STYLE WISDOM
Ayurvedic Self-Care
All you need to know about the history of Ayurvedic medicine–and how you can utilize this ancient practice in your own life.
All you need to know about the history of Ayurvedic medicine–and how you can utilize this ancient practice in your own life.
by Vard Mov
History & Background
If you’ve ever heard of Ayurvedic healing, you know the power it can have on maintaining balance in your wellness ritual. This 5,000-year-old practice began in India, offering natural solutions (i.e. utilizing more than 700 Ayurvedic herbs) to conditions from dry skin to diarrhea, sizers, heart disease and more. Additionally, Ayurveda is a prevention-based approach to wellness that relies on cultivating and maintaining a delicate balance between mind, body, and spirit.
Studies have been done that link ‘balanced’ individuals to better heart health, reduced inflammation, improved sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight.
So, what exactly are you balancing?
In Ayurvedic medicine, balance is achieved by achieving harmony of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
We all have the three doshas ‘health types’ that dictate our emotional strengths and weaknesses–some of us just lean more towards one than another, or have a dominating dosha. If you think of each dosha like a scale, when the scale is out of balance it can cause physical and emotional distress. In response, Ayurvedic medicine works to balance all dosha levels.
If you’ve ever heard of Ayurvedic healing, you know the power it can have on maintaining balance in your wellness ritual. This 5,000-year-old practice began in India, offering natural solutions (i.e. utilizing more than 700 Ayurvedic herbs) to conditions from dry skin to diarrhea, sizers, heart disease and more. Additionally, Ayurveda is a prevention-based approach to wellness that relies on cultivating and maintaining a delicate balance between mind, body, and spirit.
Studies have been done that link ‘balanced’ individuals to better heart health, reduced inflammation, improved sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight.
So, what exactly are you balancing?
In Ayurvedic medicine, balance is achieved by achieving harmony of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
We all have the three doshas ‘health types’ that dictate our emotional strengths and weaknesses–some of us just lean more towards one than another, or have a dominating dosha. If you think of each dosha like a scale, when the scale is out of balance it can cause physical and emotional distress. In response, Ayurvedic medicine works to balance all dosha levels.
Associated with wind, Vata is all about the moving energy and linked with flexibility and creativity, as well as breathing, and heart function. Vata dominant folks may be thin, have dry skin and experience racing thoughts while Vata-imbalanced people could have anxiety and digestive issues.
Linked to fire, and believed to control the endocrine, metabolic, and digestive systems.
Pitta-imbalanced individuals may have a medium build, feel cold often, and have acne-prone skin. They may also be a busy-body, and are constantly up to something, whether that’s professional or personal.
Pitta-imbalanced individuals may have a medium build, feel cold often, and have acne-prone skin. They may also be a busy-body, and are constantly up to something, whether that’s professional or personal.
Associated with earth and water, the kapha dosha is thought to be the stabilizing energy that supplies water to the body and maintains the immune system. Kapha dominant people can be calm and grounded but Kapha-imbalanced people may be jealous and sluggish.
How to incorporate Ayurvedic self-care into your life
Unlike western medicine focused on treating the symptom of an illness or ailment, ayurvedic medicine is focused on prevention. The notion here is that everyday self-care could ultimately benefit your overall health.
A good place to start would be to discover your dosha by taking a quiz (that is, if it didn’t immediately stick out to you from the descriptions above!). From there, you can start incorporating personalized wellness and eating activities that can help you stay balanced.
For Vata: Stability and grounding routines are essential for balancing Vata energy, and could include meditation and limiting screen time. Root vegetables, warming and creamy foods–and staying very hydrated–are helpful to Vata-imbalanced people.
For Pitta: Cooling showers and physical activities, such as walking on the beach, as well as eating cooling foods, will help to balance pitta dominant people.
For Kapha: You may benefit from exercise and mindfulness activities, as well as breath work. You should avoid oily, heavy and dense foods and instead opt for bitter, sour food and fresh produce.
You can even go one step further, and build other Ayurvedic practices into your morning routine. The ultimate goal is staying grounded, balanced and in control. Your balanced self creates a deep inner peace, which inevitably opens doors in life, and allows you the most direct route in achieving your goals.
Unlike western medicine focused on treating the symptom of an illness or ailment, ayurvedic medicine is focused on prevention. The notion here is that everyday self-care could ultimately benefit your overall health.
A good place to start would be to discover your dosha by taking a quiz (that is, if it didn’t immediately stick out to you from the descriptions above!). From there, you can start incorporating personalized wellness and eating activities that can help you stay balanced.
For Vata: Stability and grounding routines are essential for balancing Vata energy, and could include meditation and limiting screen time. Root vegetables, warming and creamy foods–and staying very hydrated–are helpful to Vata-imbalanced people.
For Pitta: Cooling showers and physical activities, such as walking on the beach, as well as eating cooling foods, will help to balance pitta dominant people.
For Kapha: You may benefit from exercise and mindfulness activities, as well as breath work. You should avoid oily, heavy and dense foods and instead opt for bitter, sour food and fresh produce.
You can even go one step further, and build other Ayurvedic practices into your morning routine. The ultimate goal is staying grounded, balanced and in control. Your balanced self creates a deep inner peace, which inevitably opens doors in life, and allows you the most direct route in achieving your goals.
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