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Ayurveda is a holistic medicine system originating from ancient India perhaps ever since mankind was known to be in existence. However, the principles are so profound that they still hold to date. The literal translation of Ayurveda in Sanskrit means the science of Life

 

Ayu + Veda= Ayurveda

Ayu means Life

Veda is a science or knowledge

 

So, this is much more than medical science. It is a way of living. Ayurveda originated in India along with Yoga, so it is often referred to as the older sister science of Yoga.

 

The beauty of this modality is that it can still be practiced today no matter where you live. You do not have to be in India to follow these principles. You can adopt an Ayurvedic lifestyle even if you are in Japan, New Zealand, or the USA. And NO! you do not need to eat Indian food for this. By the way, Indian food is not all Ayurvedic food😊 

 

You can cook any cuisine with the Ayurvedic principles Even though Ayurveda is so ancient, science is still relevant in today’s world and we can easily adapt to its principles. 

 

Ayurveda can be used in two ways

One: To maintain one’s health (Swashta). Preventive healthcare has a huge emphasis in Ayurveda

Two: To heal one from a disease (Aathura). Unlike Western medicine, Ayurveda looks at the root cause rather than a symptomatic treatment.

 

Ayurveda believes that each of us is unique and we have individual bioenergy in us called Dosha. The three doshas are

 

Vata Dosha

Pitta Dosha

Kapha Dosha

 

Prakruti is the combination of the doshas that a person is born with. It remains constant for the person’s life and is influenced by the doshas of their parents, including the mental and physical states of the parents at the time of conception, and the diet and lifestyle of their mother throughout the pregnancy. It is like a DNA imprint that cannot be changed.

 

The doshas that are dominant at birth determine physical characteristics, personality, and any tendencies that may result in specific types of illnesses. Ayurveda aims to keep the prakruti in balance with the original ‘set point’ at birth.

 

Vikruti is the result of our prakruti falling out of balance. Improper diet, lifestyle, stress levels, the seasons, and other environmental factors can cause imbalance. The imbalance may present with the characteristics of a dosha that is different from your original prakruti. For example, you may be Kapha Prakruti but have a condition of dry skin which would be vata vikruti.

By knowing our prakruti and our vikruti, we can treat the cause of the illness or condition, as well as maintain balance with our original mind-body constitution. We can better understand why we have certain personality traits, emotional tendencies, likes and dislikes, and why we are susceptible to certain illnesses. This knowledge enables us to take practical steps to design a diet and lifestyle in harmony with our environment.

 

Ayurveda teaches us how to live synergistically with the environment around us. That means we have to allow ourselves to tune in with the season, time of the day, the climate, etc. To understand Ayurveda, we must remind ourselves continually of the adage, ‘as in the macrocosm, so in the microcosm’.In Sanskrit, we call this -

‘Yat Pinde, tat Brahmande’. It cycles from the macrocosm to the microcosm, stating,’ as in the world out there, so in the body in here’. 

 

Let us start with the creations in the universe. The entire cosmos has five major elements or energies. These are-

 

Ether ~ Akaash

Air ~ Vaayu

Fire ~ Agni

Water ~ Jal or Aap

Earth ~ Prithvi

 

Each of us is a microcosm of this microcosmos. So, these elements are also present in us in various forms and locations. However, we may have one more two of these elements dominating the other elements. 

 

       Vata = Ether+Air

       Pitta = Fire+Water

       Kapha= Water+Earth

 

These compositions explain how each of these doshas is functionally and physically different from each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 ‘Vata’ governs your creativity, movement, and the flow of energy. Since Vata dosha is a combination of space and air, these characteristics demand dryness in Vata and a spacey mind. Vata people are constant thinkers and often keep changing their thoughts and actions, because of the wind quality in them, they keep switching from one activity to another and cannot sit still or think straight. That makes them lack focus and attention. However, these people have the most creative capabilities in them.

