Intro to Ayurveda - The Science of Life

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Thousands of years before modern medicine provided scientific evidence for the mind-body connection, the sages of India developed Ayurveda, which continues to be one of the world’s most sophisticated and powerful mind-body health systems as it is rooted in the elements of nature.

More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vibrant and healthy while realizing their full potential.

According to Vasant Lad, a renowned Ayurvedic practitioner and professor at the Ayurvedic Institute, Ayurveda places great emphasis on prevention and encourages the maintenance of health through close attention to balance in one’s life, diet, lifestyle and the use of herbs. Understanding how Ayurveda is expressed in your own body, mind, and consciousness allows for you to find the tools that you need to find balance in your life.

Discover Your Dosha

Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, each person has a particular pattern of energy—an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics—which comprises their own constitution. This constitution is determined at conception by a number of factors and remains the same throughout one’s life.

Each person’s individual constitution are referred to as “doshas” in Ayurveda. The term comes from the Sanskrit dosa, meaning “fault” or “disease.”

There are three doshas in total: vata, pitta and kapha. Their energies are believed to circulate in the body and govern physical, mental and emotional characteristics. Each person has a dominant dosha or combination of doshas. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that health is achieved through balancing the three doshas.


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Vata

Vata governs movement in the body, the activities of the nervous system, and the process of elimination.

Qualities (Gunas) of Vata:

  • Cold: The cold quality may make you more sensitive to cold temperatures than others, and give you consistently cold hands and feet. In excess, it can compromise digestive strength, create feelings of isolation and loneliness, and cause constriction in the body.

  • Light: Lightness often manifests as a thin or lanky physique, access to creativity, and a well-developed sense of spirituality. In excess, it can cause a flighty ungroundedness, lack of emotional security, insomnia, deteriorating bones or muscles, and the condition of being underweight.

  • Dry and Rough: The dry and rough qualities allow our organs and tissues to appropriately absorb nutrients and also break down and eliminate what they don’t need. In excess, these qualities can cause dry skin, constipation, rough movement in the joints, carelessness, a characteristic rigidity in the mind or body, and brittle hair, nails, or bones.

  • Mobile: The mobile quality supports effective movement, communication, and action. In excess, it can cause instability and restlessness in the mind or body, compromise our ability to focus, trigger anxiety, and cause fidgeting or tremors.

  • Subtle: The subtle quality allows for substances to penetrate deep into the cells, and for ideas or emotions to infiltrate the deepest layers of consciousness. It allows for a more meaningful experience of life. In excess, it can leave us feeling aloof, ungrounded, or disconnected from reality.

Physical Characteristics:

Those with a predominance of Vata dosha usually have a thin, light frame and excellent agility. Their energy comes in bursts and they are likely to experience sudden bouts of fatigue. Vatas typically have dry skin and hair and cold hands and feet. They sleep lightly and their digestion can be sensitive. When the Vata dosha becomes imbalanced, it manifests in the body as weight loss, constipation, hypertension, arthritis, weakness, restlessness, and digestive challenges.

Emotional Characteristics:

Vatas love excitement and new experiences. They are quick to anger but also to forgive. When Vatas are in balance, they are energetic, creative, and flexible. They also take initiative and are lively conversationalists. When unbalanced, they are prone to worry and anxiousness and often suffer from insomnia. When they feel overwhelmed or stressed, their response is, “What did I do wrong?”

How to Balance Vata:

If excessive stress in your life leads to your Vata force becoming imbalanced, your activity will start to feel out of control. Your mind may race, contributing to anxiety and insomnia. You may start skipping meals, resulting in unintended weight loss, and your digestion may become irregular. If you notice these early symptoms of a Vata imbalance, slow down, take time to meditate, don’t skip meals, and get to bed earlier. A regular lifestyle routine helps ground Vata so you’re not carried away into the ethers.

Nutritional Guidelines for Vata:

Tastes to Favor: Vata is pacified by the sweet, sour, and salty tastes and aggravated by the pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes.

Emphasize:

Sweet: The sweet taste is the foundation of a vata-pacifying diet. It is the predominant taste in most of vata’s staple foods, and also vata’s primary source of nutrition. Emphasizing the sweet taste does NOT require us to eat large amounts of refined sugar or sugary-sweet food and can be found in most grains, root vegetables, milk, ghee, fresh yogurt, eggs, nuts, seeds, oils and lean meats. Naturally sweet foods tend to be grounding, nourishing, strength-building, and satisfying.

