What is Ayurveda? And why is it relevant today?

Ayurveda 101

Ayurveda is less well known to its sister science, yoga. It is a holistic and integrative approach to life incorporating herbal medicine that originated in India around 5000 years ago. In Sanskrit, an ancient sacred language, the word “Ayur” in Ayurveda means Life, and “Veda” means Science or Knowledge, therefore Ayurveda literally means “the science of life”. The underlying ethos of Ayurveda is that good health, vitality and the promotion of longevity is a result of a state of balance in our bodies. Disease however is a state of imbalance. If we find ourselves in a state of imbalance or sometimes have that feeling we need to listen to our bodies a bit more, we can use certain tools to bring us back into balance, and prevent disease.

Ayurveda is about not only just surviving but prospering and finding true enlightenment. It explores all aspects of our mind, body and consciousness. The tools can include, and are not limited to diet, daily routines, physical therapies, treatments, nature emersion, meditation, herbs, natural rhythms, cycles and seasonal influences (and much more!). 

The Ayurvedic principles are based upon the understanding that everything that exists (including the universe and our human bodies) are made up of the 5 elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether (space). Each of these elements make up what’s called the 3 doshas or energies; Kapha, Pitta and Vata. Within the human body, the doshas can express in many ways, but as an overall context the following can be helpful; The Kapha energy (Earth and Water) is associated with the body’s structure and lubrication, Pitta energy (Fire and Water) is associated with the body’s metabolic system and Vata energy (Air and Space) can be associated with movement. We all have all three doshas present in our bodies, and they can present differently. I will do another blog to deep dive into all things dosha related and you can even do a dosha quiz to find out your dominant dosha! 

But how is a 5000 year old functional medical system relevant to today? 

Within the UK, for example, we are presented with an overburdened NHS largely from chronic health issues, many of which are caused by lifestyle problems. It has become ever more relevant to look at prevention rather than treatment, and the lifestyle principles Ayurveda offers often provide effective solutions. Ayurveda, a particularly savvy functional system, also looks at identifying the causative factors of disease, and by understanding and targeting these, it can be possible to remove the root cause. The great thing also about Ayurveda is that it looks at the person as a whole, providing an holistic approach. Having found the tools Ayurveda has to offer at a time when I was experiencing low grade infections and anxiety that modern western medicine was not able to offer relief, I can simply say how life changing the Ayurvedic system can be. Ayurveda is particularly effective in working alongside the western medical model, and in some practices has been successfully embedded within it. This holistic modality can maintain and improve human health, treat chronic ailments alongside western medicine or in some cases as an alternative. 

To see how Ayurveda can help you, book a consultation package now either directly through the scheduler https://SoulBlossomschedule.as.me/, or email Cat at info@soulblossom.uk.