What is Ayurveda? “Ayur” means life and “veda” means “wisdom or knowledge”. The Science of Life dates back more than 5,000 years old. Mindfulness, awareness, a therapeutic engagement of the senses and an inward integration of the body, mind, and spirit. All these and more aspects are of the healing process that is Ayurveda. Ayurveda’s self-healing wisdom approach is holistic. The harmony of the human body, mind, spirit, along with the earth, plants, and animals encourages a sense of communion with humans and nature. It emphasizes plant-based treatments and balance in the body's state of being. When balance is interrupted we experience it not just on a personal level, but collective, social and environmental perspective. Which equates to much of what we are experiencing in todays world. A lot of imbalance. Ayurveda is nature-based knowledge that we can apply to our daily lives that support the natural intelligence processes of our body. We can then harness the benefits of nature’s intelligence to provide exactly what our bodies need. You can think of Ayurveda as an instruction manual to help you live the best version of your life.
Ayurvedic principles when applied to beauty and wellness brings balance to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. Ayurveda was actually one of the first holistic systems to pioneer this kind of philosophy that does not think product-first, but ingredient-first. And so it was a natural extension for us to begin with an ingredient-focused approach. It's holistic philosophies and unique perspectives are proving to be more relevant and accepted than ever before. Ayurveda is at the forefront alternative approaches to well-being. Ayurveda is an opportunity, it’s an invitation to understanding the great mystery of our inner and outer landscapes, our connection with life beyond the everyday mundane reality.
The Elements
The DNA that forms all of creation. The foundational concept of Ayurveda is that every person is made of a unique composition of the five elements found in the universe: ether, air, fire, water and earth. These elements combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies called “The Doshas.” These life giving forces control every thing from our physiology, our thoughts, emotions and environment. The harmony of these elements is what makes us feel balanced. Balance will feel different for every person but its is described a state of peace, freedom, joy, vitality, contentment, happiness and wholeness.
The Doshas. Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
By understanding the elements and their attributes we can have a better understanding of cause and effect on our bodies and minds. You can start to develop and strengthen your natural intuition to make choices that keep your body harmonious. A rule of thumb when balancing qualities, “like increases like” and “opposites balance”. For example, a person with Vata type hair should choose products that balance the dry nature with products that have ingredients like oils that add moisture, soften and shine.
Universal and Timeless
Ayurveda is based on the idea that everyone is born with a completely unique blueprint for optimal health and opposes a one-sze-fits all approach. It is a celebration of our individuality by being aware of our true nature. This science remains as relevant than ever because of its innovative mind-body medicine for self healing as an alternative to the generic western model focused solely on symptoms. It is based on customizable principles to personalize each persons experience that can be applied to today’s modern lifestyle. In a modern world that is so desperately seeking holistic health and well-being it is a timely revival of ancient wisdom. Although Ayurveda is new to the market, the science behind it has been around for thousands of years. Modern science is now affirming much of this very same wisdom along with the fact that we are a single organism living in a non-dual universe, and are wise to live in ways that nurture the whole of life on our planet.