What Is Ayurveda?
Updated: Jul 31
Ayurveda directly translates to the science of life. It is an ancient healing arts and science system that orginated in India over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda came into existence through ancient Indian sages, Rishis, that attained the knowledge of Nature (Ayurveda) through realization. Ayurveda is known as the Mother of All Healing, and is the root of all health and healing on Earth. Ayurveda is a a shashwat science, meaning it is an unchanging science. It's an unchanging science because it is based on the principles of Nature and the five elements, which do not change. Think of it like this: is water ever not wet? It's impossible for water to not be wet, so therefore Ayurveda's principles do not change. They are still as relevant today as they were 5,000 years ago, and will continue to be relevant so long as life on Earth remains.
Ayurveda uses the unchanging principles of Nature, the five great elements (known as the panchamahabhutas in Sanskrit) to understand how imbalance and dis-ease manifest. In Ayurveda, we know the interactions of elements based on their organization into the three doshas. The three doshas are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and they are responsible for all of our bodily functions and individual constitutional makeup. Every single person on Earth has a different constitution, a unique make-up of the five elements, and therefore requires their own approach to healing. All three doshas are present in every individual, but they have varrying amounts. This explains why someone might carry most of their fat on their thighs instead of their belly, and why some people have a harder time gaining weight than others. We are all made up of a unique constitution with different elemental makeups, and Ayurveda recognizes that.
When it comes to determining the state of health, Ayurveda looks at the entire person, from body to mind to spirit to see the whole picture. There is a deep focus on imbalances, which goes beyond symptoms, to understand the root cause and what's needed to bring the person back into balance and to restore health and vitality. There are four pillars of health in Ayurveda: Ahar (diet), Vihar (lifestyle), Nidra (sleep), and Brahmacharya (management of sexual energy/management of energy). When taking these four pillars into account and applying them to daily life anyone, no matter where they are in the world, can live a life full of vitality, peace, and deep connection.
For me personally, working with the elements inside my body and outside in my environment has empowered me more than anything. Ayurveda, in the modern age, is a tool for empowerment as much as it is a system of healing. Knowing yourself in the lens of Ayurveda is a gift that lasts a lifetime. To dive deep into your constitution, state of health, and path to vitality, book a consultation with me here.
Happy healing,
Emilie
*Every word written is from my mind. I do not use AI or any chatbot to help me write my work.
