Ayurveda 101: A Basic Intro

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda, ancient yet timeless, gives you the means of attaining and maintaining your own optimal health and well-being. The benefits of Ayurvedic medicine have been proven over centuries of use, and its methodologies are as applicable today in the West as they were thousands of years ago in India.

A brief history

Ayurveda is the traditional healing modality of the Vedic culture from India. It is said to be between 2000 and 5000 years old, meaning it has stood the test of time.

The word Ayurveda in Sanskrit literally translates as “the wisdom of life” or “the knowledge of longevity”. In accordance with this definition, Ayurvedic medicine views health as much more than the absence of disease. The wise seers and sages of the time intuitively understanding the physiology and workings of the mind-body-spirit long before the advents of modern medicine, explained the basic principles of Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic medicine was originally an oral tradition, taught and passed directly from teacher to apprentice, who would learn and work side by side. The beauty in the way these traditions have been explained is that they rely on basic principles which can be applied practically in any day and age. Ayurveda has thus been passed down through the centuries as a complete healing system, evolving to meet the needs of the time, and yet remaining committed to its core principles.

Various cultures have drawn upon the ideas of Ayurvedic medicine, and it continues to thrive in both the East and the West.

Ayurveda’s fundamental approach to well-being is that you must reach your unique state of balance in your whole being—body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda views the world in light of 3 constitutional principles: Vata, Kapha, and Pitta. 

So now what?

I’m so excited for you, and also a bit scared because now you get to go back in time and ask yourself, what kind of child were you? Where you sick, sensitive, bold, fearless, sneaky, scared? etc. These questions will help determine your constitution.

If you decide to take an online test, keep in mind, many of these tests do not preface that you have to answer the questions from the time when you were a child, not as an adult.

The tradition of Ayurveda does not discount western methods; however, depending on your constitution, it will change the treatment. We are all different so there is not one solution for everything. I really wish there was because life would be so much easier, but as humans, we are complex in our experiences and with that we must respect the process.

Does it take more time? YES. And it’s WORTH it!

* For more info about Ayurveda and finding out your Dosha, contact Liz directly at  lizbelmontlotus@gmail.com