Q&A with Expert

Veera Korjala is a 200-hour Yoga Teacher, Holistic Wellness Coach, and Retreat Facilitator (www.veerawellness.com). She is a life-loving Finn living in Costa Rica with the heart of a global citizen who empowers open-minded, adventurous women to rediscover themselves, accept their unique bodies, and spark their inner Light. We asked her to explain in her own words what the ancient practice of yoga means to her.

Yoga: An Expert's Thoughts

Yoga is for everybody. It does not matter whether you are physically fit, flexible, body-mind conscious, or spiritual. It doesn’t matter where you come from, how you were raised or what you own. Yoga is an invitation to celebrate your own experience.

With the combination of postures, breathing techniques and meditation, yoga goes deeper than just the physical practice. Sometimes it’s about opening your hips and shoulders, but sometimes it's about being with your breath or calming yourself from the things or people you are dealing with. Ultimately, showing up for your mat provides you an opportunity to recenter yourself and come back home to your heart. Meditation can be challenging at first as it forces you to slow down and just "be" instead of "do" (which can be very foreign in today's fast-paced world where efficiency and productivity are admired). If you get easily distracted during meditation, keep redirecting your awareness to your breath. Breath allows you to pay attention to the present moment with an accepting, nonjudgmental disposition.

Personally, yoga teaches me about my whole essence; what is going on in my physical body, how to understand my body's signals and sensations, what thoughts are not serving my highest good, what emotions may be stuck and need to be expressed, as well as cultivating a deeper connection to pure consciousness.

Yoga and Ayurveda

Ayurveda: The Ancient Holistic Medicine

The History of Ayurveda

You may have heard of yoga, but have you heard of its ancient sister study, Ayurveda? Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine, originating in India over 3,000 years ago that has deep links to modern-day yoga and holistic medicine! Ayurveda is a Sanskrit term which loosely translates to “knowledge of life.” Its core principle is that everything in life is interwoven, and it seeks to bring harmony to all different aspects of health through exercises such as yoga, meditations, and dietary alterations. It is a complementary type of healing, best used in conjunction with western allopathic medicine. This means that the treatment of serious conditions is best conducted with the assistance of doctors using medications or perhaps surgeries, while Ayurveda is simply a means of strengthening the body and mind to either assist with medical treatments or as a preventative measure. In Ayurveda, personal health is split into three aspects, also known as the three Doshas or Vital Essences: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha (”air”, “fire”, and “water”). For generations, Ayurveda practitioners have used their knowledge to bring harmony between the mind, spirit, and body by analyzing which of the three Doshas is dominant in each individual and whether any of them are out of balance.

So, what are these three Doshas?

The 3 Doshas

Ayurveda teaches that each of the three Doshas are present in all people. Each individual will have one Dosha as their dominant type, and any of them can also be imbalanced, in which case, there can be physical, spiritual, or emotional health implications. An Ayurvedic practitioner can identify the condition of these Doshas by analyzing behaviors, habits, emotional characteristics, and physique.

The Vata Dosha

This is the Sanskrit word for “wind”. It’s considered to be the energy of air and guidance, responsible for the breath, senses, and the mind. It’s also thought of as the motivating force behind the other two Doshas. In the book “Yoga and Ayurveda”, expert David Frawley tells us that it “governs sensory, emotional and mental harmony balance, and promotes mental adaptability and comprehension.” The physical location of this Dosha is in the ears, the skin, and the colon. When it’s imbalanced there can be nervous, digestive, or mental problems.

The Pitta Dosha

Frawley tells us that this means, “the power of digestion and cooking”. This is the energy that’s related to the way our gastrointestinal functions operate. It’s also the essence of fire, and in a more emotional sense, it relates to how we digest ideas, emotions, and our view of the world. As well as that, it refers to intelligence, vitality, and courage. The Pitta Dosha is located in the eyes, the small intestine, and the stomach. Problems with it can be seen through blood complications, inflammation, or infection.

The Kapha Dosha

Frawley continues to say that this is, “what makes things stick together”. In Ayurveda, the Kapha Dosha is the essence of water. It’s seen as the way that the body holds everything together, the container for Vata and Pitta. It’s thought to be located in the chest and upper body, as well as the stomach and the pancreas, where mucus is produced. On an emotional level, it refers to love and devotion. Problems can manifest as excess mucus, lung problems, swollen glands, or excess weight. So, when we know which Doshas may be out of balance, what can be done about it?

Some Common Features of Ayurveda and Yoga

When it comes to Ayurvedic healing, a practitioner will first seek to identify which of the three Doshas may be dominant or out of balance and then they will give solutions accordingly. This can be through the use of breathing techniques, meditations, forms of yoga, or dietary advice! Here are some of the common ways to bolster health through Ayurveda!

Diet

In Ayurveda, different diets are recommended for different people depending on the state of their Doshas, and is ultimately a very in-depth and complex area of study. Speaking to an Ayurvedic practitioner is the best way to work out the best diet for you, but many of the common solutions involve transitioning to a vegetarian diet.

Yoga/Exercise

Similarly, the types of exercises that each individual does is determined by their imbalances and their constitution type. For instance, someone who has a very Pitta-oriented constitution is better to avoid competitive sports, as they can have very determined, fiery, mindsets. Instead, cooling activities like swimming are recommended. Other forms of exercise often incorporate yoga, but as with everything in Ayurvedic teaching, the type of yoga is entirely dependent on the individual’s constitution type.

Meditations

There are also a variety of Ayurvedic meditations available, depending on individual needs, it usually involves certain mantras or breathing exercises relating to yoga!

Travel

It is often prescribed in Ayurvedic healing to embark a journey, this can provide time to relax, gain perspectives, and improve on any imbalances. For instance, a Vata-oriented person may find change and new experiences stressful, so a journey to a single destination with plenty of warmth, where they can spend time simply relaxing and being idle, might just be the best thing for them!

How to Incorporate Ayurvedic Teachings into Day-to-Day Life

Ayurveda is an intricate and fascinating form of holistic medicine, but because of the sheer enormity of this 3,000-year-old health system, it can be a bit tricky to work out where to begin and how to incorporate it into your daily life, and your yoga practice. If you’re interested, the first and most important thing to do is to identify your constitution type. The best way to do this is by contacting an Ayurvedic practitioner and having a session with them to work out which Dosha is dominant in you, and which ones may be out of balance. Then you can move forward with the lifestyle options that are right for you! If seeking a practitioner is proving difficult, or you don’t have the time, there’s some excellent literature out there that can also help you on your way. For instance, there are several books containing excellent questionnaires that’ll help you to determine your constitutional type in an easily accessible manner, which can help you find ways to incorporate some ayurvedic teachings into your personal healthcare. Ayurveda is an amazing form of holistic healthcare! If something’s been working for people for over 3,000 years, it must be the bee’s knees, right?