Ayurveda is the traditional healing science of India. It is a way of natural healing that emphasizes maintaining the harmony of body, mind and spirit through food, lifestyle and natural herbs. Ayurveda can also include yoga, cleansing practices, breath work, meditation, marma energy work, oil treatments, and other modalities. The goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to help create balance within the body, mind, and soul, to maximize the body's ability to heal itself.
The name “Ayurveda” is derived from two words in Sanskrit, “ayuh” meaning “life” or “longevity” and “veda” meaning “science” or “sacred knowledge.” Ayurveda’s definition therefore roughly translates as “the science of longevity” or “the sacred knowledge of life.”
Ayurveda is not simply about taking an herbal formula and waiting for the results. Instead, Ayurveda encourages you to be an active participant in your own journey toward healing. This involves learning about your relationship with the elements and the unique combinations they create called dosha, or your individual constitution.
According to Ayurveda, your dosha or constitution is established at conception, cemented at birth, and remains constant over the course of your lifetime. It influences your physiology, your physique, your likes and dislikes, your tendencies and habits, your mental and emotional character, as well as your vulnerabilities toward imbalance and disease. It is defined by the particular combination of vata, pitta, and kapha that you were born with, and it represents your body’s natural state of equilibrium. Because your constitution serves as your blueprint for optimal health, understanding it—with the help of curiosity and self-awareness—can be truly enlightening. In Ayurveda, the emphasis is not on disease, but on maintaining the balance of the individual’s constitutional nature. Your Ayurvedic Practitioner will help you identify your primary dosha and make recommendations about how you can achieve and maintain balance based on your unique constitution. Ayurvedic therapies are never one size fits all, but customized to each individual.
It’s important to know that we all have all three doshas in our constitutions: vata, pitta, and kapha. But the ratio between them—the specific quantitative and qualitative relationship between the three—is entirely unique to you. That said, your main constitution is distinctly predominant, and you probably have a lot in common with other people who share the same core constitution.
While there is undoubtedly no one quite like you out there, it is remarkable how accurate Ayurveda can be in predicting who we are—based simply on the broad strokes of our constitutions. As you start to piece together the ways in which your constitution has shaped you, you will probably begin to see your particular strengths and vulnerabilities more clearly. As your understanding of your constitution expands, your capacity to use these insights to your advantage will also improve and guide you to achieving better health and balance in all aspects of your life.
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