Ayurveda

What is Ayurveda?



Ayurveda is the system of medicine that originated in India between the 3rd and 2nd millenium B.C.  It predates Traditional Chinese Medicine by thousands of years. Simply translated, Ayurveda means "science of life".  It is system of diagnosis, treatment, daily-routines, prevention and spiritual exploration directed at providing maximal longevity.  As with most ancient concepts, it is articulated far better through proper practice and incorporation in to ones life.  The Vedas are among the oldest bodies of text known to man.  The wisdom within has had 5,000 years to be tested, refined and perfected in daily life.  We share the benefit of all the perfected wisdom in the study of Ayurveda. 

One of the greatest concepts put to work in Ayurveda is that what you see on the outside is an indication of what is going on inside.  This concept is invaluable when dealing with those subclinical ailments that we have learned to live with and that get in the way of true wellness.  The focus of Ayurveda is balance.  Each person is governed by their own unique qualities both physical and metaphysical.  A true understanding of how these energies, or Doshas, intermingle and carry out specialized functions in the body is essential to achieving the state of wellness we are capable of experiencing.  Medicine should be as individualized as our fingerprints.  If you reject this concept, some of the practices and techniques may seem odd; but if you embrace the idea that we are but a drop of water in this ocean of life and energy, you can learn how to move with the current of the universe rather than against it.  Our health fails and we become stressed when we try and fight our true nature. 
The Trinity of Wellness

Three is a very auspicious number.  For the Christians of the world, it represents the Father, Son and holy spirit.  Buddhists call the three bodies of Buddha the Trikaya.  In Hinduism the three main deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; in science, proton, neutron, electron; in Biology, all of life is either Bacteria, Archea or Eucaryota.  The "holy trinity" of Wellness is Mind, Body and Spirit. 

It is from this trinity of wellness that the ancient Indian rishis (seers) developed Ayurveda, Yoga and Tantra.  These three traditions were meant to observe and explain their own aspect of the Wellness Trinity.  Ayurveda focuses on the body while considering how the mind and spirit are affected.  Yoga is for the exploration of the spirit within the body guided by the mind.  Tantra is the study of the mind intertwined between the body and spirit. 

Within the body, there are three humors or energy forces at work called Doshas; Vata, Pitta and Kapha.  Each dosha is a manifestation of a different combination of the five elements.  Vata, the most subtle and mobile, is ether and air.  Pitta is fire and water.  Kapha is water and earth.  The understanding of these three doshas is what enabled such a complex and accurate understanding of the human body before the invention of all the modern technology we use today.  It is very important to have even a basic idea of the actions and characteristics of each dosha because the sickness occurs when they become imbalanced both within us and in our environment.  Get your Dosha analysis to uncover both an explanation for those nagging, chronic conditions you deal with and a means to address the root cause of illness.