What IS Ayurveda?

I first became familiar with Ayurveda when I did my yoga teacher training in the summer of 2010.  Everything I learned about Ayurveda resonated deeply with me.  The concepts and practices made sense to me more so than our traditional medicine system here in America.  The Ayurvedic approach to the body and to wellness is beautiful and effective.  I am so thankful to be privy to this ancient knowledge.  

     
                                The Purpose of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word which means knowledge of the life span.  Ayurveda is the scientific system that developed yoga and is the oldest complete system of medicine ever recorded, pre-dating Chinese medicine, which is very similar to Ayurveda.  It is a preventative system of health that gives specific guidelines for staying well and recognizing early imbalances in the body and the mind before physical sickness sets in. This differs from western medicine where patients are not treated until they are already sick, the aspect of “the mind” rarely comes into play when treating a patient for a physical illness, food/diet is not often considered as part of a treatment plan, and many times medicines are used to treat symptoms of a sickness, rather than the underlying cause.  

                                   The Principles of Ayurveda

Ayurveda uses food as medicine.   It is the most accessible and easiest means to wellness.  According to Ayurveda there are 3 different body constitutions—Vata, Pitta, Kapha (you can take a dosha quiz to determine your constitution type.)  Depending on a person’s constitution or prakruti, foods can be either ojas or ama producing.  Ojas being the juice of life, and ama being toxic accumulation.  Ojas brings wellness, balance, youth and longevity, and Ama brings sickness, lethargy, imbalance and disease.  A food that imbalances Vata person may be good for a Pitta or Kapha person, and the same goes for the other constitution types.  

Ojas and Ama production is not solely dependent on we ingest.  Ayurveda suggests that everything we "take in" plays a part in creating Ojas or Ama in our bodies—the weather, our environmental surroundings, our social interactions, types of music, even our thoughts or our emotional state while we eat and in general can create ojas or ama.  Wind, dry foods or raw foods, loudness are a few things that might affect Vata negatively.  At the other end of the spectrum sweet or oily foods, cold wet weather, and sleeping late in the day are a few things that can aggravate Kapha.  Pitta, the third type, may have an iron stomach, but should avoid eating lots of heat inducing foods as they have fiery personalities to begin with!

  Ayurveda acts as a guide to help each constitution type choose aspects of life accordingly so that balance can be achieved.

Ayurveda utilizes plants, herbs, minerals and food to treat patients, and is against the use of pharmaceuticals to treat symptoms.   Symptom based treatments are believed corrupt the bodies intelligence, causing systems to malfunction and in some cases turn on itself (autoimmune diseases).   I understand this concept all too well.  

Ayurveda utilizes natural medicines in their natural form to treat the body.

Modern medicine has learned to extract, or make a synthetic copy of the active ingredient in healing plants and herbs in attempts to maximize its potency.  Ayurveda cautions against the use of such potent medicines.  It is believed that when an active ingredient is extracted it is separated from it's buffering agent and the result is a super-concentrated dose which is toxic to the body.  (Side note - does it seem like we are programmed with the "more is better" mentality in this culture?)  Ayurvedic medicines utilize the whole plant, not just the active ingredient.  The emphasis in Ayurveda is that every living organism has their own unique life essence or vibration.  I believe this is known as string theory in modern science, but I could be wrong.  (Would love to explore this further - any insight would be much appreciated!)  They claim that when it comes to medicinal power, this vibration is just as important as the active ingredient, if not more.  They also believe that extraction of the active ingredient kills this essence, ruining its benefits.  (Synthetics do not have this vibration.)  Ayurveda advocates that our bodies were designed to work with nature, and that we should ingest vitamins in their natural form.   Some Ayurvedic practitioners still utilize vitamins in their practice because they say malnutrition is ever-present in our society due to the types of foods we eat and the diminishing nutritional value of crops which are grown in corrupted soils.  My Ayurvedic doctor warns against the use vitamins saying they are too much for our livers.  They make the liver "hot" with toxins and corrupt the "intelligence" of the liver - paving the way for food allergies and other problems.  I no longer take vitamins and my blood tests show I am not deficient in anything except for protein (a common deficiency in people with Fibromyalgia.)  