Sour: The sour taste awakens the mind and the senses, improves digestion, promotes energy, moistens other foods, and helps to eliminate excess wind (think gas and bloating) which tend to be issues for vata The sour taste is generally not the centerpiece of a meal; instead, it tends to compliment and enliven other flavors through the addition of options such as a squeeze of lime juice, a slice of cheese or a dollop of fresh yogurt. Sour fruits like green grapes, oranges, pineapple, and grapefruit are also appropriate when eaten separate from other foods and in moderation.

Salty: Salt stimulates the appetite and digestion, helps retain moisture and supports proper elimination which are all issues that people with a Vata constitution face.The salty taste is almost singularly derived from salt itself, but favoring the salty taste does not mean that your food should taste as if it’s being cured. Ayurveda recommends a quality sea salt or Natural Mineral Salt over common table salt.

Minimize

Pungent: The pungent taste is hot, dry, and light; too much of it is extremely drying to the system, exacerbates the rough quality, and can therefore disturb vata. Pungent is a spicy, hot flavor like that found in chilies, radishes, turnips, raw onions, and many especially heating spices.

Bitter: The bitter taste is cooling, rough, drying, light, and generally reducing or catabolic—all qualities that tend to aggravate vata. The bitter taste predominates bitter greens (like kale, dandelion greens, and collard greens), and is also found in foods like bitter melon, Jerusalem artichokes, burdock root, eggplant, and chocolate.

Astringent: The astringent taste is dry, cold, heavy, and rough in nature, making it understandably aggravating to vata. The astringent taste is basically a flavor of dryness—a chalky taste that dries the mouth and may cause it to contract (picture biting into a very green banana). Legumes are classically astringent in taste—adzuki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, pinto beans, soybeans, and so forth. The astringent taste is also found in some fruits, vegetables, grains, and baked goods—things like apples, cranberries, pomegranate, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, rye, rice cakes, and crackers.


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Pitta

Pitta governs digestion, energy production, metabolism, and is rooted in act of transformation.

Qualities (Gunas) of Pitta:

  • Hot: The hot quality creates a healthy blush in the cheeks, a naturally strong digestive fire, the capacity to stay warm in cold conditions, and gives the personality passion. In excess, it can manifest as skin rashes and breakouts, burning sensations, inflammatory disorders, excess acidity, and hot emotions like anger and rage.

  • Sharp: A sharp mind is characteristically inquisitive, penetrating, quick, and highly capable of mastery. Sharpness is also behind decisiveness, discernment, a strong appetite, penetrating digestive capacity (that easily breaks down ingested food), and sharp vision—whether literal, figurative, or both. In excess, it can lead to a short temper, sharp words, the capacity to judge one’s self and others harshly, and sharp hunger.

  • Light: Lightness often manifests as a trim, fit physique, easeful digestion, light-heartedness, a bright and alert mind, a magnetic or charismatic personality, lightly-colored eyes, and fair skin. In excess, it can cause a flighty ungroundedness, light-headedness, excess upward moving energy (think headaches or baldness), low blood sugar, or sensitivity to sunlight.

  • Liquid: The liquid quality supports proper salivation, healthy digestive juices, an appropriate capacity to sweat, and fluidity of movement throughout the digestive tract, blood, joints, and body. In excess, liquidity can dilute the digestive fire, cause bleeding gums, bleeding disorders in general, a tendency to bruise easily, and excessive sweat.

  • Spreading: The spreading quality can manifest as charisma and charm, the capacity for spreading influence, and may lead to exceptional achievement, broad recognition, and even fame. In excess, it is often behind a spreading rash and the capacity to create a toxic emotional environment.

  • Oily: Oiliness makes for naturally soft and lubricated skin, smooth movement in the joints, and it bolsters our capacities to relax, accept nourishment, and give or receive love. In excess, it can lead to oily skin and hair, acne, excess mucus, or an especially manipulative (think slippery) personality.

