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Ayurveda is a traditional Indian philosophy that is over 5,000 years old from Vedic Scriptures in India.

The translation means the Science of Knowledge or Life.

The aim of Ayurveda is to restore any imbalances that exist in the body by adapting the lifestyle, food, environment and actions of an individual to achieve mental, physical and spiritual harmony.

It is an holistic approach and is concerned with every sphere of one's life so as well as physical treatments it can encompass yoga, meditation and involvement in community.

The long term aim is to achieve optimum health over one's lifetime.

There is a strong connection with the environment and the principles are allied to the subtle energies not just in the body, mind and soul but the elements within the environment.

The 5 elements we are talking about are Fire, Earth, Water, Air and Ether or Space - balanced health depends on their harmony. These elements are present in every organ and cell in our bodies.

Ayurvedic theory believes that illness is the result of long term disruption and imbalance of the energy.

Doshas

There are three energies that are at the heart of Auryveda which combine with the elements that are present everywhere.

You may have heard of these energies or doshas They are VATA PITTA AND KAPHA. These energies combine in each person in different proportions a bit like DNA and so everyone is unique. The differentiation of these energies in a person enables diagnosis to be quite specific.

It becomes like peeling an onion with clues to what is really going on in the body till you get to the centre. It is not a quick fix like taking a pill to alleviate a headache, generally because the imbalances have developed over time and the symptoms then start to come to the fore.

The doshas have recognisable characteristics and therefore has its own type of recognisable symptoms that lead to illness.

Vata

Characteristics are : Air and Ether and are responsible for movement of all fluids in the body. Some diseases involved with Vata are arthritus and excema. They are often forgetful and have a wide range of interests that change regularly.

Pitta

Characteristics are : Fire and Water they can create a lot of heat in their body so be prone to ulcers and heart issues and have fiery responses and often disciplined and ambitious

Kapha

Characteristics are : Earth and Water - they tend towards more sluggish metabolisms and like sweet things so put on weight easily and are very giving to others often over themselves.

The Basics of Ayurveda are often made up of common sense principles such as: the body responds to regularity - enough sleep, regular meals and activity for the mind and body. Making sure that the rhythm of your life adapts according to seasons, your workload and general everyday pressures - awareness of these elements all helps to maintain balance and therefore health.

The understanding of your unique Ayurvedic constitution offers an insight into the person you are, how you should live, what you should eat and what is generally best for you.

FOOD

Ayurveda promotes eating the right food for the right Dosha - up to 70- 80% of symptoms can be improved by being aware of what is right for your constitution and using simple everyday foods, like tea, ginger, honey, turmeric, potatoes can help balance your body.

As you probably guessed foods all are made up of differing elements which can then aggravate or supress your system.

For example :
- cutting out foods that create more heat in your body if you tend to have a pitta imbalance can make a big difference.

Two issues that are ALWAYS addressed in Ayurveda and that cause disruptive influences are the build-up of toxins (AMA). A lack of the correct foods or eating inappropriate foods can cause the poorly digested elements to enter the body and be deposited in different areas that relate to one's Dosha for example the joints.

Secondly, is whether you have too much or too little digestive "heat" - which is called AGNI.

If we do not have good digestive health then our physical health can suffer over a period of years.

We often eat because of the time and are not aware if we are actually hungry hence our body is not prepared to digest satisfactorily at this point causing AMA.

To be totally satisfied when eating, Ayurveda believes that the 6 tastes of sweet, salty, pungent, bitter, sour and astringent need to be present.

Diagnosis however, is not all about foods it also uses the pulse, eyes, tongue, the physical make- up of the body and what the individual enjoys. It is a truly individual approach to achieve balance and health within our body and ultimately becomes a way of life.

Any herbal supplements, oils and jams that are recommended are supplied by the Ayurvedic Institute and are carefully sourced from Sri Lanka and are of the highest quality, purity and potency.

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