshas (and Ayurveda as a whole), which I will share during subsequent posts.
Our food (literally very single bite we eat) also has a balance of these elements. Different types of foods can either help the mind-body balance or upset it. It all depends on the individual. This delicate balance of elements within our food is the reason why every kind of diet affects each person differently. And it is also the reason why we can NOT all benefit from eating precisely the same. In a perfect world, we might, but we are all suffering from various imbalance issues, and for us to all benefit from eating the same would mean that we would all have to be living a balanced life.
Each person has all three Doshas, in varying degrees.
Some people seem to be pure Vata (but are just Vata predominant). These are what we in the fitness industry, refer to as Ectomorphs. Usually thin, typically with hyper-mobile joints. Flighty, spacey, unpredictable, and always in a hurry. They seem to be able to eat just about anything and not gain a pound (at least when they are younger). Gaining weight is a problem they struggle with most of their lives. They can not survive a low carbohydrate diet since their bodies naturally don’t store extra fat reserves.
Vata predominant people are the polar opposite of the Kapha predominant people. The Endomorph. The Kapha metabolism is notoriously slow-moving, which means the mind moves a bit more on the ‘slower’ side. I do not refer to Kapha predominant people ‘slow’ as a negative thing. Quite the contrary. Slowing down is a positive thing. Slow and steady is what wins the race. Kapha predominant people have the most durable bodies and the longest memories but tend to suffer from excessive weight gain.
Pitta predominant people are the in between-ers. They can gain or lose quickly. They usually have athletic built bodies and tend to have highly competitive mindsets. The fitness industry refers to these body types as the Mesomorphs. These types of people are known for their sharp minds and sharp tongues. Their hot metabolism suffers from a slew of issues that range from diarrhea to acne, to anger.
Again, all three Dosha’s live in all of us in varying degrees, and these degrees evolve as we age. From the mental to physical, and beyond. The Doshas represent different times of day, the seasons, and the stages of the life cycle. I intend to dive deeper into this in later posts. For now, what we need to begin to understand about Ayurveda is the massive benefits our society could see by openly studying this ancient science.
We live in a world of fantastic technology and instant information. The intention of writing this article is to open the door. For those who are interested in learning more about themselves, Ayurveda is for you. It is highly encouraged that we take a slightly selfish stance on studying Ayurveda in the beginning.
It’s important to look at this concept as a science experiment. Let's look at Ayurveda through the lens of an independent, peer-reviewed, blind study. A Self-study if you will. Do lots of research come up with some theories. Test these theories out on yourself (yes, I am encouraging you to be more like Bruce Banner 😅). Be a neutral observer of the outcomes. Fail or succeed without beating yourself up. Learn from your failures and grow from your successes. Come up with your conclusions before taking anything to heart.
Ayurveda has the potential to save not only our lives but the entire planet in the long-term. It is our missing link in the health and wellness industry.
Ayurveda is the answer to getting us back in touch with ourselves. To help get us back in touch with nature again. Combine Yoga and Ayurveda, and you have a veritable powerhouse of health and wellness. The potential impacts of these two Sister Sciences have profound implications.
We NEED to start taking the ancient sciences seriously. We also need to stop referring to them as “alternative” medicine.
In the U.S., most insurance companies won't cover Ayurvedic medical care, because they have yet to see the value in it. They fear what they do not understand. Same with doctors and patients.
What I mean by not calling it ‘alternative’ medicine:
I’ll use the U.S. as an example. The U.S. was founded in 1776, which means that our great nation is not even 300 years old. The culture of American society is in its infancy. And so are our medical practices. We are the new hotness, yes, but we still have a long way to go when it comes to medical care.
Ayurveda dates back to roughly 5000 years. And we can thank Ayurveda for modern surgical practices since Vedic Doctors invented the most common surgical procedures. Which means it has wisdom liken to our grandparents. When we take the place of superiority and say that ‘we’ (the young bucks of medicine) know more than ‘they’ (the wise elders), we are living by our Ego.
To the rest of the world, modern medicine is the alternative, not the other way around. Yes, modern medicine is new and fresh but has a long way to go. Let’s start by keeping an open mind the possibility that if we modernize ancient practices, we might stand a chance of surviving our Ego’s.
The ayurvedic practice is effortless for anyone to understand once the knowledge is shared. Many places are now offering Ayurvedic wellness training that doesn’t require to become an actual care provider. Many doctors would benefit from adopting Ayurvedic practices in their clinics to help patients understand what is going on within themselves.
Patients today don’t understand modern medical jargon since it goes so far beyond laymen's terms. The disconnect between doctors and patients is not a conscious choice. We have lost the ability to speak with one another to connect on a deeper level because of our language.
Ayurveda is straight forward and far less complicated than modern biology. It has simplified terms that people can grasp intuitively. It could also help doctors with seeing their patients in a holistic way, instead of fragmenting them by their symptoms.
Ayurveda is not a Band-aid fix. It takes lots of work in the beginning, but it looks at people as a whole instead of seeing people as a problem that needs to be ‘fixed.’ To look at patients as one being instead of narrow pieces is why Ayurveda is called Holistic medicine.
If more and more people begin adopting Ayurvedic principles into their daily care, there would be less time, money, and resources wasted on unnecessary treatments. There would be less money in the pharmaceutical industry’s pockets and more money in the people’s pockets.
Preventive medicine is the future of humanity. It can and will help us to evolve into our highest selves. Ayurveda is not just for Yoga teachers and doctors. It is for the everyday person who would like to take their health into their own hands. It is for the person who is struggling to get back in touch with the mind-body they once had when they were closer to nature.
Want to feel like a kid again? Ayurveda is for you!