Journal · March 11, 2019
What Is Ayurveda? A Simple Ayurveda 101
By Mel, 500-hour RYT · Well With Melo
You may have heard of Ayurveda, or maybe you haven't. Either way, I'm sure you've experienced it.
Ever tried dry brushing, used a tongue scraper or started your day with warm lemon water? Sipped golden milk or eaten a bowl of kitchari? If you said yes to any of these, you've practised Ayurveda.
What Ayurveda means
Ayurveda is a traditional system of wellbeing from India, with roots going back thousands of years to the Vedas. Ayu comes from ayuh, meaning life or longevity, and veda from vid, to know. It's often called "the science of life." Beyond a healing system, its purpose is to help us return to our own true nature.
What I love most is that, thousands of years later, it still feels so relevant, maybe more than ever.
Ayurveda and yoga: sister sciences
Ayurveda and yoga come from the same time and place. Both honour the body and mind as a whole. Yoga helps us feel into the body and mind more deeply, a path to what needs to be revealed. Ayurveda then gives us the recipe to care for ourselves through food, herbs, sleep, daily rhythm and how we use our senses.
We are made of nature
Ayurveda focuses on our connection to nature. Like the stars, trees and butterflies, we are made of the same five great elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. These combine into three energies called the doshas. When our life force (prana) is disrupted, the doshas fall out of balance, and we can use the elements to bring them back.
The main pillars of health in Ayurveda
- Ahara (diet): are you eating for your body and the season?
- Nidra (sleep): are you oversleeping, or not resting enough?
- Brahmacharya (the senses): are you overstimulated? When did you last give your eyes and voice a rest?
The subtle energies
- Agni (digestion): how we process not only food, but emotions, thoughts and experiences
- Ojas (vitality): our immunity, strength and love
- Tejas (inner light): the fire of the mind and our will
- Prana (life force): the breath of life flowing in and out
Ayurveda isn't only about healing. It's about prevention, and about noticing what you need each day. That's the heart of how I teach: choose your practice based on the energy you need, and notice the shift.
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*Some links in this post are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps keep my classes free. This post is for general wellness education and isn't medical advice.