The Magic and Medicine of Ayurveda

Life and knowledge.  Life permits knowledge and knowledge improves life.  At least, this was the intention when one of the oldest schools of medical thought originated in India five millennia ago.  Ayurveda.  The science of life.  The basis for all preventative health measures of diet, lifestyle, and herbal medicine. 

Honoring the elements of the universe, Ayurveda was founded on the belief that everyone has a unique blend of five elements that determine their physical and mental being.  The objective of the practice is to offer balance to these elements, grouped into three energies.  Vata is the energy of air and ether, affiliated with respiration.  Pitta is fire and water, which determine digestion and bodily energy.  Kapha is earth and water, determining the muscle and bone composition of the body as well as the immune system.

How these three energies coexist within someone, in what proportions each is presence, was believed to show through personality traits.  The high presence of Vata might appear as creativity; Pitta reveals itself in intelligence; and Kapha leads to stability.  These energies and the philosophy behind Ayurveda might seem outdated in a Western lens, but the practices of Ayurvedic medicine are timeless.  

There are priceless lessons to be learned from Ayurveda, especially for those of us who have grown up in a world where quick and easy pills and syrups have been our response to every sore throat or achey belly.  

A central practice of Ayurveda is self-awareness, or an attention to and understanding of your own body.  This is in stark opposition to our Western approach, where we often test and diagnose before taking action to heal.  When you practice listening to your body, you can sense ailment before it even begins.  You can notice how different foods affect you or how your work environment is causing you more stress than it has to.  Your body will signal to you intuitively what it needs to prevent that sickness from getting worse or to change a habit before it takes too much out of you.

Listening to your body and responding accordingly lays the foundation for preventative habits.  Ayurveda encourages a lifestyle and diet not only to treat disease but to prevent disease.  The benefit of this reaches far beyond sickness.  Developing a healthy lifestyle affects your mental health, sleep, skin, energy, and literally everything else your body and mind do. 

From this rich tradition of preventative habits for a healthy lifestyle that many practices have developed and are still widespread today.  Yoga is practically synonymous with Ayurvedic health.  Its calming and centering benefits come from thousands of years of skillful and mindful development, eras before ‘yoga pants’ started trending.  

Ayurveda also champions simple habits, such as keeping a regular schedule to enhance your sleep, waking up early to align yourself with nature’s motion, and taking time to control your breathing.  Detoxification practices are also upheld, such oil pulling, in which skin and teeth are purified by massaging oil on the skin or swishing it first thing in the morning (much more economical than mouthwash!).  Ayurvedic herbal steaming long predates the fancy sauna’s of Equinox Gym or the essential oil diffusers gifted at Secret Santa parties.

There is a wealth of knowledge from Ayurveda to address such widespread issues as stress and digestion.  As both practitioners and patients are encouraged to find solutions that are best for their individual circumstances, every factor of life can be taken into consideration.  This casts a broader net for identifying negative impacts on personal than what is common in modern medicinal practices.  

It is only with such an approach that you can identify the manifold small details that can make or break your health.  Perhaps you’ll find that spending a few minutes outside when the sun peaks through helps your body’s rhythms and leads to a more fulfilling and energized work flow.  Or that eating slower gives your brain time to keep up with your belly, leading you to more satiating and less overfilling meals.  One of the simplest changes you can make is to drink a cup of warm water after meals to help with digestion (trust me, it works wonders).

Ayurveda not only addresses what you can do to help yourself, but also emphasizes what foods and herbs we can take to mitigate the mental and physical weight of being alive.  There is an herb for perhaps every day-to-day affliction.  You can mix turmeric into your food to combat inflammation - this can alleviate joint pain, soothe skin reactions, and mitigate congestion.  Ginger settles the stomach; fennel lends a helping hand to your digestive tract.  Ashwaghanda helps balance your hormones and tulsi (holy basil) will try to bring a smile to your face; both defend against stress.

Of course, no matter how proactive you are for your health, even the most vigilant of lifestyles can still be vulnerable to sickness.  In case of emergency, stick to medical professionals - don’t try to solve an urgent concern with Ayurvedic practice.  However, for lesser ailments, there is still much to learn from this ancient tradition.

The first treatment may come as a shock to our chicken noodle soup sensibilities, but one of the simplest and most effective treatments digestive, mental, or congestive ailments is fasting.  Your body is constantly spending its energy on digestion.  There’s hardly the time or extra willpower for your systems to tidy up and clear out toxins.  Mindful fasting gives your body a vacation from the constant work of processing food, allowing it to turn its forces towards whatever virus, bacteria, or toxin is trying to invade.  

There are different types of fasts for different needs.  A lot of modern contributions to the science and application of fasting have also diversified the potential benefits of it.  As always, it is so important to do your own research and decide what is best for you.  I have found fasting to be surprisingly easy and shockingly quick for kicking sickness out.  

Many of the practices and herbs previously mentioned can also be used in the treatment of chronic diseases.  Ayurveda addresses eczema, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypertension, arthritis, and countless other common ailments.  It’s incredible that such a vast wealth of knowledge predates even the oldest foundations of modern Western medicine.  Yet, Ayurveda’s longevity as a tradition of physical and mental health speaks to its wisdom and utility.

As interest in Ayurveda spreads globally, more research is done to improve upon its practices.  Many facets of the tradition have now been scientifically proven and continue to attract fresh research.  In such an interconnected world, it appears that the communities of naturalistic medicine and modern medicine are bridging their differences.  Increasingly, a balance is being struck between Ayurvedic practice as the foundation of daily health and Western medicine as the first responder when something is truly in need of advanced testing and treatment.

The kindest thing you can do for yourself is look into how Ayurvedic wisdom can contribute to your life.  Be receptive to what your body tells you.  Respond with mindfulness and patience.  As you collect knowledge of your own body, the Ayurvedic tradition can guide you.  Be open to the multitude of small details that can drastically improve your health.  Ayurveda is the foundation for you to grow your roots and thrive.