Physical Characteristics:

Pitta types have a strong appetite (never one to miss a meal!) and strong digestion. They eliminate with ease and usually have 2 or more bowel movements a day. They sleep well – even if they are awakened, they can go back to sleep easily. Their speech pattern is sharp and direct. As they have a predominance of fire in their constitution, they have a low tolerance for warm weather. When Pitta becomes imbalanced (i.e. in excess), they may become prone to heartburn, hyperacidity, burning indigestion, heartburn, skin rashes, fever, liver disorders such as hepatitis or jaundice and inflammatory conditions.

Emotional Characteristics:

Pitta types are intelligent, confident, and courageous. They are ‘natural born leaders’ and very often, perfectionists. They are eloquent, organized, focused, and have a strong sense of discernment. They have a sharp wit and love a good debate. When Pitta is imbalanced (i.e. in excess), one can become overly intense, angry, critical, aggressive and judgmental. 

How to Balance Pitta:

When Pitta becomes imbalanced, the main qualities that are in excess (or imbalanced) are hot, light, and sharp. Therefore, we balance Pitta by incorporating cooling foods such as cucumbers, coconut, and leafy greens, performing calming practices such as restorative yoga, and practicing moderation in work and daily activities. Lastly, cultivating non-judgment is an important way to balance Pitta in the mind.

Nutritional Guidelines for Pitta:

Tastes to Favor: Pitta is pacified by the sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes and aggravated by the pungent, sour, and salty tastes

Emphasize:

Sweet: The sweet taste is cooling and heavy but also anti-inflammatory. It pacifies heat, satisfies thirst, benefits the skin and hair, and tends to be grounding, nourishing, strength building, and satisfying which are all helpful for balancing Pitta dosha.

Bitter: Bitters cleanse the pallet and improve the sense of taste. They tone the skin and muscles, benefit the blood, relieve burning and itching sensations, satisfy thirst, balance the appetite, support digestion, and help to absorb moisture, sweat, and excess pitta. The bitter taste predominates bitter greens—like kale, dandelion greens, and collard greens. It is also found in bitter melon, Jerusalem artichokes, dark chocolate and pitta pacifying spices like cumin, neem leaves, saffron, and turmeric.

Astringent: Pitta benefits from the compressing, absorbing, union-promoting nature of the astringent taste. It can curb pitta’s tendency to spread, tone bodily tissues, prevent bleeding disorders, thwart diarrhea, and also absorb excess sweat and fluid.

Minimize

Pungent: The pungent taste is particularly hot and light—both qualities that disturb pitta. Too much pungent taste can cause excess thirst, burning sensations, bleeding, dizziness, and inflammation (especially in the intestinal tract).

Sour: Pitta is aggravated by the hot, light, and oily qualities of the sour taste. Too much sour taste can increase thirst, disturb the blood, create heat in the muscles, cause pus formation in wounds, and give rise to burning sensations in the throat, chest, or heart. It can even promote sour feelings like jealously or envy. Minimize sour foods like vinegar and other fermented foods, hard cheeses, sour cream, green grapes, pineapple, grapefruit, and alcohol.

Salty: Much like the sour taste, it is salt’s light, hot, and oily nature that aggravates pitta.The salty taste can disturb the blood’s balance, impede the sense organs, increase heat, aggravate the skin, intensify inflammation, lead to the rupture of tissues, or cause water retention, high blood pressure, intestinal inflammation, grey hair, wrinkles, and excess thirst. It can also intensify our desire for stronger flavors, which can provoke pitta even further.


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KAPHA

Kapha governs the structure and lubrication of the body and is rooted in nourishment.

Qualities (Gunas) of Kapha:

  • Heavy: The heavy quality provides substance, lending a certain grounded, real, relatable, and embodied quality to the personality. In excess, it causes inertia, lethargy, weight gain, and feelings of being overburdened, weighed down, or depressed.

  • Slow/Dull: The slow quality creates a level of deliberate intentionality and purpose, and the capacity to pace one’s self appropriately. It allows us to be fully present, while creating depth, meaning, and connection. In excess, this quality can lead to a dull appetite, sluggish digestion, excessively slow movement or speech, a dull or uninspired mind, resistance to change, and boredom.

