I thought we'd begin right at the very beginning and understand a few of the key foundational concepts of Ayurveda. Ayurveda literally means 'the science (Veda) of life (Ayur)', and is a wholesome and all encompassing way of looking at health. It incorporates the physical, sensory/emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions within a person
, and looks at each as an integral component of an individual's health. This is one of my favourite parts of Ayurveda - that it looks beyond the physical body and into other aspects of the individual's life. So don't be alarmed if you come in for a massage and you get asked questions about your sleeping patterns, bowel movements or what you eat - it's all inter-connected.
Ayurveda is as much about the promotion of good health
, as it is about treating diseases. One of the Ayurvedic texts ( Ashtanga Hrdaya
by Vagbhata) is organised so beautifully - one of my teachers once said, if you know, apply and live out the first four chapters (which are about daily routine, personal conduct and seasonal routine) then you don't need to know about any of the latter chapters (which are all about diseases and their relevant treatment protocol).
It relies on both objective and subjective methods to determine the root cause of an individual's ill health
. This root cause is viewed in terms of imbalances, and so to bring a person back to good health, means to correct those existing imbalances. This is vastly different to more modern models of healthcare which predominantly address the symptoms with medication or surgery - and this often becomes a 'quick-fix' solution. On the other hand, Ayurveda determines WHY your symptoms are occurring and attempts to address this root cause using a variety of methods: diet, lifestyle, herbs, meditation and physical therapies.
One of the other distinguishing features of Ayurveda is that it looks at each person as a unique individual
to determine their prakruti
, or natural constitution. This constitution takes into account a person's physique, emotional and mental tendencies and is very important as it helps each individual understand their unique mind-body type and live in accordance with that. Going against this or just following blanket healthcare recommendations is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
And so, I leave you with this brief snapshot of Ayurveda - hopefully the beginning of many more nuggets of wisdom to come!
