Ayurveda is nature-based healing wisdom, that wants every single being on this planet to live a life of health, joy and happiness. With the value at its heart that it is everyone’s birth-rights to experience the fullness and magic of life on Momma Earth .
It is an ancient Indian medicine system that is claimed to first appear in scholarly Yogic texts, The Veda’s, some say 5,000 years ago; making Ayurveda one of the world’s oldest healing modalities and ultimate self-care guides.
Ayurveda is more than just a healing modality. It is a form of preventative medicine, advocating for all beings to live a thriving life, a way to align with your inner self , a way to connect to the earth, sun, moon and the magic of the universe. It can be your guide to longevity and spirit, increasing feelings of love and ease. A fruitful path to find your purpose, confidence and unique place in this world.
Plus, so much more, as you will learn to discover through following my blog’s workshops and classes.
Here is my interpretation of Ayurveda from the ground up. The foundational principles of Ayurveda categorises the world through the 5 elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Either. Within these elements there are specific qualities called the Guna’s or 20 pairs of opposite: heavy and light, cold and hot, oily and dry, smooth and rough, just to name a few! With this simple framework of how to look at the world, our bodies, minds, experiences and relationships through the lens of the elements and their qualities (Guna’s), we are empowered with the knowledge to reawaken our innate healer within. With self- awareness we can identify imbalance, observe what qualities the imbalance presents and implement a practice that is of the opposite quality to bring balance back.
The next layer of Ayurvedic principles is understanding your unique mind-body type. This often gets simplified to the term Dosha, which has been popularised and simplified since coming to the west, with the quick and easy Dosha quiz’s. Side note, you are way more complex than a Dosha quiz and to discover your original nature can be a life long journey, but to give you some context your first initial consultation with a Ayurveda Health Counsellor or Doctor would typically be at least 2 hours long! No such thing as a 10 minute doctor appointment in the world of Ayurveda.
Your unique mind-body type is your Prakruti or constitution. We can think of this as your blueprint for health, just as unique as our finger print. It is your divine blend of elements that makes you, you. However, discovering our original unique mind-body type can be the work of a vigilant detective as you can go out of balance while in utero. When we have layers of imbalance it acts like a veils covering over the potential light of our true wellness to shine through. For this reason, we tend to focus more on addressing imbalances rather than identify our Prakriti, as our uniqueness will shine through once we harmonise our mind-body-spirit.
Our imbalances are called our Vikruti which translates as “after creation”. Sometimes we have had an imbalance for so long, we may identify with it and mistake it for our true nature. This is where the radical honest and self -awareness is key! So, where do the Dosha’s fall into this? Dosha, translates as “fault”. Similar to a fault line in the earth’s crust, The Dosha's are distinct patterns in nature where we can identify where an imbalance may arise. There are 3 Dosha’s: Vata Dosha which is made up of the element of either and air; Pitta Dosha which is fire and water; Kapha Dosha which is water and earth.
We have all 3 Dosha’s within us at different ratio / proportions. Each Dosha has life affirming qualities, when we are in balance. Likewise, each Dosha has life depleting qualities when out of balance and accumulated. Each seasons, climate, food, plant, animal, activity, time of day, stage of life, sensory inputs have a Doshic quality, that can either move us towards our path of full radiant health, or move us away from our truest sense of wellness.
Working with an Ayurvedic Health Counsellor can help you navigate the path that takes you towards your unique blueprint of health, unlocking your full potential to expand into the magic of life. Treatment to our imbalances is secondary, first we take responsibility and ownership of our experiences, with a kind and compassionate attitude towards ourselves. We then adopting diet and lifestyle practices that support your unique journey and vision for health. This might look like sleep hygiene, daily routine, exercise, hydration, cleansing, herbs, meditation, spiritual practices, food combining, specific food lists, nervous system practices, yoga, eating habits and much more.
If you are interested in stepping onto an Ayurvedic path let your radiant self shine through, reawaken your inner healer and take life with confidence.... well, I am pleased to tell you, I am taking new clients in 2023 and would love to support you on your journey. You can join the waiting list by emailing me at yoga@blossomandbreathe.com . Alternatively, keep your eye out for workshops and events .
Thanks for reading what felt like my heartfelt waffling!
Love
Sarah