What is Ayurveda?
Many Ayurvedic practitioners call Ayurveda a science, but if you’re expecting a modern western science, you won’t find it here.
Ayurveda is an ancient craft that is rooted in thousands of years of careful observation and masterful manipulation of the human body and nervous system. It offers an intuitive way of thinking about balance. For those that are curious and willing to experiement a little, it is a powerful tool that is relatively easy to grasp; beneficial in both day-to-day life, and long-term health endeavours.
However, it is important to remeber that Ayurveda was developed without the boon of modern medicine and modern technology. Ayurveda should never be used to replace modern medicine and modern science. And I believe that we should always take both Ayurvedic teachings and popular medicine with a grain of salt. Neither of these systems is complete. The two offer very different perspectives, and serve very different functions. While we can use Ayurveda to make health-supporting decisions, we should also remeber that peer-reviewed scientific research almost always trumps what our social media feeds, AI summaries, and eccentric Ayurveda fanatics have to say.
I’m not an Ayurveda fanatic, and I’m also not a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner.
But I have been learning about Ayurveda independently and conduction my own little anecdotal experiements for a number of years. Personally, I have found Ayurveda revealling, interesting, and incredibly beneficial in helping me achieve both balance and strength.
If you’re interested in learning more but don’t know where to start, let me break down the basics.
Ayurveda views the world and the human being as being comprised of three elements or three Doshas. These three doshas are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Ayurveda seeks to create balance between these three Doshas in order to facilitate health and harmony. Eveyone has a different constitution, characterised by a different combination of doshas. The ayurvedic process requires us to consider both our internal world and our external world.
Vata
Vata is associated with motion. It is light and free.
Vata gives us a quick mind, a physical and mental flexibility, and a creative power. But Vata needs to stay grounded and nourished. In excess, Vata leads to anxiety. Vata is also associated with dryness, twitchiness, aching joints, digestive issues, or general chaos.
Its elements are air and earth.
Pitta
Pitta is associated with energy. It is powerful and fiery.
Pitta gives us a a strong will, a determination, and a good digestive fire and metabolism. But Pitta needs to stay soothed and be reminded to rest. In excess, Pitta leads to stress. Pitta is also associated with high blood pressure, phlegm and mucous, and fiery moods.
Its elements are fire and water.
Kapha
Kapha is associated with our foundational substance and resting place. It is steady and reliable.
Kapha gives us our strength, endurance, and wisdom. But Kapha needs to be kep from stagnating or becoming too heavy. In excess, Kapha leads to depresssion. Kapha is also associated with slugishness, congestion, colds, bloating, and excess weight.
Its elements are earth and water.
Interestingly, the trifecta of anxiety-stress-depression is used in modern clinical psychology and modern medicine to assess, understand, and treat mental health challenges.
Whether you’re sciency or woo-woo it’s always worth noting the parallels between old knowledge and new knowledge. Though the packaging and proof can be very different, it seems that the closer I look, the more parallels I find.
So… what to do with all this information? Just keep it in mind! If you’re facing a challenging situation or a frustrating symptom, ask yourself which of these three doshas could be running amok. These doshas represent intangible qualities, which means different people will have different advice, interpretations, and experiences.
Always remember that you are the expert on your own physical and mental state, and never chase quick-fixes, snake-oil, or rigid doctrine.
Ayurveda should eb a flexible discipline that you can pick up as required, and use to gain a fresh perspective. But stay remain open to other ideas and information, and try not to get bogged down by perfectionism.
To use Ayurveda to its full benefit, you’ll also have to build your powers of observation and interoception. But it’s worth investing in your relationship with yourself.
And plus, you can always go back to basics. Some things are tri-doshic, which means they promote balance between the doshas and balance within the system. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Things like meditation, whole-foods, quality rest, mindful enjoyable movement, and good company will always support balance.
There’s loads more information out there if you want to learn specifics. But skip the AI summaries and try ones of the books or links below. If you want to read a short piece about the things I learned about balancing the doshas during my recent trek in Nepal, click here.
And if you learn something poignant or relatable in your browsing, try it out for yourself and see what happens. You are the master of your own experiment.
