Category Archives: What is Ayurveda

What is Ayurveda

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Ayurvedic Body Types: Determining The Real ‘YOU’

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Ayurveda is an interesting science of life guiding us to learn more about ourselves. It throws light into our unique system and aids us in exploring who we are, what suits us the best and how to live a holistic and comprehensive life?

Ayurveda trusts that the entire Universe inclusive of the human body is made up of 5 predominant elements known as Devanagari, popularly known as ‘Panch Booth’, where Panch indicates 5 and Booth stands for the chief elements of the universe namely:

  1. Water called as Jala
  2. Earth called as Prthvi
  3. Air known as Vayu
  4. Sky called as Akasa
  5. Fire known as Agni

According to Ayurveda the human body constitutes of 7 primary elements known as ‘Saptadhatu’ and they are:

  1. Rasa dhatu defines Plasma or Chyle
  2. Rakta dhatu indicates Blood
  3. Mamsa dhatu means Flesh
  4. Medha dhatu stands for Fat
  5. Asthi dhatu means Bone
  6. Majja dhatu stands for Marrow
  7. Sukra dhatu denotes female reproductive tissue or semen

Based upon these elements and its constituents, human body is classified and expressed as the equilibrium of 3 fundamental energies (Dosha) also known as humors or principles of mind and body. Ayurveda uses the 5 primary elements of the Universe to define human body types as a combination of these five elements namely air, water, fire, ether and earth in different proportions within the humors. The Ayurvedic science says that every individual is made up of a unique combination of 3 body and mind principles, creating our explicit physical and mental personality. The 3 major Doshas are:

Vata Dosha: Vata Dosha is a representative of wind and is a combination of air and space (ether) where air dominates. It can be called as the controlling authority of the power vested with our body and it directs the other two doshas. This humor regulates the circulation, function of the nervous system, and the movements of our body along with emotional and bodily development.

Predominant characteristics: When an individual has a chief composition of Vata, he/she will look lean, act faster and stay flexible while being creative, conversational, visionary, artistic and fervent with full of energy. Imbalance of this energy can cause loss of memory, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, fear, dry skin, bloating and few other digestive disorders like indigestion, intestinal gas and constipation.

Pitta Dosha: Pitta Dosha is a blend of fire and water and it signifies bile. With fire being the superior element, Pitta is responsible for all kinds of corporeal actions concerning heat like digestion, creation of energy with the help of hormones and takes care of metabolism, body temperature and absorption.

Predominant characteristics: A proper balance of Pitta upholds intelligence, confidence, competitiveness, glowing complexion and leadership capabilities with a sizzling temper. Pitta disparity can cause jealously, anger, annoyance, disgust and other bodily problems like ulcer, high blood pressure, skin irritation, heartburn and soreness.

Kapha Dosha: With water as the overriding element, Kapha or phlegm is an arrangement of water and earth responsible for connecting bones, tissues, muscles and tendons. It is wholly in charge for the structure of the body by supplying fluid strength to all parts of the body while maintaining consistency, stability, solidity, skin health and proper lubrication of joints.

Predominant characteristics: Kapha balance aids in exhibiting tranquil, trustworthy, lovable and compassionate personalities, generally with hefty body structure. The unevenness of this type will lead to obesity, congestion, lethargic attitude and slow digestion.

Ayurvedic discipline states that the human body is said to be healthy when it strikes a balance between these 3 energy elements and when there is discrepancy, the body tends to become unwholesome and turns detrimental.

Reference Links:

  1. Ayurveda by Wikipedia
  2. Ayurvedic Body Type: Find Your Dosha by The Dr.OZ Show
  3. Ayurvedic Principles For Mind-Body Balance by Ayurvedic Talk

Ayurveda And The Importance Of Meditation

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Ayurveda, the mother of all healing sciences is a combination of holistic principles that stays intact with nature. One unique principle of Ayurveda that makes it matchless is its impressive healing methodology that is a perfect blend of natural Ayurvedic medications & mind healing skills of mental disciplines like Yoga and Meditation. This ancient natural curator that deliberates on the mind, body, spirit rapport, recognizes meditation as a balancing aid for the mind, which acts as a super natural spirit governing the human soul.

Meditation – The Master of Mind: ‘Inhale!!!…………Exhale!!!………’ are the key words of a popular mind soothing process known as Meditation, which aims at mental wellness by making the human mind inhale its authentic purpose of life & exhale the toxin that torments the psyche. It is a spiritual practice that demands the internal effort of the individual to self-regulate the mind and train it in a fruitful way. Meditation encompasses a wide range of techniques with infinite number of goals, the prime one being self-realization. A serene place free from disturbances and a standard time that suits you best is always opted for meditation, which should be performed on a daily basis for excellent results. A rhythmic breathing pattern is then followed which relaxes your mind & body thus helping you to develop your deep mental insight.

Ayurveda and Meditation: The prime philosophy of Ayurveda lies in maintaining a healthy relationship between the mind, body & spirit without reaching extremes in any cases thus connecting with the spiritual part of oneself. A healthy mind leads to a healthy body. That is why medical practitioners always recommend their patients to develop a positive attitude towards any type of treatment before commencing it. One who is mentally fit is certainly physically fit! One who develops a positive state of mind in the course of suffering from an ailment is half cured!!! Having this as the basis of all healing procedures, Ayurveda suggests Meditation for its immeasurable positive effects on human wellness which are listed below.

