Ayurvedic health and diet – part 1

Posted by Diana van Eyk on October 17th, 2010

Thanks to Anna Colin, a certified Ayurvedic practitioner who lives here in Nelson, for her articles on Ayurvedic health and diet.

According to Wikipedia, Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.

image courtesy of picses.eu

First, here is some background on the Ayurvedic philosophy, which will be followed by a description of the three body types and their dietary requirements according to this philosophy.

Ayurveda means the Science of Life. Ayur means life and Veda means knowledge. It is a complete health care system with a complete treatment plan can be recommended for an individual which includes diagnosis, elimination of the cause, treatment of the condition (pancha karma or body work, herbs, yoga, mantra, *pranayama), rebuilding of the body (rasayana) and continuing support with a rejuvenation program.

It is a living science that is always changing as it incorporates modern techniques and advancements with ancient wisdom. In Ayurveda it is understood that each individual is a microcosm of the larger cosmos. Ayurveda is a holistic healing system that incorporates all aspects of the body, mind and consciousness. It is geared towards prevention and incorporates the patient in the whole scope of healing. Ayurveda is a science of healing that has been used to heal and prevent disease for over 5,000 years.

Ayurveda describes health as Sama Doshas meaning a balance of all three doshas: Sama Agni meaning balanced metabolism, Sama Dhatu meaning balanced tissue metabolism, Mala Kriya meaning elimination of malas or wastes. If this occurs prasanna or a happy state of atma or self, of indriya or senses and of manah or mind will occur. Then there will be health.

Ayurveda does not say that health is an absence of disease but more a balance of body, mind and consciousness.

Health incorporates the trinity of the mind (satvam), body (sharir) and the consciousness or soul (atman). This trinity works together to provide people with an understanding of themselves, all their relationships and of the greater cosmos and creator.

Ayurveda says that the foundation of life is self knowing and awareness. Once you can expand beyond the “I” ness of life and your small realm, you will understand that we are not our emotions, thoughts and feelings, allowing us to reach Moksha or liberation.

* Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning “restraint of the prana or breath” or more accurately, “control of force”. The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and “āyāma”, to suspend or restrain. It is often translated as control of the life force (prana). When used as a technical term in yoga, it is often translated more specifically as “breath control”. Literal translations include A. A. Macdonell’s “suspension of breath” and I. K. Taimni‘s “regulation of breath” – from Wikipedia