Why Ayurveda?

Ayurveda resonates to me on so many different levels, but in short, it brings understanding and balance to my life. I studied Ayurveda 8 years ago now and it was one of the best things I have ever done. Life can be all consuming at times but I am always drawn back to Ayurveda. It is the ongoing journey of learning how to integrate Ayurveda into everyday life that inspires me to live my best and healthiest life while sharing what I have learnt. 

Ayurveda is the Ancient Vedic Science of Life, translated as “knowledge of life” and encompasses the idea of how to live wisely bringing balance physically, mentally and spiritually through holistic methods, herbs, diet and lifestyle. It is the knowledge of how to live according to your unique and individual constitution. The principal behind Ayurveda is your body is made up of five basic elements: Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Ether. Ayurveda teaches us how to balance these five elements. 

It is called Ayurveda because it explains which substances, qualities and actions are life enhancing and which are not. Despite the apparent simplicity, Ayurveda is anything but. Imbalance between these five elements leads to health problems. Imbalances affect bodily channels and tissues, which in turn create various illnesses in your body. For example, Ayurveda explains that improper digestion creates toxins in your body. These toxins travel into deep tissues, and leads to disorders in our vital organs.

Ayurveda also explains we are made up of three constitutions: wind (Vata), fire (Pitta) and water (Kapha). They either maintain or damage the body according to whether they are healthy or sick. Understanding your constitution is empowering and gives you insight of who you are, how you should ultimately live, what you should and should not eat and how to get the most enjoyment out of life. 

Nourishment through food has become my passion over the years. So much of our existence centres around appetite and digestion. Ayurveda considers diet to be the most important factor in health and uses food for medicinal purposes as well as for nutritional effects. A good diet gives us an everyday chance/opportunity to take control of our heath. Ayurveda believes food can be either medicine or poison depending on who is eating it, what is eaten and how much is eaten. 

Whether you focus on mind, body or spiritual growth Ayurveda believes how you live your life becomes an expression of who you really are. We all need routine and good habits while taking care of ourselves every day, caring for our constitution, eating well, adjusting our lifestyle to weather and season and living to how you feel.