If you believe in the above sentence, then this reading will be of great benefit.

If you don’t believe that, still it will help to provide a different perspective, worth knowing.

Let’s know more about Ayurveda philosophy and it’s relation to our health.

Ayurveda Basic Concepts

It is now a proven fact that everything including and around us is made up of 5 elements- Ether (Space), Air, Fire, Water and Earth.

However, there is something more that holds together these 5 elements in everything - whether a tree, a bird, our body, stars and the whole Universe - some form of ‘Intelligence’.

This ‘Intelligence’ is manifested in 3 principle energies experienced by us everyday - energies of:

1. Movement- referred to as VATA, composed of Ether and Air

2. Cohesion (Formation)- referred to as KAPHA, composed of Earth and Water

3. Transformation- referred to as PITTA, composed of Fire and Water

For even more detailed information about these core concepts, link is provided below.

How it relates to my body?

Simplistically, these 3 energies (referred often as doshas) manifest in us as

• VATA is responsible for all movements in the body and mind – for example, breathing, heart beat pulsation, elimination, blood circulation, cell division and arrangement, enthusiasm, thinking and creativity.

• PITTA is responsible for the metabolism and digestion in the body which produce the required nutrients for sustaining our cells and body, body temperature, hunger, thirst, complexion, lust and courage.

• KAPHA  provides stability, structure, immunity to body, lubrication of joints, stamina, cellular growth. It protects tissues, governs reproductive capacity, retention of knowledge and compassion. Our body is made up of 70% water.

PRANA or Life Force is the ‘Intelligence’ that co-ordinates these 3 energies and simply keeps us alive.

Each individual’s body constitution is a unique combination of these 3 energies, governed by Prana and Ayurveda considers this ‘Uniqueness’ in treatment and health restoration.

How it relates to my health?

Any imbalance of one of more of the energies produce disease conditions internally. Prolonged imbalance affects bodily intelligence, also reduces immunity, lowering body’s resistance to external pathogens- bacteria, viruses- and environmental actions.

What causes imbalance of energies?

Our choices become our biology.

Our eating habits, type of food, lifestyle, climatic conditions, action of pathogens, accidents, stress are a few reasons for causing imbalance.

State of Agni - our digestive fire- is also crucial for maintaining the balance of these energies. Some hereditary and karmic dispositions may also cause such imbalances as per Ayurveda.

How VPK imbalances are related to disease conditions?

Generally, the imbalances are manifested as:

VATA imbalance produces the problems like constipation, hypertension, fatigue and mental health issues like anxiety, restlessness.

PITTA when imbalanced, the person may suffer from skin rashes, burning sensations, peptic ulcers, excessive body heat, heartburn, indigestion and anger, hatred.

KAPHA when goes out of balance, it can cause overweight, excessive sleep, cysts, diabetes, asthma and greed, depression.

How Ayurveda treatment restores health?

Ayurveda focuses on removing the root causes i.e. correcting the imbalances, than just treating the symptoms. e.g. If someone is having sciatica, Ayurveda treatment plan will comprise of 1) removing the cause as to why sciatica occurred in first place 2) treating symptoms i.e. pain, numbness etc 3) preventive measures to prevent re-occurrence 4) rejuvenation of damaged muscles and nerves, if any.

Ayurveda believes that total health can be achieved by restoring body’s and mind’s balance, by balancing VPK through a vast array of preventive and rejuvenative practices, I often refer as 4 pillars of health:

• Bodywork therapies

• Herbal medicine remedies and tonics

• Lifestyle and dietary recommendations

• Daily detoxification regimens, exercises and mental health practices

All these are individually tailored according to person’s unique constitution to maximize benefit.

With the proper balance of bodily energies and intelligence and, harmonizing internal - external environments, the process of physical deterioration and disease can be significantly reduced.

Ayurveda gives us tools so we can be in-charge in creating the level of health and vitality we desire, by observing daily subtle indicators to detect and troubleshoot early disease symptoms.

How Ayurveda bodywork therapies work?

Ayurveda employs simple, yet powerful ways which can change the ailing human physiology as they operate at the level where the energetic forces of disease initiation operate.

Ayurveda bodywork therapies include energy balancing massages, therapeutic massages, detox treatments and other relaxation-rejuvenation treatments like Shirodhara.

Medicated oils along with specific strokes help to balance energy flows and also guide aggravated doshas from organs and tissues, back into GI track for elimination, restoring balance.

How Ayurveda herbal remedies work?

Ayurveda uses natural gateways of the body to administer herbal medicines. The most common gateway is skin which has millions of pores or gates to allow entry of herbal medicines inside the body. Many a times some vehicles like oil or ghee are used to facilitate entry of herbs in the body.

Ayurveda uses the natural bodily channels to carry these medicines to affected body parts, in the same way the bodily channels and intelligence digest the food and carry the relevant nutrients extracted from food to corresponding organs, in various forms as required by those organs.

With Cellular Intelligence present in every cell, each cell not only communicates to other cell, but also chooses its appropriate nutrients e.g. red blood cells choose hemoglobin or iron molecules, bone cells choose Calcium-magnesium-zinc molecules and so on.

Isn’t it truly fascinating that our body performs so many functions so accurately, ceaselessly and without we being aware?

Isn’t there is more to us than appears to eye?

Why diet & lifestyle changes are important?

Many of us have tried different diets, some work, some do okay. Ayurveda concept of diet is not exactly same as traditional dieting.

Do we all look the same? Of course no!

So how can cen diet be one size fits for all?

Addressing our uniqueness, Ayurveda advises on what to eat and what not to eat, based on what is compatible or not specific to our body constitution.

We modern humans dig our own grave with fork and knife

-someone wise

Why daily routines are essential?

To know more about what are daily routines and why they are necessary- please click here to read our blog.

It’s important to incorporate these at own, comfortable pace.

To sum up, Ayurveda is about simplicity, ease, patience, flow and rhythm- all qualities demonstrated daily by Mother Nature around us.

Anything that is not according to these principles, is not Ayurveda.

One of my patients who is head of quality at a renowned Ayurveda institute in Germany puts it succinctly and aptly,

“If it works and has no side effects, that is Ayurveda”.

Want to dive deeper in Ayurveda?

Evidence for Ayurveda