What Is Ayurveda and Dosha Type?

“Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well”- Anonymous

Ayurveda has existed for centuries. This medical practice is also known as Hindu traditional medicine and has its roots in the Asian sub-continent. Even today, in most Indian households you will find spices and herbs that can easily heal minor ailments like cold, cough and fever. For several years prior to the Medieval Age, Ayurveda was the only form of medicine. Ayurvedic practitioners developed even surgical procedures for the treatment of ailments. What sets apart Ayurveda from modern medicine is that Ayurveda focuses on over-all healing. It believes that mind and body are not two different entities.

Ayurveda also believes that good health is an integration of environment, mind, body and spirit. Ayurvedic medicines are prepared with a blend of all natural herbs and spices that help in maintaining the mind and body balance. A vital aspect of this holistic medicine is that it’s not a mere healing technique, but a science of life.

A Chinese proverb says, “He who takes medicine and neglects the diet, wastes the doctor’s skill”. In Ayurveda too, following a recommended diet is an essential element of the healing process. It specifies guidelines for seasonal and daily diets; behavior and optimum use of our senses help find inner peace and maintain a healthy mind and a strong body. Ayurveda comprises of three basic energies that govern our health- movement, transformation and structure. In Sanskrit, they are known as Vata (Wind), Pitha (Fire), Kapha (Earth). These three elements form the crux of Ayurveda. Every human body consists of these elements in different proportions, further resulting in the kind of physical and mental health each of us have. Based on the state of our mind, the proportions of these energies can be determined.

Ayurveda began thousands of years ago when Indian sages were looking for healthier ways of living. These sages treated their bodies like temples and believed a healthy body would help them meditate longer and go deeper into spirituality. Due to its strong healing power, Ayurveda was embraced by Tibetian and Chinese medicines. Even early Greek medicine adapted Ayurvedic medicinal formulae. The present day stressful lifestyle has instigated the need to adapt to the Ayurvedic way of life. Most people who work in busy corporate jobs suffer from health issues such as severe backaches, mood swings, and insomnia and succumb to over-the-counter quick fix pain killers. How many times have you taken allopathic medicines to get rid of a running nose and experienced drowsiness? These medicines are simply temporary solutions and have several side effects as opposed to that of natural Ayurvedic medicines. Ayurveda has simple solutions to your everyday health issues. A glass of warm water mixed with 1-2 spoons of turmeric taken at regular intervals can heal cough and cold without any side effects. A simple back massage with warm sesame seed oil can cure backache. This oil has a warming effect and it penetrates through the tissues to the bone marrow.

What is Dosha Type?

In Ayurveda, doshas are the energies that make up a human body and perform psychological functions of the body. All of us have all three doshas but in varying proportions and based on that our psychological and personality traits can be determined. Even our general likes and dislikes are formed based on which energy is dominating our body and mind. There are three Dosha Types-

1. Vatha (Wind): This is the energy associated with the movements happening in your body. Breathing, blood circulation, blinking of eyes and your heartbeat. When Vatha dosha is in balance, you will be a creative individual but if it is out of balance there are chances that you may experience fear and anxiety.

2. Pitha (Fire): This is the energy that controls body’s metabolic system. It mainly concentrates on digestion, absorption, nutrition and your body’s temperature. When Pitha dosha is in balance it leads to contentment and intelligence. If it is present in disproportionate levels, it can cause ulcers and anger.

3. Kapha (Earth): Kapha is the factor that controls growth in the body. It supplies water to all parts of the body and maintains the immune system. It is surprising, but this dosha impacts your personal relationships. If this dosha goes out of balance it can cause envy and insecurity.

Wondering which Dosha type dominates your body? Visit http://www.holisticonline.com/ayurveda/w_ayurveda-dtest1.htm The art of Ayurveda helps us scrub our inner body. It teaches us how to cleanse our tissues, organs and mind. Does our mind govern our health or certain aspects of our health result in mood swings? Hard to determine, isn’t it? Well, they both go hand in hand! Adapt to the Ayurvedic way of life and experience a healthy body and a happy mind!