Ayurveda is an age-old wisdom of how to live a fulfilled and healthy life that dates back more than 5000 years. An old-world “science” of India, Ayurveda has survived the test of time because it is a part of the profound and eternal knowledge of the Vedas. The Vedas, India’s sacred ancient texts, are the source of subtle, yet practical and universal knowledge on all aspects of the human condition.
“Ayur”, meaning life and “Veda” meaning knowledge, or wisdom, is the wisdom of how to live. Ayurveda is an Upa-Veda and like the branches of a redwood tree, it has its roots in the solid, yet vivified, core of the eternal and universal truth of the Veda.
Being the traditional healing system of India, it is seen as the mother of all healing modalities. However, Ayurveda is much more than just a method for a healing the body. “Mind-body” medicine was alive and well in India long before anyone ever took the Hippocratic oath! In fact, it is has been said for centuries in India that only through the balance of body, mind and spirit do we truly have good health. This balance is Ayurveda’s definition of health.
Ayurveda is about finding balance within and therefore obtaining harmony without. If we do not first understand ourselves and our innate nature, then we are likely to misunderstand how to interact with our environment and what follows can be “dis-ease”.
Vata Pitta Kapha
Ayurveda utilizes a highly practical tri-fold classification system comprised of three fundamental energies--Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each individual is a unique blend of these fundamentals. The amount of each component is determined at our conception--this is our innate nature, our constitution. By understanding one's given nature, and the nature of one's environment, it is possible to find balance in a truly holistic and individualized way.
Harmony
Ayurveda strives to teach each person how to live a life that is in harmony--- lifestyle, diet, daily regimen, herbal remedies, yoga, meditation and mantra are all employed to find one's way back to the original balance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha that we were born with. When this balance is met we have obtained true health in body, mind and spirit.
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