What is Ayurveda
Ayurveda's definition of health
समदोष्हा समाग्नि च सम धातु मलक्रियः ।
प्रसन्नात्म इन्द्रिय मनः स्वस्था इति अभिधीयते ॥
Samadoşa samāgni ca sama dhātu malakriyah
Prasanna ātma indriya manah svastha iti abhidhīyate
A person who is established in self, has balanced functional energies, balanced digestion, balanced bodily tissues, well functioning bodily processes and who’s mind, soul, and senses are filled with bliss is called a healthy person
What is Ayurveda exactly?
Ayurveda is a natural holistic medical science from India. It provides natural and effective ways of treating disease and maintaining good health. Moreover it restores our power over our health promoting a holistic collaborative approach to healing. Ayurveda guides us to find our own inner balance and align with what is wholesome and nourishing for our mind, body, and consciousness.
How does Ayurveda work?
By aligning with your body’s natural point of homeostasis you unlock your innate capacity for healing and restoration. According to Ayurveda you are born with a unique psycho-physical physiological constitution called your prakruti. Prakruti is a sanskrit word which means nature. When in line with your prakruti you experience good health, peak experiences, and positive emotions.
Over time internal and external factors nudge us away from our prakruti and disease begins to develop. Suffering in any form is considered a dis-ease in Ayurveda. The emphasis is to remove the root cause of disease, restore balance to your mind-body system, and rejuvenate you back to optimal health.
Is Ayurveda Herbal Medicine?
Ayurveda is a science of qualities. There are a set of opposite qualities that exist both within and outside of the body. (hot-cold, heavy-light, etc) For example, it’s the quality of heat that governs digestion, metabolism, and thermal regulation in the body. That hot quality can be increased externally through foods or climate. Honey, jalapeños, and black pepper add to the hot quality in the body. Hot Yoga or simply summer time itself also increase the quality of heat. This same quality can be increased internally through breath and emotions. Kapalabhati breathing increases heat in the body internally, as do emotions like anger, jealousy, and frustration. Āyurveda utilizes the properties and qualities of all things to re-instantiate balance to the mind body system. Thus all medicinal techniques are available to Ayurveda. Herbal medicine, culinary medicine, lifestyle medicine, microbiology, circadian medicine, drugs, surgery, and more are all utilized by Āyurveda. In fact the oldest known treatise on surgery in history is an Ayurvedic text called the Sushruta Samhita.
Is Ayurveda scientific?
Ayurveda is the most scientific science we’ve personally encountered. It’s scope, breadth, sophistication, and efficacy are simply astounding. Ayurveda is not yet recognized here in the U.S. yet it is a registered medical discipline in over 15 countries worldwide including India, Brazil, and Switzerland. There are thousands of Ayurvedic medical case studies continually conducted all around the world. Some such resources are documented here:
The International Ayurvedic Medical Journal – https://www.iamj.in/
The Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine – https://ayurvedjournal.com/
The Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/1513/
What can Ayurveda do for me?
All pursuits of life spring from a foundation of good health. Thus optimal health is a pre-requisite to fulfilling your highest dreams and desires. In fact the reason we practice Ayurveda is to fulfill the four fundamental human desires – to live our purpose, to be prosperous, to gratify our highest desires, and to spiritually liberate ourselves.
The science of Ayurveda is life giving knowledge and we encourage you to join us for our workshops where we learn the basic concepts of prakruti, vikruti, doshas, and agni. Understanding these laws of nature will change how you see the world and empower you to promote balance and ease in all facets of your life.
Ayurveda is a paradigm shift. It is for people looking to regain control and responsibility for their health and well-being. If you’re a seeker of health and wellness in any capacity Ayurveda is for you. Ayurveda isn’t the latest health fad, diet, work out routine or anything of the sort. It is a timeless holistic all encompassing strategy for living our highest quality lives.
What if I don’t want my prescription drugs?
A lot of people want a way to feel healthy, stay healthy, and stay away from prescription drugs. In this regard, you may have heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This wisdom is and will always be true. That said, Ayurveda has helped thousands of people restore their health to a point where they no longer need their pharmaceutical drugs.
Moreover many conditions in conventional western medicine are considered “untreatable.” We think it’s important to recognize this diagnosis often exemplifies a lack of knowledge. The majority of “untreatable” conditions just 100 years ago are now treatable. Plus nearly all diseases are preventable! If you are yet to develop any serious diseases Ayurveda is your gateway to a long prosperous life. The sad truth is that many young adults in their 30’s and 40’s are recommended to go on pharmaceutical drugs which they often take for the rest of their lives. We’ve experienced this personally with our families, friends, and loved ones. To put it simply, there is a better way.
What if I already feel pretty healthy?
Health is a blessing and we’re so glad to know you’re experiencing it. That said health is not an on or off switch. Odds are you’d be happy to elevate your sleep quality, energy levels, emotional stability, vigor, and vitality. A current state of good health is an opportunity to transcend into an even higher level of life experience. One where you magnetize purpose and meaning into your work, relationships, and free time. In such a situation it is vital to preserve your good health and ensure your longevity. Ayurveda offers the timeless wisdom of preventative lifestyle medicine to keep you thriving.
Moreover still many of us have little quirks with our bodies. Mild pains, discomforts, or dysfunctions that we simply decide to live with. We may not think they’re worth mentioning to our doctor and sometimes even our doctor doesn’t think they’re worth mentioning. According to Āyurveda these little discomforts and dysfunctions matter a great deal and are in fact the pre-conditions to more severe illnesses in the future. Ayurveda can help you remove these “little quirks,” simultaneously embolstering your immunity and vitality.
How to approach Ayurveda?
Dr. Lad says in Ayurveda “Learning is unlearning.” You can not pour into a cup that is already full. Thus we must approach Ayurveda with an open mind, humility, and curiosity. Learning Ayurveda requires a reorientation of our scientific approach.
Conventional Western Science seeks to identify, categorize, measure, and therefore manipulate our objective physical reality. We start with our naked eye and develop technology to further magnify what we can see. In doing so we’ve learned that all things are in fact made of smaller things. Our human body certainly looks like a real physical thing – which it is. Yet also it is nothing more than a conglomeration of cells and microorganisms. Further still this microscopic view can be disintegrated to reveal a subatomic view of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Western Science starts from the largest most phsyical things and moves inward to the smallest most subtle things. It is an outside-in approach.
In Ayurveda we heal from the inside out. This science starts from the smallest most subtle aspects of reality and observes how they emerge outward into more physical manifestations. It is a complete and functional merging of Quantum Physics (protons, neutron, and electrons) with Newtonian Physics (gravity,mass,volume). Moreover it merges our physical objective reality with our inner subjective experience. It is this inside-out approach that is so radically different to what we are used to and it represents one of the most fundamental differences between Conventional Medical Science and Ayurvedic Medical Science.
All of the Vedic sciences (Yoga, Ayurveda, Jyotish, etc) are tremendous journeys inward in which it is our inner wisdom which ultimately guides us. Yet also if we want to maximize our efforts a proper guide is essential. Just like in yoga, music, and sports, a proper guide is an invaluable asset.
Ayurvedic Medicine vs Western Medicine?
Why choose one over the other? Do you choose to eat only mangos or peaches?
Let us receive from each discipline all that it has to offer.