Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living
Ayurveda (pronounced “eye-your-vay-duh”), is The Science of Life and Longevity, a holistic system of medicine that originated on the Indian subcontinent over 5,000 years ago. It is the oldest continuously-practiced healthcare system in the world. This system of medicine has endured over thousands of years because its foundational principle is to align oneself with the rhythms of nature. Therefore, it is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.
Considered the “Sister Science of Yoga”, Ayurveda integrates the Yogic practices of postures, breathing exercises, and meditation with lifestyle, nutrition, use of herbs, and bodywork.
Ayurveda can be found practiced worldwide, from hospitals in India to private practices in Western countries. Although initially developed and practiced in southeastern Asia, there has been a resurgence of Ayurvedic in the Western countries over the last few decades.
This system’s approach does not focus on symptoms, as Western Allopathic medicine does. As a holistic science, Ayurveda bases these recommendations on one’s unique individual constitution, called prakriti dosha.
Like other holistic modalities, Ayurveda first addresses one’s imbalance(s), and once balanced, gives recommendations to maintain balance according to one’s constitution.
Ultimately, a holistic approach treats the person, not the disease.
As above, so below
As within, so without.
Ancient Greek proverb
Microcosm of a Macrocosm
Ayurveda recognizes that we are a “microcosm of a macrocosm”, meaning our being will mirror the environment around us. There are many types of environments that our being must constantly respond to— from the actual season and weather, to home, work, and even relationship environments. In fact, everything that we encounter has the potential to bring, maintain, or disturb balance.
Balance isn’t a place of permanence. Our environments are constantly in fluctuation; therefore, our being is in a constant state of finding and maintaining balance. Ayurveda helps us to recognize and then harmonize with these natural rhythms.
The 20 Energetics
Ayurveda provides us with a whole other lens to perceive the world through. There are 20 main energetics, called gunas, that appear in nature in which this system uses for assessment.
| Heavy | Light |
| Dull | Sharp |
| Cold | Hot |
| Oily/Unctuous | Dry |
| Slimy/Smooth | Rough |
| Dense | Liquid |
| Soft | Hard |
| Static/Stable | Mobile |
| Cloudy/Sticky | Clear |
| Gross | Subtle |
* Bolded are the 4 main energetics used for assessment.
The 5 Elements
In Ayurveda, humans, as natural beings, consist of the same building blocks that all other natural beings are made of— the 5 elements. Each element has distinctive qualities and energetics.
- Ether (Space): Primarily cold and dry energetics. Represents the higher Self. Fills all cavities in the body, down to the cellular and atomic levels.
- Air: Primarily cold and dry energetics. Represents movement. In the body, air manifests as the circulatory, respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems. Subtly, air represents the movements of thoughts.
- Fire: Primarily hot and dry energetics. Represents transformation. In the body, fire manifests as the metabolism. Subtly, fire is responsible for comprehending sensations through the 5 senses.
- Water: Primarily cold and wet energetics. Represents cohesion. In the body, water manifests as the lymphatic, immune, urinary, and reproductive systems. Subtly, water is the realm of emotions.
- Earth: Primarily cold and wet energetics. Represents stability. In the body, earth manifests as the musculoskeletal and excretory systems. Subtly, earth is the ability to feel grounded and secure.
The 3 Doshas
The 5 elements have a specific affinity for one another and combine into 3 pairs that that have their own distinct qualities and functions within all living things. These pairs are called the doshas in Sanskrit, meaning “fault”, as they are the primary reason for imbalance.
- Vata dosha = Ether + Air. When you think of Vata, imagine wind. Vata is cold and dry and means “that which moves”. Vata is responsible for performing all the movements of the body. i.e., respiration, circulation, nervous impulses, thoughts, and other subtle processes.
- Pitta dosha = Fire + Water. When you think of Pitta, imagine lava. Pitta is hot and slightly oily and means “the which metabolizes”. Pitta is responsible for performing all transformations. i.e., digesting food and turning it into energy, interpreting sensations, and understanding.
- Kapha dosha = Water + Earth. When you think of Kapha, imagine mud. Kapha is cold and wet and means “that which coheres”. Kapha is responsible for providing moisture and lubrication, nourishment, structure, and stability.
To re-cap, the 20 energetics combine to form the foundation of the 5 elements, which then combine to form the 3 doshas.
Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution
All living things need Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas to govern their respective duties. However, everyone is born with a ratio of the 3 doshas that is completely unique to them called prakriti dosha, meaning constitution or nature. This ratio is one’s true balanced state, the proportion of doshas we strive to maintain when healthy or return to when we are imbalanced. In Ayurveda, prakriti it is always taken into consideration when finding and maintaining balance.
