Ayurveda, translated as “the science of life,” originated in India and dates back five to ten thousand years. It is one of the oldest holistic medicine systems in the world. It is still practiced throughout India and Nepal in hospitals, clinics and villages both on it’s own and along side western (allopathic) medicine.

Ayurveda utilizes diet, lifestyle, daily routine, herbs, bodywork and cleansing techniques to bring and maintain health physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It defines health as being established in one’s self, having optimal functioning of body, mind, spirit and having a sense of joy and bliss.

All things are composed of the five Elements

Ayurveda states that all things are composed of the five great elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. These elements exist everywhere in nature and also create the nature of who we are. We are merely reflections of our universal surroundings. It is these five elements that are the agents of DNA that form the blueprint of our physiology.

The 5 elements in the body

Space is emptiness. It manifests as the spaces and hollow cavities in the body, such as space between joints, cells and organs, intestinal space, porous spaces in the bones, and hollow sacs or tubes.
Air creates movement. It creates the pulsations of the heart, the respiration of the lungs, cellular movement, sensory stimuli and motor responses of the nervous system.
Fire transforms and digests substance and experience. It functions in the digestive system as enzymes and metabolic processes, and in the brain where it manifests as intelligence.
Water nourishes. It manifests as all bodily fluids including blood, lymph, saliva, cerebro-spinal fluid, intra-cellular fluid and synovial fluid.
Earth supports. It expresses as the densest structures in the body – bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

The doshas

The five elements come together in different ratios to form three bodily humors called “doshas.” The doshas reflect various physical traits and psychological tendencies that create our individual constitutions at the time of conception. These three doshas are known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Vata (air & space)

The qualities of Vata are dry, light, cool, rough, subtle and mobile

(Tatra ruksho laghu sheetah, khara sukshma chalo nilah)

-Ashtanga Hrdayam 1:11

Vata governs all movement. It is considered to be the most important of the three doshas as it can push the others out of balance with it’s mobile quality. Healthy Vata is energetic, creative and flexible. Vata is associated with astringent tastes. Unbalanced Vata is disorganized and spacey; symptoms can include anxiety, indecision, fear, dryness (skin, mouth, hair & nails), cold extremities, constipation and cracking joints.

Foods to avoid:
Astringent, bitter and cold foods, fermented foods, pickled foods and vinegar, dry and raw foods.

Restore balance to Vata with:
Sweet, oily and warming foods. Daily warm sesame oil self-massage. Ashwaganda, ginger & tulsi teas. Ghee and essential fatty acids. Essential oils of Jatamansi  and Palmarosa.

Pitta (fire & water)

Pitta is oily, sharp, hot, light, fleshy-smelling, spreading and liquid

(Pittam sasneha tikshnoshnam laghu visram, saram dravam)

-Ashtanga Hrdayam 1:11

Pitta governs digestion and assimilation. A healthy Pitta person is dedicated, goal oriented and intellectual. Pitta rules pungent, sour and bitter tastes. Unbalanced Pitta creates symptoms including irritation, anger, excess heat/sweating, inflamed skin (rashes & acne), loose stool and headache.

Foods to avoid:
Chilies, raw onions and garlic, fried foods, excessively spicy foods and foods in the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant).

Restore balance to Pitta with:
Sweet, bitter, astringent and cooling foods. Aloe vera juice, pomegranate juice, dandelion greens and root, chamomile, peppermint, lemongrass and rose teas. Essential oils of Sandalwood, Vetivert and Lavender.

Kapha (water & earth)

Kapha is unctuous, cool, heavy, slow, smooth, soft and static

(Snigdhah shita gururmandah slakshno mritsnah sthirah Kaphah)

-Ashtanga Hrdayam 1:12

Kapha is responsible for nourishment. Healthy Kapha is steady, balanced, motherly and humanitarian. Kapha rules sweet and salty tastes. Unbalanced Kapha creates mucous and expels through expectoration and urination; symptoms include lethargy, attachment, dullness, depression and congestion. The skin may be soft, thick and cool to the touch.

Foods to avoid:
Dairy products, cold/wet foods such as watermelon, foods containing sugars and salt. Mucousy foods such as bananas and oatmeal and heavy foods such as bread (processed carbohydrates) and soy.

Restore balance to Kapha with:
Bitter, astringent, pungent and heating foods. Ginger/Cardamom teas, castor oil packs and essential oils of birch, marjoram, grapefruit and rosemary. Movement builders such as dry brushing are also helpful.

AYURVEDIC CONSULTATIONS & BODYWORK SERVICES

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