What is Ayurveda?

I throw this name around a lot and finally just lately, my father asked me - what is this "veda" thing you keep talking about?

Have you been wondering too?

Once I was introduced to Ayurveda she felt like a long lost friend and so I forget that not everyone has met her yet. For me, Ayurveda is feminine like a nurturing goddess - but that’s just my flavouring.

Ayurveda translates as the knowledge of life.

Kind of a big umbrella to hold… and under that big umbrella, she holds a lot of potential and wisdom.

“Ayurveda is a medical science and its purpose is to heal and to maintain the quality and longevity of life.”
Dr Vasant Ladd - The Textbook of Ayurveda - Fundamental Principals

Quick Facts On Ayurveda

• Over 5000 years old, thought to be the oldest healing system on the planet.

• Ancient wisdom from the Vedic culture of ancient India.

• Study of the laws or principals of nature.

• Not religion-based.

• Factors emotional, mental and physical experiences in understanding health and dis-ease.

• Incorporates a simple daily routine to align your life with nature for optimal wellness.

Like many Eastern healing traditions, Ayurveda looks to discover and balance the root cause of dis-ease instead of treating symptoms.

One of the main principals is that most disease begins in the gut which is now supported by western science through microbiome research.

It’s hard to imagine that 5000 years ago Ayurveda looked to find whole-body healing both physical and emotional from first looking to instil balance to the digestive system. Radical at the time, radical ten years ago and now it’s just common sense.

Ayurveda, The Science of Life

This ancient wisdom science incorporates all elements of the modern wellness lifestyle:

• Yoga and exercise open energy channels and build strength.

• Meditation both connects you to your body’s needs and promote mental health.

• Nutrition is likely what we think of first in regards to Ayurveda and provides the building blocks for wellness.

• Herbs and Essential Oils are used to facilitate healing.

• Massage using base oils and essential oils helps cleanse and restore balance.

“This system teaches you that when you align your daily habits with your natural cycles, support your digestion, eat the right food, move your body regularly, and get good natural sleep, your physiology can work optimally.”
Sheila Patel, M.D., the Chief Medical Officer for Chopra Global

The Ayurvedic approach to nutrition is very open and accepting. There are no hard and fast diet rules favouring Keto, Vegetarian, Vegan or Dairy or Gluten-Free...

Instead, Ayurveda takes an individual approach based on your unique makeup or Dosha. This freedom and flexibility help you to tune into your body to discover what’s right for you. It’s amazing the results you see when you do.

As you can tell - I have a love-affair with Ayurveda.

This ancient wisdom helps you tune into your own innate wisdom to find healing, wellness and joy.

How Does Ayurveda Help Me?

The first step in using the wisdom of Ayurveda is to know yourself. You do this by taking the Dosha Quiz.

The results of this quiz and what it means will have you smacking your forehead at how much it rings true. It explains so much about your natural innate preferences that you thought weird or tried to resist - like whether you like pickles or hot weather…

Next is to adopt the Dinya Chariya or Daily Rhythm. This is where we have fallen out of sync with nature from the advances of the modern world (aka - the lightbulb).

Making these simple shifts is when things will change drastically for you. With drastic change comes resistance so that’s why we do this as a group in the Daily Essentials Course - click here to learn more about Ayurveda, yourself and nature.

As you discover more about yourself and the natural world you’ll learn to trust your instincts and love who you are.

My biggest love for Ayurveda is that it helps me to let go of the “shoulds” and accept myself for who I am.

Under the Ayurvedic Wisdom Umbrella

The ancient wisdom of Ayurveda covers everything from soap to spices. Check out these articles to learn more about how this ancient wisdom science.