Ayurveda Wellness and feeling better
Ayurveda is a holistic and ancient system of natural healing from India, and it’s based on 3 vital energies that exist in our bodies and in nature called doshas-vata, pitta and kapha. These are in unique combinations in our bodies and are made up of the natural elements of earth, water, fire air and ether. They affect everything from our sleep, to our energy levels, to our thought patterns and emotions, to any dis-ease processes we experience.
How can we work with these energies?
We work with them by understanding more about our own bodies and the unique constitutions we have, and the environments in which we are living, including the weather and our day-to-day routines, our sleep patterns, our morning routine, our evening routine etc…We can optimise these routines and include foods, herbs, practices and self-care that supports our unique nature vs following viral trends that often are not suitable. This. system stood the test of time because it works. In similarity to TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, the understanding is that we need optimal digestive systems since we are what we digest, not just what we eat. We need to reduce toxins so that we can have better digestion and absorption of nutrients, and we need to work with our doshas to help them rebalance.
The doshas are:
Vata: Air and Ether (space)- governing movement, creativity and the nervous system. Overseeing elimination of waste. Responsible for inhalation and exhalation and the overall rhythm of the respiratory system . It is cold, dry, light and mobile. People with more vata can experience more constipation, insomnia, changeability and dryness.
Pitta: Fire and Water- this is hot, wet and controls digestion, metabolism and energy transformation. It is responsible for inflammation and heat in the body, irritability and perfectionism as well as being a strong and courageous leader. People with more pitta can experience more inflammation and heat related conditions, anger, skin issues and heart burn.
Kapha: Earth and Water- this is the principle of structure stability and lubrication. It is heavy slow, cold and oily. It governs strength, stamina and emotional stability. Having more kapha is associated with more dependability, stability and nurturing. It is also associated with weight gain, lethargy and congestion, stubbornness and attachment. People with more kapha can experience more congestion, depression and sluggishness.
We all have all 3 of these doshas in our bodies and minds to different degrees. None of them are good or bad to have, they have their strengths and weaknesses and we need to learn to work with both. They can be in excess depending on many factors like weather, lifestyle, mental state and routines. If we do not balance them, we can end up dealing with more dis-ease in the body.
If you want to learn more about your unique dosha profile and how to balance it, consider a personalised Ayurveda wellness consultation where we can understand how to help understand your natural constitution or prakriti and how to you rebalance your vikruti or imbalances.
Dosha imbalances can arise from :
Vata-cold weather, wind, travel , dry foods and irregularity in routines
Pitta-heat and intensity in work and environments can aggravate pitta. Spicy foods and stress
Kapha-cold, damp conditions and heavy foods and inactivity
There is hope-by becoming aware of your imbalances, you can correct them and stop them from developing into dis-ease. Treating them thereafter can become more tricky and take longer, but not impossible.
Balancing the doshas
Vata-warm, moist and grounding foods and avoiding too much dry, raw cold food. (if you have any history of PTSD, trauma and your ACE or adverse childhood event score is higher then you have a lot of vata)
Pitta-cooling foods and activities (within the seasonal ayurveda guidance), meditation and avoiding overheating
Kapha-regular movement, dry brushing, routines that are invigorating and get you more active and actively involved
You can have more than one imbalance, you can have all 3!
You can have a combination of doshas as your constitution and a combination as your imbalance. This does not make it necessarily too complicated to work with, there are some ground rules that we follow to help you optimise these.
Seasonal adjustments include more vata in fall, more pitta in summer and more kapha in spring. We can adapt our diet seasonally as well as lifestyle to maintain balance through this.
Life stages -We have more kapha in childhood, more pitta in adulthood and more vata as we get older. We take this into consideration too.
You are not expected to know all this or figure it out yourself.
Your Ayurveda Coach and Counsellor has got you covered with how you can optimise your wellness and work with your constitution, your imbalances and your lifestyle and routines as well as what season you are dealing with where you live.
All you need is a willingness to listen and consider making changes and adjustments that support your wellbeing.
Information on Agni(digestion), cleansing and seasonal living coming soon.
