Beginner's Guide to Ayurveda: Living Harmoniously & Sustainably

In the age of juice cleanses and keto diets, navigating how to live healthily in a way that works for you as a unique individual can be daunting. I live with three chronic illnesses and it feels like I hear a new “pitch” at least monthly on a diet, exercise modality, or therapy that is supposed to cure all that ails me. I also frequently feel like people get obsessive about their new “healthy” lifestyle, to the point where their regimen becomes pathological. So, when I started learning about Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, I was skeptical as to just how applicable, sustainable, and reasonable it would be for me.

I have been practicing yoga for over 7 years, and sprinkled throughout my classes and teacher trainings, I had heard bits and pieces about Ayurveda. Initially, I had written it off as something that would be too regimented, encouraging the health-obsessive behavior that I fervently oppose. Fast forward to one teacher training weekend with Katie Silcox, renowned parayogini and Ayurvedic practitioner – I was intrigued.

The weekend intensive left me wanting to learn more. After reading her book, Healthy, Happy, Sexy, and also doing some self-study of books by David Frawley, prominent Hindu teacher and author and Ayurvedic expert over the next year, I decided it was time to take an official training. And so, I went through an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor training taught by a yogi and Ayurvedic practitioner who learned under Dr. Vasant Lad, one of the West’s most famous Ayurvedic doctors.

I am still learning and implementing the concepts of Ayurveda. I know the fundamentals of this ancient, multifaceted, intuitive, and scientific practice. You could spend your whole lifetime studying Ayurveda. In today’s post, I want to distill some of the most important teachings from Ayurveda into digestible snacks of knowledge. This is your first dip into the Ayurveda pool, and you’ve got your arm floaties and kickboard ready to go. Your swimming teacher is by your side to teach and encourage you along the way.

WHAT IS AYURVEDA? Ayurveda is an integrative, holistic, and complex system of health and wellness. It developed parallel to yoga at the same time and place - over 4000 years ago in what is now modern-day India. Yoga is but one small element of the greater Ayurvedic traditions. While yoga and its many facets (read: asana/physical postures are a very small fraction of the whole practice) are one modality for healing and body-mind-spirit wellness, Ayurveda deals with preventing and reducing disease on a much broader level. Its rituals, routines, and recommendations, while rooted in what can feel like esoteric concepts, are highly practical and implementable in your daily life.

Ayurveda views everything we experience as inextricably interconnected. Everything we do has ripple effects on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level states. Ayurveda focuses on prevention and treats each individual as a whole person, honoring the powerful connection between physical and mental/emotional health. Ayurveda believes that, to be healthy and balanced, we have to live in harmony with our own individual constitution. Ayurveda views our individual tendencies, imbalances, and needs as extremely important in determining what will bring balance back to body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda also asserts the importance of living in harmony with the fluctuations of the seasons & our environment.

AYURVEDIC DEFINITION OF HEALTH

While most traditional definitions of health focus on the absence of disease, Ayurveda’s view is entirely different. Health, in the Ayurvedic view, is a dynamic and ever-changing process that involves spiritual, emotional, intellectual, behavioral, physical, familial, social, environmental, and universal facets of living. Now you see what I mean about interconnectedness!

THREE PILLARS OF AYURVEDIC HEALTH

Ayurveda emphasizes that nature rewards us for doing things that make us feel good, but only when done in a healthy way, at the right time, and in the proper amount. Moderation is a key aspect of Ayurveda, which I really appreciate. Learning to distinguish between what really benefits us over the long-term and what might give us short-term pleasure but deplete us in the long run is important in any Ayurvedic practice.

1. FOOD Ayurveda believes that most disease originates in the digestive system. We first begin to show imbalance through the digestive system (even if you don’t notice it). Choosing the appropriate foods for your individual constitution, the time of day, the season, and even the weather on a given day, is vital for health and balance in mind, body, and spirit. Rather than focusing on calories, vitamins, and minerals, Ayurveda focuses on the energies and qualities of food (e.g. hot/cold, light/heavy, dry/wet).

2. SLEEP Most of us know the importance of consistent good sleep. The CDC has demonstrated that sleep deprivation increases your risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity, and more. Sleep is absolutely vital for both body and mind. Good sleep allows the body to focus on ͞upkeep and maintenance͟ and the repair of our bodily tissues. It is also absolutely vital to allow for the ͞digestion͟ and processing of our thoughts and emotions and for the regulation of neurochemicals, hormones, and our immune system.

3. OBSERVANCE OF BRAMACHARYA (MANAGING YOUR SEXUAL ENERGY) Ayurveda believes in the importance of managing our vital sexual energy, the most refined aspect of our life. Ayurveda advises us to be discerning with whom and how we share our sexual energy. Ayurveda understands that men are born with a fixed amount of sexual energy that can be depleted while women are not as easily depleted by orgasms and sexual release. Learning how to connect with your physical and energetic sexual centers is crucial for balancing this pillar of health.