 

Physical Characteristics of Vata:

 

Skinny

Petite

Dry skin

Thin frizzy hair

Brittle nails

Cold to touch

Sensitive to cold

Dry eyes

Pale skin

Crooked teeth

Narrow jawline

Petite features

 

 

Mental and emotional characteristics of Vata:

 

Talkative

Creative

Friendly

Deep thinkers

Multitaskers

Dreams of falling from a height or left in an alone empty place

Anxious

Worried

Indecisive

Flexible

 

Best Professions for Vata:

 

Performing arts

Creative arts

Hosts of talk shows

Musicians

Teachers

Marketing

Event management

Actors

Scientists

Inventors

 

 Where is Vata present?

Its primary location is the colon. Vata is located any of the open cavities of, the body—such as 

the spaces in between bones and joints, particularly in the lower back, ear, pelvic area, and hips.

 

 Vata is responsible for

Breathing

 circulation of tissues

 thinking

 movements

 elimination of wastes

 

 

 When Vata goes out of balance

Dryness of the skin

Insomnia

Constipation

Anxiety and worry

Nervousness

 

 

 

‘Pitta’ is responsible for digestion and transformation. Since pitta is composed of Fire and water, these people have a lot of heat and oil in them. This heat can be manifested as anger or excessive heat in their body. They are determined, organized, and shrewd thinkers. They are intellectual and highly passionate. The fire in them drives them to be ambitious

 

Physical Characteristics of Pitta Dosha people

 

They are moderate build

Muscular build

Physically fit

Oily skin

Oily hair. The heat and excessive oil starts premature hair loss or hair greying

Hot to touch

They sweat a lot

They are great speakers and leaders

 

Mental and emotional characteristics:

Thoughtful and Firm

Intellectual

Angry

Feisty

Jealous

Judgmental

Straightforward

Dreams about war, violence, Blood, Killing someone

 

 

 

Best Careers:

Corporate Leaders

Spiritual leaders

Politicians

Lawyers

Sales

Mathematicians/Scientists

Fitness trainers

 

Where is Pitta located?

Its primary location is the small intestine.

 Pitta is also located in the liver, spleen, eyes, skin, blood, heart, brain, etc.

 

What is Pitta responsible for?

Pitta is the transformative force responsible for all biochemical reactions in the body. 

It produces digestion, 

metabolism, 

courage,

 clarity, 

glow,

 complexion, 

Lusture,

 intellect and vision.

 

When Pitta goes out of balance

Anger

Irritability

Skin irritation and rash

Indigestion and heartburn

High blood pressure and other circulatory problems

Hot flushes

 

Kapha is responsible for structure, stability, and helps the lubrication throughout your body. Kapha dosha is dominant with Water and earth. While water is nourishing, earth adds bulk and stability. Kapha people tend to be on the obese side of the scale. The water and earth form mucous, so these people can have excessive congestion and upper respiratory disorders

 

Physical Characteristics of Kapha dosha people

 

Soft, beautifully smooth skin

Cool and Moist

Bulky

Thick, oily, curly hair

Big eyes

Wetness and mucousy

Pleasant features

 

Mental and emotional characteristics

 

Caring

Loving

Great Listeners

Lethargic

Procrastinators

Sleepy most of the time

Sedentary

Greedy

 

 

 

Good careers for Kapha:

 

Doctors

 Nurses

Counselors

Teachers

Caretakers

They thrive well with monotonous jobs with very less physical exertion something like a desk job

 

Where is Kapha located?

Its primary location is the lungs.

It is also located in the upper part of the body- head, nose, throat, chest, fatty tissues, ligaments, tendons, etc.

 

What is Kapha responsible for?

Kapha is responsible for 

Stability

 structure,

growth,

protection, 

endurance, 

calmness and cohesion,

 memory, 

learning capacity, 

and promotes the qualities of love and calmness.

When Kapha goes out of balance

Overweight

Sluggishness

Slow digestion

Oily skin

Sinus congestion and colds

Chesty cough

Allergies and hay fever

Cysts and other growths

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