  • Cool: The cool quality may leave the skin slightly cool to the touch and often creates a calm, cool-headed personality that is not easily ruffled. In excess, this quality can dampen the heat and efficiency of the digestive fire, or cool one’s passion and inspiration.

  • Oily: Oiliness makes for naturally soft and lubricated skin, smooth movement in the joints, and it bolsters our capacities to relax, accept nourishment, and give or receive love. In excess, it can lead to oily skin and hair, acne, excess mucus, or an especially manipulative (think slippery) personality..

  • Smooth: The smooth quality tends to make the skin, hair, and physical body smooth and soft, while supporting smooth movement in the joints, graceful movement of the body, and a soft, gentle, and loving personality. When aggravated, the smooth quality can cause water retention and excessive adipose tissue.

  • Stable: The stable quality provides a distinct steadiness of mind and body, good balance, and is deeply appreciated by those who are naturally more reactive or flighty. In excess, the stable quality can lead to inactivity, stubbornness, or stagnation.

Physical Characteristics:

Kapha types have a strong build and excellent stamina. Large, soft eyes; smooth, radiant skin; and thick hair are also important Kapha characteristics. Those who are predominantly Kapha sleep soundly and have regular digestion. But when Kapha builds to excess, weight gain, fluid retention, and allergies manifest in the body. When they’re out of balance, Kapha types may become overweight, sleep excessively, and suffer from asthma, diabetes, and depression.

Emotional Characteristics:

Kaphas are naturally calm, thoughtful, and loving. They have an inherent ability to enjoy life and are comfortable with routine. When in balance, Kaphas are strong, loyal, patient, steady, and supportive. People with an excess of Kapha tend to hold on to things, jobs, and relationships long after they are no longer nourishing or necessary. Excess Kapha in the mind manifests as resistance to change and stubbornness. In the face of stress, the typical Kapha response is, “I don’t want to deal with it.”

How to Balance Kapha:

When Kaphas are out of balance, they can become lethargic, apathetic, depressed and clingy. Keep Kapha-heavy emotions balanced with stimulating activities such as yoga or other aerobics; play upbeat, lively music and dance around the room like a carefree kid! Utilize self-massage (abhyanga) before showering or bathing — just the act of massaging and stimulating the skin can go a long way towards boosting circulation, energy and positive feelings, not to mention the benefits that come from taking care of oneself and prioritizing one’s own well-being.

Nutritional Guidelines for Kapha:

Tastes to Favor: Kapha is pacified by foods with pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes and are aggravated by sweet, sour, and salty tastes.

Emphasize:

Pungent: The pungent taste is light, hot, rough, and dry—all beneficial for kapha. In essence, if you like spicy or fiery hot, go for it. And even if you don’t, favor a wide variety of milder spices in your dishes—things like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, garlic, paprika, and turmeric.

Bitter: The bitter taste is rough, drying, light, and generally reducing—all qualities that benefit kapha, but it is also cooling, so it’s important to add some warming spices to bitter foods.

Astringent: The astringent taste is dry, rough, somewhat light, and it reduces kapha. But like the bitter taste, it is also cold, so it’s best to add warming herbs and spices to astringent foods. In some cases (as with pomegranate), simply enjoying these foods in the warmer seasons makes a lot of sense. Kapha benefits from the compressing, absorbing, nature of the astringent taste, which also helps to tone bodily tissues and utilize excess fluid.

Minimize

Sweet: Sweet foods tend to aggravate kapha’s tendency toward heaviness, obesity, lethargy, and excess sleep. They can also cause excessive mucus, aggravate colds and coughs, and depress the appetite in an unhealthy way.

Sour: The sour taste can increase thirst, create heaviness in the eyes, cause laxity in the body, and aggravate water retention or swelling which are all issues that Kaphas struggle with as the moistening and oily qualities of the sour taste aggravate kapha.

Salty: Much like the sour taste, it is salt’s moist and oily nature that aggravates kapha. In excess, the salty taste can cause water retention, high blood pressure, intestinal inflammation, grey hair, wrinkles, excess thirst, and it can impede the sense organs. Further, it tends to spark a sharp desire for stronger flavors and can similarly trigger insatiability and greed.

Sources: Banyan Botanicals, “What to Eat for How You Feel” - Divya Alter, “The Yoga of Herbs” - Vasant Lad