Ayurveda - General Information

There is so much information online you can find on Ayurveda. For the general description, most are accurate. However, for detailed information there can be so many discrepancies. I initially was not going to write about Ayurveda because there is SO much information out there. However, I decided I would. I am writing this post for those interested in what Ayurveda is from me. :) Ideally, someone who is coming for a consult will read through this before coming for an appointment, or perhaps as a reminder afterwards. This is a general basic description of Ayurveda regarding a consultation and the process.

Here we go...

The 5000 year old medicine of Ayurveda is directly connected to nature. We are all part of nature, and so much of our health involves coming back into balance with nature. Everything in our world is made up of the five elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, Earth. They Ayurvedic dosas that you may have heard of are also made up of these elements, and ALL of us have ALL the dosas within us. The meaning of dosa is that which can go out of balance.

• Vata = Air and Ether

• Pitta = Fire and Water

• Kapha = Earth and Water

With an initial consult we discover your Prakruti and Vikruti. Though we each have all the dosas within us, we are born with our unique combination of one or two that stand out the most - this is your Prakruti, your constitution. As we all know, the only constant in life is change, and Ayurveda honors this. Our cells are constantly dying off and rebuilding themselves every second. Nature constantly changes, we change. These changes can lead to imbalances if left unchecked. Your Vikruti is your dosa(s) that is out of balance. Your Vikruti is that which can cause dis-ease or is the representation of your current health challenge/dis-ease.

Why is it important to discover your Prakruti?

• Your Prakruti can give you information on what your body needs to maintain balance, sustain life, and to be more aware of that which can lead to imbalances.

Why is it important to discover your Vikruti?

• We can prevent imbalances from leading to disease. Frequently, when something shows out of balance with lab work, for example, it has been working on getting there for some time. Ayurveda can prevent this. Many modern medicine systems manage the symptom (i.e. giving a medication for high cholesterol) whereas Ayurveda works with the problem - that which caused the high cholesterol in the first place.

• We can heal current health challenges and reverse disease processes.

Ayurveda honors that we are uniquely different and need different things to find balance. Two people with the same Prakruti and same Vikruti doesn't mean they need the same things to find balance. There are so many complex factors involved and we are all unique.

If Ayurveda is a natural health medicine, how does it work? What are the methods used?

• Food

• Water

• Breath

• Sensory perceptions

• Routines: daily, seasonally, etc.

• Spices

• Mind

• Single herbs and herbal formulations

• Panchakarma and other cleansing mechanisms

• Healing oils

The two things Ayurveda involves:

1. An Ayurvedic specialist giving you - the rogi - the tools to create a healthy, flourishing, balanced body and mind.

2. You doing your part to make the necessary changes to create a healthy, flourishing, balanced body and mind.

I have experienced several different medicines both personally and professionally and Ayurveda is definitely at the top of my list. One of the reasons I'm so drawn to Ayurveda is that so much of it is about NOURISHING the body, which is so important!