Ayurveda, the Science of Life

 by Anjali Kelling

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest healing sciences, originating in India at least 5,000 years ago. In Sanskrit, the word translates as “the wisdom of life” or “the knowledge of longevity”. Ayurveda recognises that each person is unique and offers a customised approach to wellness to prevent disease. Adjusting diet, modifying daily activities and taking herbal remedies for a time can restore balance in the body.

Ayurveda arises from a tradition that describes the entire physical world in terms of five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth. These five elements can most accurately be thought of as energetic patterns rather than as purely physical substances, and each has particular qualities. The five elements combine in various ways to form three constitutional principles, known in Ayurveda as doshas.

These are:

Vata, the Wind Dosha, comprised of air and space.

Pitta, the Fire Dosha, comprised of fire and water.

 Kapha, the Earth Dosha, comprised of earth and water.

In Ayurveda, all ill health is viewed, fundamentally, as a dosha imbalance (called vikriti). Dosha imbalances can manifest in various stages, from a general feeling of “something is not right” all the way to diagnosed illnesses with serious complications. To achieve this balance, Ayurveda focuses on the two key principles that remove the inciting cause and treat the lingering imbalance with the opposite using massage therapy, yoga and herbs.

Some imbalances stem from choices that we make—our diet, lifestyle, lack of exercise, unprocessed emotions, and undue stress. Others from exposures that are out of our control—water and air pollution, harmful chemicals in our food supply, excessive noise in our communities. As we aren’t able to process everything that enters our bodies, this leads to a build-up of toxins, which Ayurveda calls ama. This build-up of ama can inhibit the proper functioning of any bodily system and lead to dosha imbalance.

Digestion refers to more than our body’s processing of the food and drinks we ingest.
The mouth is only one entry point into the body. We must also digest experiences that come in through our eyes, ears, nose, and skin and the emotions they create. All emotions have a lingering presence, whether anger, fear, joy, or grief. Hearing cruel, angry words said in the “heat of an argument” can produce, for example, acid indigestion that is similar to that which occurs after eating an excessively spicy meal. Undigested experiences and emotions can lead to ama and physical symptoms.

While there is nothing wrong with having fun or indulging in life’s pleasures, one must know one’s limitations. Once you know your prakriti (unique dosha balance), you can act to promote your well-being. The key is to keep your vata, pitta, and kapha balanced. A number of signs can clue you into ama or toxin buildup. The first is a heavy white coating on your tongue. The second sign of ama is odour— body odour, mouth odour, odour with flatulence, etc. The third sign of ama is a generalised sense of heaviness and dullness— this can be both in the body and the mind.

To correct these imbalances, Ayurveda promotes a healthy diet of grounding foods. Heavy, grounding foods don’t have to be fattening—on a cold day, you can enjoy a hearty soup, warm rice, or a small baked fruit dessert redolent with the aroma of cinnamon. On such a day, a raw salad would be best avoided due to its cold, dry, rough, and light qualities. Conversely, if you are feeling a lot of internal heat and excess pitta, which may be manifesting as an angry skin rash or hot flashes or a flared temper, soothe yourself with light, sweet, bitter, and cooling foods. Just stay away from fiery, spicy dishes, predominantly sour/acidic foods, or excessively salty foods. As a general guideline, fresh and home cooked is best.

Developing a joyous relationship with your food is one of the most healthy things you can do, as opposed to falling into guilt, haste, or indifference. If you take just a few minutes to observe how you feel after every meal, you naturally start recognising the effects of various food choices on your body as nature provides her bounty of nutrients in a diversity of colours and textures.

For tips for a healthy daily routine, a visit to an Ayurvedic practitioner is recommended. The body’s rhythms are inseparably related to the rhythms of nature. Your body is a dynamic, living being, ever-changing in relation to your actions, and also in relation to age, time of day, season, and geography.