Kala Balance
Ayurveda 101
Discover Ayurveda - an ancient system that seeks to balance the mind, body, and spirit to promote health. Often referred to as the “sister science” of yoga, Ayurveda is a holistic lifestyle that reconnects individuals to the Earth and its natural cycles. The term Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words "Ayus," which means longevity, and "Veda," which means knowledge or science. In essence, Ayurveda can be translated as the Science of Longevity or Knowledge of Life.
The practice of Ayurveda helps us become more mindful of our daily habits and teaches us how to heal and maintain our quality of life. Ayurvedic practices include eating according to your body type, using food as medicine, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, and daily self-care routines. This knowledge was passed down orally from teacher to student for thousands of years through chants, sutras, and poetic phrases. Ayurveda was first recorded in the Vedas or "books of wisdom" and is considered the oldest written knowledge originating from India.
Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that aims to balance mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. It recognizes that every living being is unique, with individual qualities, emotions, and bodies made up of the elements that need harmony. Ayurveda offers accessible ways to achieve balance through food, exercise, rest, meditation, and lifestyle practices. By adopting these practices, individuals can bring their health back to balance and maintain it over time, ensuring a high quality of life. Individual qual up of elements
The Path to Longevity
According to Ayurveda, health isn’t just determined by physical wellness but by mental, emotional, spiritual & energetic well-being. Health in Sanskrit derives from the word “svastha”, “sva’ meaning one’s own self & “stha” meaning to be situated or existing in. In other translations, “svastha” means to rely on one’s self, which is simply so powerful to think about. Health means to rely on oneself, to exist in one's body & to be content. Ayurveda does just that: it teaches you how to take care of yourself to achieve a state of bliss or health.
In Ayurveda, health is defined as the state in which the body, mind & soul are harmoniously experiencing a feeling of wellness & bliss. Building a path to health & wellness can be extremely simple! First, consider getting enough sleep to allow your mind & body to rest, recover & rejuvenate. Take time out of your day to focus on your breath, assess your feelings (without judgment), eat healthy & nutritious food, drink enough water & exercise. After you begin to implement these things into your daily schedule, you’ll begin to see a major difference in your energy, mood & overall health.
Pillars of Health
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Prioritize rest
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Focus on your breath
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Acknowledge emotions without judgment
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Use food as medicine
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Hydrate
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Add remedies & supplements when needed
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Exercise & move your body
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Seek outside support
Building a Foundation
The key to wellness and healing is the knowledge that health is not a “one size fits all.” Each person is unique & each remedy should acknowledge the individual qualities, the situation, & geography. Each person has a framework that is specific to them, & choices that differ from you on an elemental level can create imbalances. When imbalances are not acknowledged, dis-ease may develop & could lead to further health issues. Symptoms can serve as a wake-up call to make shifts in our lifestyle, behavior & routines to allow us to return to a state of balance & health.
Ayurveda is based on the Pancha Maha Bhutas or the 5 great elements: ether, air, fire, water & earth. The elements are the basic building blocks of the universe, including every plant, animal, person & star. These elements break down into the 3 Doshas or energetic bodies with different gunas or qualities that allow us to recognize our unique mind-body types to learn strengths & weaknesses for each individual & provide a guide to bring the mind & body back to balance. Understanding the elements will allow us to acknowledge the aspects of the universe outside & within our bodies so we can learn to live in harmony with the elements.
Each element has its own characteristics & properties. Ether or space represents emptiness, consciousness & intuition. Air represents movement, expansion & communication. Fire represents energy, passion & transformation. Water represents fluidity, adaptability & change. Lastly, earth represents solidity, stability & grounding.
The 20 Qualities
A doshic imbalance or vikriti can manifest symptoms & give us a feeling of “something is not right” & progress to an illness or even a disease. To prevent this Ayurveda has an easy way to aid you on your journey to finding balance & knowing what to do to get there. Its as simple as doing the opposite as the quality you’re feeling.
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Heavy / Light
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Slow (dull) / Quick (sharp, penetrating)
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Cold / Hot
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Smooth (slimy) / Rough
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Solid (dense) / Liquid
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Soft / Hard
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Stable (static) / Moving (mobile, spreading)
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Subtle / Large (gross, fleshy smell)
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Clear / Cloudy (thick)
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Oily / Dry
Your Mind-Body Type
Each of the 5 great elements can be found in different amounts in every person, which causes different tendencies. Think about how water flows, a mountain that stands tall & sturdy, a desert that is dry, a forest that may catch fire & then the universe full of empty space. Just like the world around us, we all share some of the same qualities, such as being easygoing & flowing like water, being grounded, having dry humor, coming off as intense & even being a little spacey.
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Everyone has a unique mind-body constitution comprised of the 5 great elements that reveal strengths & weaknesses that are set at birth, called a prakruti. Prakruti means nature & is created from the balance of elements within the body generated by heredity, genetics, where you were conceived, the alignment of the planets at the time of your birth, karma & your past lives. Prakruti cannot be changed throughout your life, each individual has a primary & secondary dosha & rarely some people have an equal balance of all three Doshas.
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The state of your present health is referred to as vikruti which means distorted. Vikruti is caused by childhood, lifestyle, environment, the food we eat, & how we deal with emotions. It’s natural to get out of balance, the goal is to get back to our Prakriti. Remember, health is not about being perfect its the ability to face what is, moment to moment & make changes accordingly.
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According to Ayurveda, there are 3 primary energetic life forces in the body created from the elements called Doshas; Vata, Pitta & Kapha. Dosha means “that which has a fault” or “that which can cause problems”, which confirms that we are not meant to be perfect but rather be conscious. Every day we must be conscious of how we feel physically & mentally in order to make adjustments to bring ourselves back to a state of balance. The Doshas show up in characteristics, physical attributes, habits, emotional patterns & even the way you digest. Your Dosha is also referred to as your prakruti which is assigned at birth. Everyone has every element within the body, but some are more dominant than others. Knowing which elements are more dominant will allow you to recognize your specific needs, what causes you to feel unbalanced & how to bring yourself back to balance with remedies.
The 3 Doshas
Vata
Air / Ether
Vata represents the energy of movement and is associated with the elements of air & ether. Vata is linked to creativity and flexibility; it rules movement & communication in the body; the breath, the heart, muscle contractions, & communication throughout the mind and the nervous system.
Pitta
Fire / Water
Pitta represents the energy of transformation & is associated with the elements of fire & water. Pitta is linked to intelligence & passion; it rules the digestion of foods, thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Kapha
Water / Earth
Kapha represents structure & is associated with the elements of earth & water. Kapha is the energies of love & compassion. This dosha provides structure in the body; with the skeletal system & hydrates all cells, lubricates the joints, moisturizes the skin & maintains immunity.
