WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

Ayurveda is an ancient alternative traditional medicine with roots in India. It is a holistic practice, focusing on a balance of energies in body and mind. Literally, Ayurveda therefore means 'knowledge of life'. A personalised approach is central to treatment methods. Every individual is unique, and so is every treatment or path to optimal health. Ayurveda is quite an alternative medicine, as it deviates quite a bit from our traditional approach with medication and science as its foundation. It is quite floaty and therefore not the best treatment for all ailments. Still, you can learn some pretty wonderful life lessons from it that will make you a healthier and happier person. Read everything you need to know about the principles of Ayurveda here.

Ayurveda: the basic principles

Ancient scriptures claim that thousands of years ago Ayurveda was born thanks to introspection. This health science looks at your whole life, as everything is connected; the physical, mental and spiritual. What constitutes good treatment according to Ayurvedic medicine depends on the circumstances of that individual. Factors considered are diet, stressors, sleep and rest, medication use, exercise and behaviour and personality traits. So very different from going to a specialist in the hospital with a complaint. In short, Ayurveda looks at the question: what do you need right now to achieve balance?

The three doshas

Ayurveda has three basic principles called doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These are the basic energies that need to be in balance for us to feel good. An imbalance of the doshas, due to factors such as diet, stress and lifestyle, is considered the cause of illness. Every person has a certain dosha that is dominant. The idea is that you have to live according to your Ayurveda type to feel balanced. With each dosha, there are certain eating and living rules:

• Vata stands for movement, alertness and communication. This dosha is related to your mobility, breathing, nervous system and circulation. Vata types are creative people with a great enthusiasm for anything and everything. You could easily accuse a Vata-type of having ADHD, as this interest is often quickly gone too.
• Pitta is the metabolic dosha. This dosha is connected to your digestion, energy, intellect and emotions. Pitta types are sporty people with ambition and a good appetite and strong stomach.
• Kapha is the dosha that stands for structure and stability. It affects your stamina and fluid balance. Kapha types are calmer and more stable and often have a firmer physique.

Most people have a mix of Vata, Pitta and Kapha in them. Usually these are two doshas, but one or three can also be - although a trio of doshas is very rare. Want to know which dosha type you are? Take a short online dosha test here!

Ayurvedic nutrition

Nutrition has an important place within Ayurveda. Your dosha type is one of the things that determine what your ideal diet should be. But seasons and the time of day also influence what you should eat. The basic rules of a healthy diet according to Ayurveda include:

• eat at set times
• eat a small breakfast and a big lunch
• don't eat too much
• eat fresh and hot
• use all flavours (sweet, sour, salty etc) at every meal
• avoid coffee and alcohol.

In Ayurvedic nutrition, we also see the doshas reflected in individual foods. This is because each ingredient has an impact on those doshas, and so can rebalance your doshas.
Herbs and spices are important here. Herbs are often prescribed in the form of supplements or as part of a diet.

Ashwagandha is a well-known plant within Ayurveda, designed to rebalance excessive Vata and Kapha doshas. Scientific studies show that Ashwagandha helps with stress, including by bringing down your cortisol levels. We also see many familiar kitchen herbs and spices in Ayurvedic cooking, such as ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, turmeric and coriander.

Ayurvedic yoga and meditation

Yoga has an important place within Ayurvedic teachings. Yoga is an ultimate form of movement to make you feel balanced again. You can also use your predominant dosha type as a guide when doing yoga. If Vata predominates, do relaxing and grounding asanas that calm your mind. Think child pose and corpse pose. Does Pitta predominate with you and do you do a lot of active movement? Then balance things out with yoga postures that calm you down. If you are already calm (Kapha), go for more challenging or activating asanas like the sun salutation.

Unsurprisingly, meditation may also be on your prescription from an Ayurvedic practitioner. After all, meditation, like yoga, is capable of rebalancing your mental and physical energies.

Detox and massage

We don't recommend it, but in Ayurvedic medicine they recommend cleansing cures to rid your body of accumulated substances. Panchakarma is what this is called. These intensive cleansing cures include massages and the 'cleansing of bowels and sinuses'. These cures may be nice and relieving, but there is no scientific evidence that they have a positive effect on your health.

Massage is another important part of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic massages are tailored to the doshas. They are relaxing and are done with different types of oils.

The holistic idea behind Ayurveda is beautiful: everything is connected. But it is not a good substitute for our 'Western' medicine. So be careful and critical when applying Ayurvedic principles and immerse yourself in the science behind it. However, you can enjoy yoga and meditation indefinitely!