From an Ayurvedic perspective, foods are only considered to be truly beneficial for up to 4 hours after they are cooked.  It is believed that the life essence, or vibrational properties are no longer present in the food after  4 hours and what is left behind is dead mass.  This aspect of the Ayurvedic diet is contested by some modern day Ayurvedic practitioners who believe refrigeration helps to preserve this essential quality.   Our western perspective of the nutritional food measures vitamins and nutrients but does not take "life energy" into account.  It would be very interesting to experiment with foods based on Ayurvedic concepts.  If only we had a way to read this energy and determine how it affects the body!
                         
                                               Is Ayurveda a Religion?

Ayurveda is not a religion.  It is a system based in science.  It does, however, regard the connection with ones true self and their purpose, a very important aspect of wellness.   This might be confusing to some because our culture does not give consideration to the "self."   In America we tend to look at this connection as an aspect of spirituality, but really, one does not need to be religious to understand the importance of being centered and feeling peaceful.  Even western medicine proclaims the benefits of meditation on the nervous system and it's overall effect on a person's well-being.  Meditation is a tool to help one become centered.  This is one reason meditation plays an important part in an Ayurvedic’s daily routine.   It is said that if one has to choose between yoga, pranayama or meditation, to choose meditation.  It is the most important practice of the day.

Dinacharya - A Schedule to Enhance Your Well-being

            Something I really love about Ayurveda is dinacharya -  a daily routine one can  follow for optimal health benefits.   Because this is an overview, I will not explain the reasons behind the schedule and why practices are set at certain times but I can tell you that when I learned the "hows and whys" of  this ancient practice it made perfect sense to me and when I get in the habit of this schedule I feel a greater sense of well-being and a natural flow in my life.   Here is a general overview of dinacharya which will vary depending on your prakruti (constitution type.)

Wake at 5:00am – 6:00 am.   Before getting out of bed, say a positive affirmation or little prayer of gratitude—this sets the stage for your day - helping you to connect with something much more beneficial than your to-do list.  Again Ayurveda is NOT a religion, pray if you pray, do not pray if you do not pray.  Next do Abhyanga (oil massage) and shower.  Follow do yoga (whichever asanas or poses are good for your constitution.  Follow with meditation and breathing practices (pranayama.)  Have breakfast at 8:00 am.  It should be the lightest meal of the day.  Eat lunch at noon or when the sun is highest in the sky.  Lunch can be the biggest meal because our digestive fires (Agni) are strongest during lunchtime.   Take a walk after lunch to help digest the food, or lie down for a few minutes on your left side.  (The left side because the food will rest on the largest surface are of the stomach allowing for greater absorption.  Meditate again sometime in the early evening before dinner.  Eat dinner at 6:00.  The meal should be light.  All meals should be eaten in a very quiet and mindful manner.  One should never eat when upset. Do not eat after 7:00 pm or the digestive process will disrupt other important internal processes that need to happen in the later time of the day.   Begin to wind down after dinner.  Watching violent movies or doing an active yoga practice at this time of the day is not recommended.  Go to bed by 10:00 pm.  

            Again, this sample is just the tip of the iceberg.  Down the road we will work closely with an Ayurvedic specialist in order to explore Ayurveda and learn how the practices affect our bodies and well-being.  

            At this point, I need the Ayurvedic system to stay pain-free.   But aside from that, when I practice this routine everything in life “feels” better.  I am happier, more grounded, more focused, I feel more connected and much more peaceful.  And I get thinner as well!  When I follow this system, my body stops craving junk food.  Instead of reaching for a processed food snack like a cookie or cracker I find bliss in a fresh medjool date or a stewed apple.   Hard to believe, but it’s true!  I don’t know what I would do without out Ayurveda.  Though this system seems complex it is easier to learn than most of our current nutritional systems or fad diets.   And I can say without hesitation, that the benefits are powerful and endless.