What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a complete healing system that originated over 5000 years ago. It’s becoming more and more popular, just like yoga did, but it is certainly not new.

If we break down the word Ayurveda, Ayus means knowledge or science and Veda means life. It is literally the science or knowledge of life. It is a complete lifestyle that is focused on giving you tools and practices to create health on a daily basis by using your innate healing ability. I think intuitively we all know that our body is designed to heal and know what to do. So by living this wisdom and these practices, you begin to thrive physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

There are several principles that make up the foundation of Ayurveda, and more and more, modern science is validating these ancient teachings.

Let's go through some of them here below:

Ayurveda is a holistic mind-body-spirit approach to health and well-being. It gives you tools for thriving in all aspects of your life—physical, emotional, and spiritual. You’ve heard about the mind-body-spirit connection and yet, so often we disregard what is important. Why do we overlook it when we know it's so valuable?

Your mind, body, and spirit are inextricably connected. What you take in through your experiences (5 senses) creates thoughts, feelings, nourishment, and toxins that affect your body and your mind. If you have a lot of toxic thoughts, your body won’t run optimally.

Think about a time where you were in the presence of an intense argument, how did it feel in your body? Was there tension, sweating, tears? Or the opposite situation—imagine you’ve just been invited to an epic event or trip of your dreams, your friends are on their way to pick you up RIGHT NOW. What does your body feel like? Excited, energetic, you pick up the physical pace, perhaps you are smiling.

Now let’s bring it to the body first. You eat garbage food, your mind can't focus or get clear, you feel heavy physically, but also unmotivated, tired. If you focus on only one aspect and expect to thrive, you may find yourself struggling. Research is confirming that when you address all these aspects of your life, you maximize your well-being.

Secondly, Ayurveda addresses all aspects of the person, not just a “problem area.” It focuses on the root cause of the issue and teaches you how to reverse the disease process to heal what started it all, rather than putting a temporary, symptom-specific short-term solution on it.

It’s also preventative. When you live an Ayurvedic lifestyle, you are less likely to build up toxins (ama) and have tools to relieve stress, so that diseases are less likely to ever become present.

It’s important to understand that just because Ayurveda originated over 5000 years ago, it doesn’t mean it’s outdated. It’s quite the opposite, because it’s based on the principles of nature, which never change.

Ayurveda teaches that the five elements that make up the universe—fire, air, earth, space, and water—are also within you. So when you align your daily habits with the rhythms of nature and your natural cycles, you eat colorful, nourishing foods, have awareness of what you take in through your five senses, sleep (heal) well, and connect to the deeper part of you, your body comes back into balance. Not only that, but you can then reach your full potential to have fulfillment, joy, and peace in your life.

Ayurveda is personalized, and this is my favorite part. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this healing wisdom. Thank goodness! We are so different, and what is beneficial for one person isn't necessarily what the other needs.

Remember those five elements that I said are within you? Those five elements are responsible for different aspects of your well-being, and we all have them all within us, yes, but to varying degrees. We each have a unique mind-body type, made up of those elements, which in Ayurveda we call Doshas. There are three Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

VATA is made up of space and air and is responsible for movement and transportation within the body. It is the principle behind all movement and the force that generates thought.

PITTA is made up of fire and water and is the principle of transformation. It represents energy, heat, or fire.

KAPHA is made up of earth and water and is responsible for protection and structural integrity. It is the principle that holds the cells together and forms the muscle, fat, and bone.

In Ayurveda, you learn about your mind-body type, your Dosha, and you recognize what being in balance or out of balance looks like for you specifically. You then learn the tools to bring yourself back into balance—not to even out all three Doshas, but to the level of your essential nature.

You know this to be valuable because what works for your partner in their physical routine might leave you depleted. The foods that your friend has been eating might leave you feeling bloated, even though they are “healthy” options. You know you need more or less sleep than someone else. If you have kids, you can tell that some need naps and others don’t. So, you build awareness of what feels good for you.

Lastly, Ayurveda is very practical. When you start to line up your daily life with the rhythms of nature—the circadian rhythms, the lunar rhythms, the seasonal rhythms, etc.—you will see that you’ve naturally and intuitively been practicing certain aspects of Ayurveda throughout your life. You do simple, daily maintenance practices such as scraping your tongue, drinking warm water, and walking to stoke your digestive fire. You connect and create peace by meditating, walking in nature, or breathing deeply. You restore your mind and body through proper sleep, self-massage, essential oils, healing yoga, and emotional release techniques. You release toxins through seasonal resets, and by switching out toxic self-care or household products.

It is a holistic, peaceful, and joyful way to live that is available for anyone. You get to decide what elements of Ayurveda you can incorporate into your life. Just start small and add one bit at a time. The benefits will be felt quickly, and I'll bet the people around you will begin to ask themselves, "What's different about her? She's glowing!"

Tina xo

I teach you all that you need to know to start living an Ayurvedic lifestyle in my program, Glow with Your Flow. Check it out here.