KEY GOVERNING CONCEPTS

When we are in balance, our bodies encourage us to make good choices to maintain & refine this balance. When we are out of balance, our bodies produce cravings that put us further out of balance. Noticing junk food cravings? That’s a telltale sign that you’re imbalanced.

Ama, or “toxins” can accumulate in the physical body and in the mind. Ama in the digestive system is at play when your digestion is slow and/or weak, and can be seen in a white coating on the tongue and mucous in your poo. Ama in the mind is the accumulation of undigested life experiences that prevent us from accurate perception of our world. Mental/emotional ama is at play when you blame others for your life circumstances, or how often you are offended or upset by life events – when you notice this is happening more frequently, more easily, or more intensely, you know that you’ve got excess ama. Stress is the ultimate facilitator of ama accumulation and therefore speeds up the aging process.

One of the most important concepts for understanding Ayurveda is: like increases like, and opposites balance. It seems so logical, but so many of us underestimate the power of this simple tenet. Do you run hot? It’s probably best that you avoid the sauna and minimize your spicy food intake. Tend toward anxiety? Honey, put down that coffee and make more time for slow, steady movement and quiet in your day.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS

Ayurveda affirms that there are five elements at play in everything in the universe, in both physical and nonphysical realms – Ether/Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Rather than thinking of them as literal elements in your mind and body, think of them as metaphors for the processes in your body and mind. To understand the metaphor, we need to understand the qualities of each of these five essential elements (pancha mahabhutas).

1. ETHER/SPACE The space between things, the absence of the other four elements. Physically, Ether is present in the body’s cavities – mouth, stomach, ears, lungs, and the like. Mentally and emotionally, Ether is present when you feel mentally spacious and can see the bigger picture without being bogged down by the little stuff. The ͞lesson͟ of Ether is to make sacred space and time for unstructured leisure time, meditation, stillness, and spontaneous action.

2. AIR The principle of motion and change; that which sets everything in motion. Physically, Air governs your nervous system, the breath, and gross motor movement. Mentally and emotionally, Air is present in the movement of our changing thoughts. The ͞lesson͟ of Air is to embrace change and celebrate the unexpected.

3. FIRE Light, heat, metabolism; the principle of transformation. Physically, Fire is present in our digestive system and is necessary to break down and assimilate our food. Mentally and emotionally, Fire is present in our discerning awareness and our intrinsic motivation. The ͞lesson͟ of Fire is to let life slowly burn you – when we feel burned by life, we are learning humility and burning away everything that does not serve us.

4. WATER Fluidity, lubrication, cohesion, sweetness. Physically, Water is necessary for us to taste our food. Water is found in our saliva, digestive fluids, synovial (joint) fluids, and the like. Mentally and emotionally, Water is present in most of our emotions, which constantly ebb and flow. The ͞lesson͟ of Water is to go with the flow with grace and compassion for yourself and others.

5. EARTH Stability, solidity, structure. Physically, Earth represents our physical structure – bones, ligaments, tendons, and the like. Mentally and emotionally, Earth represents emotional stability and balance. Not to say that you won’t ever feel upset or vulnerable, but the earth element helps us trust that we will be fine. The ͞lesson͟ of Earth is to stand firm, be confident, and value your self-worth.

THE THREE DOSHAS

All of the five essential elements are inanimate on their own and must mix to become life forces and take on different forms and functions. Knowing your dosha type is key in understanding how to care for yourself in a way that will bring balance back to your mind, body, and spirit. This is typically the part of Ayurveda that people jump straight into.

A dosha is a specific pattern of energy that creates your unique physical and mental/ emotional constitution. Directly translated, dosha means fault, as in fault line. That means that your primary dosha is the one that most easily goes out of balance, and conversely can be rebalanced the easiest. That’s not to say that your secondary or tertiary dosha won’t go out of balance – it certainly happens – it just means that it’s less common and typically more difficult to get these subordinate doshas back into balance.

Your innate, unchanging dosha is called your Prakruti. This will never change, like your DNA. Meanwhile, your imbalanced dosha is called your Vikruti. In Ayurveda, you always treat the imbalance first.

There are three primary doshas. The information on doshas will be more relatable if you can first identify your dosha. Of course, nothing is a substitute for having your pulses analyzed by an Ayurvedic practitioner, but you can always start with online quiz resources. I recommend Banyan Botanical’s Dosha quiz. Just put in your email and answer the questions with your long-term tendencies, not necessarily how you’re feeling right now.

Most people have one or two dominant doshas. Once you know your dosha type, read more in this graphic resource.( page 12-17)

All of this information can feel overwhelming at first, so I encourage you to refer back to the graphic and re-read this post for refreshers. If you’re interested in some self-study, I recommend starting by learning more about your own dosha. When you can relate the information to yourself, it will be easier to understand and implement. Stay tuned for future posts that dive into Ayurveda!

WORDS BY GABI DAY