Ayurveda basics - the basics explained

I first encountered Ayurveda about a year and a half ago through a podcast. Before that, the term honestly meant nothing to me. Ayurveda is generally associated with yoga, meditation, and foreign dishes. But Ayurveda is much more than just a healing method, a diet, or a trend...

What is Ayurveda and where does it come from?

To understand Ayurveda, it is helpful to first understand the meaning of the word. The term comes from ancient Indian Sanskrit and literally means “Knowledge of life” (Ayur = life, Veda = science). The term thus already reflects the great diversity of Ayurveda. According to an ancient definition, the purpose of this science is "to maintain the health of the healthy and to treat the sick."
In this original form, holistic health science exists primarily in India, where it is taught scientifically and is also a part of everyday life. In our Western culture, however, one is most likely to encounter Ayurveda in the wellness sector. Since the scientific teachings do not correspond to the evidence-based medicine that is commonplace here, it unfortunately repeatedly struggles with prejudice.

People who delve deeper into this traditional alternative medicine quickly become aware of its many benefits. Ayurveda combines the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual levels into one holistic system. One is concerned with creating and maintaining a healthy life. I personally find this fundamental approach very interesting, as it contrasts with the Western approach popular here. Here, one doesn't only concern oneself with health when one is ill. Health is, in a sense, the foundation of life, which must be maintained. One wants to achieve permanent, perfect health and utilize the greatest possible physical and mental potential.

Ayurveda originated approximately 5,000 years ago when masters and physicians combined empirical knowledge and philosophy. To this day, Ayurveda remains a highly relevant health science from which each and every one of us can benefit.

What is the dosha theory?

The Ayurveda teachings focus on the five elements Water, air, ether, earth, and fire. All life, all of nature, and thus also humans, are composed of these elements. To apply the theory of elements to the body and mind, Ayurveda combines the elements into three energies, the doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). Within each dosha, two elements with similar properties are active. It is important to emphasize that all three doshas are present in every organism. When the doshas are in balance, we are in harmony and everything runs smoothly. However, the doshas are usually expressed to varying degrees in humans, with one or two of the three energies predominating (more on this later). Let's take a closer look at the three bioenergies:

• Vata (Air, Ether): These two elements are light, mobile, cold, and dry. They combine to form "Vata" energy, which represents the principle of movement and regulates breathing, the nervous system, circulation, and (conscious and unconscious) motor processes in the body. This dosha is often referred to as the king dosha because it is the most influential of the three main energies. Vata manifests itself in sensitivity, flexibility, creativity, lightness, and comprehension.
• Pitta (Fire, Water): The properties of the elements fire and water together form the transformational or fire principle. Pitta therefore plays a particularly important role in our digestion—after all, metabolism is the largest conversion system in our body. Pitta also manifests itself in body heat, charisma, temperament, eyesight, and organizational skills.
• Kapha (Earth, Water): The interaction of earth and water, as a structural principle, ensures the cohesion of things. For example, "Kapha" energy is found in bone structure and tissue structure. It stabilizes the immune system and represents the body's mental and physical strength. Kapha represents not only resilience and stability, but also serenity, patience, and caring.

What does “individual constitution” mean in the Ayurvedic context?

As already mentioned, the three energies are present in every person – but in different proportions. Thus, every person has a very individual constitution of doshas from birth, also Prakriti It represents our individual physical and mental abilities and talents. For example, a petite physique is characterized by Vata, a more pompous one by Kapha, and an athletic, dynamic physique by Pitta.

However, the teachings of Ayurveda do not ignore the fact that each of us is exposed to external influences from birth. Therefore, our physical and mental constitution can certainly change throughout our lives. The current constitution is called "Vikriti”, and can be influenced by trauma or everyday stress.

An important goal of Ayurveda is rediscovering and realizing one's own true nature, Prakriti. When we live in our Prakriti, we feel completely in our element and experience happiness, contentment, and ease. If, on the other hand, we suppress our dominant energy, it builds up and causes disruption. This can lead to both temporary and chronic illnesses.

In addition to the goal of finding one’s own primal energy, Balance of energies plays a major role. Pitta, Kapha, and Vata together form a triad, and no dosha should be allowed to overextend itself in body or mind over the long term. An imbalance of the doshas also leads to illness or discomfort. Too much Kapha can lead to obesity, too much Vata often leads to loss of appetite, and Pitta people are more likely to experience heartburn than those with other predominant energies.
The teachings of Ayurveda are not about neutralizing the three doshas alongside each other. Rather, it is about maintaining one's own natural balance of the three energies and thus expressing one's own nature in a creative way.

If you would like to find out which constitutional type you most closely correspond to, you can take a dosha test here.

How does Ayurveda work and how does Ayurveda work?

Now that we know what Ayurveda is all about, the question arises as to how these theoretical principles are applied and lived in practice. Broadly speaking, there are three important approaches you should be familiar with in connection with Ayurveda:

1. MEDITATION AND YOGA

Mindfulness practices have many positive effects on our health. Yoga, for example, not only increases flexibility but also effectively relieves stress and can help with a wide variety of physical problems. Regular meditation also promotes our health in the long term. It improves our concentration, alleviates stress, strengthens the immune system and heart, combats sleep problems, and can even counteract mental illnesses. If you would like to learn more about the Basics of Meditation If you would like to know more, please feel free to this blog post view.

2. THERAPY APPROACHES

Ayurveda uses massages and cleansing treatments, among other things, to detoxify the body. Ayurveda treatments focus on individualized treatment. The goal is not just to treat current symptoms, but to view and treat the person as a whole, with their energies. Ayurvedic manual therapy and herbal medicine are examples of the consistent use of nature-based healing methods. In addition to treatments, Ayurveda treatments also incorporate yoga, relaxation, and breathing exercises. The whole process is rounded out by Ayurvedic nutrition, which brings me to my third point.

3. AYURVEDIC DIET

Nutrition plays a special role in Ayurvedic teachings. The emphasis is on the correct combination of foods. A diet that is typical for one's dosha is also important for a balanced, contented life. Since nutrition is such an important and at the same time fascinating component of medicine, I would like to delve deeper into it in my next blog post. Click here to read the article about Ayurvedic nutrition.

If you would like to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness, sustainability or family and pregnancy, Check out more exciting blog articles on these topics here.