  • Meditation and Longevity: Ayurveda portrays longevity as increase in life expectancy with a sturdy ‘mind, body and spirit’ balance so that one enjoys permanent peace & happiness till the end of life. According to the study of NCCAM (National center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine), Meditation is practiced by people for various health issues ranging from anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, high blood pressure & even to deal with the physical or emotional symptoms associated with deadly diseases like Cancer, HIV/AIDS etc. Meditation serves its intention of mentoring the mind, thus freeing it from all worldly worries and to attain the sole purpose of a long life.
  • Meditation and Mental Wellness: ‘Face is the index of mind’ is a well known adage. According to Ayurveda ‘Body is the index of mind’. Even a physically fit person can soon fall prey for diseases if his mind is deemed with worries!!! Meditation plays a main role in strengthening one’s mind by greatly reducing mental stress, anxiety, fear, depression and by inducing positive thoughts, self esteem, self control and empathy. It deeply relaxes the mind & the body by developing positive energy due to the changes in the brain wave patterns.
  • Meditation and Self-Realization: Meditation helps an individual to lead a disciplined life focusing on Self-realization, which is one of the greatest treasures to be acquired by every human being and is often difficult to pursue. Once an individual starts to realize who he/she really is and become conscious of one’s own purpose of life, self correction comes into effect and one can certainly feel heaven on earth!!! In addition to focusing on curing the ailments and preventing them, the individualized healing approach of Ayurveda helps an individual to lead a systematic, well-disciplined and self-realized life on par with nature with the help of a powerful tool called Meditation.
  • Meditation and You! : In this mechanical world it becomes very difficult for you to spend time for yourself! Strange but true!!! The time that you spend on meditation gives you the self-satisfaction of spending some quality time for YOU that helps you to lead an energetic life full of spirit, to meet the upcoming world of challenges. Meditation grants you power from within to lead a meaningful life full of values.

Meditation is a self trainer that trains your mind to lead a serene life. Meditation can be made more effective with the usage of few drops of aromatic Ayurvedic essential oils to your room freshener or diffuser, which will spread the aroma to your mind, soul, spirit and the environment. The medicinal properties of these essential oils not only spread the divine fragrance but also penetrate deep into your mind, making you divine and diligent. It aids in soothing your senses and providing you with peace and tranquility.

Ayurveda offers mankind with some of the most precious Ayurvedic practices like Meditation, which when followed makes life skillful, meaningful, successful and peaceful!!!

Thought for the day:

I mean the whole thing about meditation and yoga is about connecting to the higher part of yourself, and then seeing that every living thing is connected in some way.                 -Gillian Anderson

Suggested Reading:

  1. Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way: Creating Happiness with Meditation, Yoga, and Ayurveda By Nancy Liebler, Sandra Moss
  2. Self-Recovery: Treating Addictions Using Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Ayur-Veda By David F O’Connell, Charles N Alexander
  3. Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life, 1e By Todd Caldecott CIH AHG

Reference Links:

  1. Meditation by Wikipedia
  2. Overview of Meditation by National center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  3. How Does Meditation Work by Ayushveda

Ayurveda Everyday: The Absolute Art Of Living

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Each rising day makes us grow older and of course augments our responsibility in shielding and sheltering ourselves along with our friends and family. Do you have the habit of spending few minutes before you go to your bed in analyzing the things that you have done for the day? Have you ever calculated the difference between what you have planned and what you have actually achieved in a particular day? Not much of us do that and trust even I was not one among those few who knew the ways to lead a meaningful life until I learnt the real essence and tried practicing the sovereign science called as Ayurveda. I have a handful of touching reasons to tell you why Ayurveda everyday is the absolute art of living.

The Art of Living: Most of us would have heard about the popular topic known as ‘The Art of Living’. It is a part of the value-based education systems in many renowned universities and there are certain celebrated volunteer-based institutions like the Art of Living foundation working with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and is also known as the Association for Inner Growth in Europe. The founder of this institution Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has rightly told that ‘Health is not mere absence of disease. It is the dynamic expression of life’.

How many of us know the real meaning of this solid and solitary statement known as the ‘The Art of Living’? Numerous humanitarian institutions and Non-Governmental organizations are striving hard to teach humanity the real value of life that is free of stress and violence, filled with human values for inner growth, respect for individuals and mental power to lead a peaceful life in a challenging manner. Art of Living is the way of living entirely and expressively.

Ayurveda Everyday: You may now wonder about the role of Ayurveda in ‘Art of Living’. You will stop questioning if you know the essence of this holistic healing science. It talks about everything that plays a vital role in your life, treats human body as a ‘Temple’ and teaches numerous ways to maintain healthy relationships paving way to a serene and tranquil survival. It does not focus only on maintaining a healthy body but trusts in building a healthy mind and has ultimate solutions for controlling emotions, which is known as the major cause behind the aggressive and fiery activities happening around us.

Practicing Ayurveda everyday in your life will make you a complete individual with noble thoughts, hale and hearty physique, positive thinking and pave way for developing yourself as an active part of your society setting up classic role models. Instead of attending the classes for learning the ‘Art of Living’, why can’t you discover the real art of living by taking the most precious science that our forefathers have left for our better lives? It has nothing to say or set ways against nature as it is a comprehensive approach of healing naturally with natural herbs, Ayurvedic essential oils extracted from plants, balanced diet, simple physical exercises, basic steps for hygienic living, systematic meditation, methodical yoga and a revitalizing Ayurvedic massage therapy by the experts.

With all these inevitable values for a rejuvenating physical fitness and emotional well-being, undoubtedly Ayurveda can be your best pal right from the dawn till dusk everyday throughout your life.

Reference Links:

  1. Art of Living Foundation by Wikipedia
  2. Ayurveda in Daily Life by Indianetzone Ayurveda
  3. Art of Living and Ayurveda by The Art of Living Foundation