By Bronwyn Ison
If you practice Yoga there is a good chance you have heard of Ayurveda. Living an Ayurvedic lifestyle is a healthy one to adopt. It enables a person to encompass optimal physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. In the ancient language, Sanskrit, Ayurveda means, “Knowledge of Life.” The resurgence of this 5,000-year-old system has three fundamental energies. The structure is developed around movement, transformation, and structure. In Sanskrit the following doshas have meaning, Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth). What does this mean? It means, each of us is unique and these three forces help shape our nature. How do you know your force? Are your wind, fire, or earth? One must take the Ayurveda Dosha Test. (Please refer to the Dosha quiz at the end of the article).
Ayurveda is a complex discipline requiring many years of study. I want to pique your interest and share with you this healthy lifestyle. The resurgence of Ayurveda is gaining momentum. You will learn why as you delve more into the benefits it provides. There are five elements included, they makeup the doshas; air, space, fire, earth and water. The three ayurvedic doshas are vata, a combination of air and space, pitta a combination of fire and water, and kapha is water and earth. It is believed each one of us is born with a combination of the three doshas. One or two of the doshas is believed to be dominant. This determines our physical, mental, and emotional characteristics. Once you learn your dosha, what do you do with it? There are several ways to incorporate an ayurvedic lifestyle. However, I would like to highlight the healthy eating lifestyle.
When is comes to nourishing our bodies we all love and need food. The nutrients in our food provide energy and keep us full of vigor. But, are we eating the correct foods? Ahh, we could all be a little better at maintaining a healthy diet. The Ayurvedic diet tells us we should include six tastes (Rasas) into every meal to please the palate. Mmmm, sounds good to me. When the palate is pleased, cravings for more of a specific flavor diminishes. These (Rasas) flavor accents include sweet, salty, sour, pungent, astringent, and bitter. Each taste represents a combination of earth, water, air, and fire. As well each flavor stimulates the physical and mental sensors after eating certain foods. For example and according to ayurvedadosha.org., Vata’s experience a soothing effect when ingesting sweet, sour, and salty foods but their dosha is aggravated by pungent, astringent, or to bitter of foods. Yet, remember to achieve a balance one must introduce all flavors accordingly and evenly for optimal benefits.
Establishing or accepting an Ayurvedic lifestyle is a commitment that requires a great deal of dedication. Many Yogis’ and health minded people alike are seeking more and better ways of living. Possibly an ayurvedic lifestyle is for you. To learn your dosha visit: doshaquiz.chopra.com
