Ayurvedic Principles
Ayurveda is one of the oldest holistic health systems. Thousands of years before modern medicine provided scientific evidence for the mind-body connection, the sages of ancient India discovered the complex workings of our mind and body and the subtle movement of energy and intelligence that sustain the life on earth. According to the principles of Ayurveda, freedom from illness depends upon living in harmony with nature and expanding our own awareness and bringing it into balance. Once that balance is achieved, or restored, it can then be extended to the body.
Ayurveda can be defined as a health system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to prolong life and promote good health. But Ayurveda is more than the health system, it is widely regarded as ‘the Science of Life’ (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It incorporates tools such as diet, Yoga, meditation, therapeutic massage, detoxification and herbal remedies to create balance within the body.
According to the principles of Ayurveda, freedom from illness depends upon living in harmony with nature.
In Ayurveda the fundamental healing philosophy is the concept of three doshas, or basic types of energy. These are vata (from ether and air), pitta (from fire and water), and kapha (from water and earth). These doshas are present in everyone and everything, but one is usually predominant in any given individual. The elements, the seasons, genetic inheritance from your parents and environmental factors all contribute to the potential for imbalance within the doshas. When any of the doshas accumulate in the body beyond the desirable limit, the body loses its balance. Ayurveda suggests specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to help individuals reduce the excess doshas and restore the balance.
