An Introduction to Ayurveda

Ayurveda or the ‘Science of Life’ originated in India about 5000 years ago. It is a holistic approach to healthy and mindful living. 

Personally, I have been very interested in Ayurveda for a long time and recently, have really started going in depth in my study of the subject. Let me tell you, there’s so much to know and learn. I cannot possibly cover everything in this post but I wanted to introduce you to Ayurveda and what it is. 

Ayurveda recognizes the Panchamahabhoota (Five elements) as the fundamental building blocks of nature. We are all made up of these five elements (fire, water, earth, air and space)

Having said that, we all have either one or two elements that are more predominant in us. This is know as Prakriti. 

Prakriti is determined at the time of birth and very rarely changes throughout our life. However, the doshas keep changing depending on the time of day, the activity you are engaged in and as on. 

What are the doshas? 

There are three main doshas. Vata, Pitta and Kapha which can exist as the predominant prakriti by themselves or as a combination : Vata + Pitta, Vata + Kapha, Pitta + Kapha 

Vata = Air + Space 

Pitta = Fire + Water 

Kapha = Earth + Water 

While the prakriti changes it is possible for the doshas to keep changing throughout the day. For example - Pitta represents the digestive fire so typically this is higher when in the day when the sun is out which is why that is also the best time to eat food. 

What do these doshas imply? 

The idea is to keep all these doshas in balance so as to live your best life. Typically, when we have a dosha imbalance it shows up either as an illness, emotional stress or even mental issues. 

Here’s a small chart to help you understand the doshas. 

I'd be happy to share more about how to balance the doshas with different types of food and maybe even share some Ayurvedic food tips if you're interested :) Until then, I hope this helps!