Some individuals are mono-doshic, having 1 dosha that is clearly the dominant of the 3. The majority of individuals are bi-doshic, having 2 doshas that are prominent in their constitution. And sometimes, an individual is tri-doshic, having a nearly equal ratio of the 3 doshas.
The 7 types of prakruti:
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
- Vata-Pitta
- Pitta-Kapha
- Vata-Kapha
- Vata-Pitta-Kapha
This overall proportion of prakriti can be further broken down into which dosha(s) most influence each of these 4 areas:
- Physical
- Mental
- Emotional
- Behavioral
| Vata Qualities | Pitta Qualities | Kapha Qualities |
| Tendency towards creativity, “spaciness” & scattered thoughts | Tendency towards perfectionism, passion & agitation/anger | Tendency towards being caring & friendly, sometimes feeling stuck |
| Frequent anxiety, nervousness or worry | Frequent skin disorders or joint pain/arthritis | Frequent ears/nose/ throat or respiratory ailments |
| Dislikes routine, spontaneous personality | Loves routine, very organized | Steady in routine, sometimes stuck |
| Runs cold with dry skin | Runs warm with slightly oily skin | Runs cool but comfortable, with thick, luscious skin |
| Narrow build, with bony joints that crack | Medium or muscular build | Curvy or thicker build |
| Variable digestion (usually constipated with no regular bowel movements) | Good, sometimes sharp digestion (usually loose & frequent bowel movements) | Slower digestion & elimination, with well-formed stool |
| Does best in warm & humid environments (spring/ early summer) | Does best in cool, dry environments (fall/winter) | Does best in hot, dry environments (summer) |
| Dislikes the cold, windiness & dryness of winter | Dislikes the heat & humidity of summer | Dislikes the cold & dampness of spring |
What’s your Ayurvedic constitution? Take the quiz and begin to learn about yours today!
The Seasonal Rhythms
The seasons consist of dominant elements and a primary dosha just as humans do. Ayurveda teaches to acknowledge each season’s influence over our prakriti and to adjust to the energetics of each season to maintain balance.
Spring is Kapha season. Within the environment, the elements of water and earth combine to literally make mud. A cool dampness dominates this season, a stark contrast to the bitterly cold and dry winter that precedes it. The job of Kapha in the body is to provide moisture to all the tissues, and to “plaster” the structure of the body together, just as mud is used by both people and animals to build structures. An imbalance with Kapha can cause congestion in the tissues: excess moisture (mucous, phlegm) and growths (tumors, masses).
Summer and Early Fall is Pitta season. Within in the environment, the elements of fire and water combine to create heat and humidity. Within ourselves, Pitta’s heat controls all digestion and metabolism. An imbalance with Pitta can cause inflammation in the tissues.
Late Fall and Winter is Vata season. Within the environment, the elements of air and ether (space) combine to create cold, drying winds and chilly temperatures. Cold and dry dominate this season. Wind represents movement in nature, and that’s exactly what it rules over in the body. From the visible movements of our limbs to the more subtle movements of our breath, blood, nutrition, waste, and even thoughts, Vata is in charge. An imbalance with Vata can cause a dysfunction of movement in the systems and in the mind (anxiety, depression), and excess cold and dryness in the tissues.
The Golden Rule
“Like increases like and opposites balance” is the golden rule in Ayurveda. this means that each dosha is more susceptible to imbalance when in its correlating season because of the similar qualities.
For example, Vata, which is already cold and dry, can become aggravated if subjected to too much cold and dry things (like winter weather).
However, Vata remains pacified if its cold and dry nature is balanced out with things that are warm and moist (like drinking hot tea or taking a bath in the winter).
Because we are a microcosm of a macrocosm, many times our bodies will reflect the qualities of the season that we are in or transitioning into. If your prakriti is balanced, the rule of thumb is to adjust to each season by adopting your practice to it to keep you balanced. Same for if the season is causing an imbalance.
However, if it is not a seasonal imbalance (i.e., you are experiencing a Pitta imbalance in the Vata (winter) season), you will have to work on that imbalance BEFORE you align yourself with the winter’s seasonal rhythms.
Final Thoughts
Early practitioners of Ayurveda used their observations of the nature surrounding them, from weather traits to animal habits, to develop this unique system of medicine that’s focused on aligning with nature’s rhythms.
To recognize that we, as human beings, are not separate from nature, but an extension of it, is the first step to finding and maintaining balance in our lives.
In our modern world, there are many examples of our disconnect from nature and disregard for its cycles. Many do not realize that this disharmony is the basis of disease.
My hope in writing this introduction is to arm readers with basic Ayurvedic knowledge so they are ready to further explore Ayurveda’s suggestions for living with, not against, these natural cycles.
Ayurveda is truly ancient wisdom for modern living.
