In a post sometime ago I said I would share a little bit about Ayurveda and what that means and how I live an Auyrvedic lifestyle or more to the point how I plan on getting back to living an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

So, my dosha is a dual dosha; Vata and Pitta. Whaaat does that mean? 

To understand what that means we first need to delve into  the question: What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is India’s traditional, natural system of medicine that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that literally translates as “science of life”. Ayurveda was the system of health care conceived and developed by the seers (rishis) and natural scientists through centuries of observations, experiments, discussions, and meditations. For several thousand years their teachings were passed on orally from teacher to student; about the fifth to sixth century BC, elaborately detailed texts were written in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. 

Ayurveda emphasizes prevention of disease, rejuvenation of our body systems, and extension of life span. The profound premise and promise of Ayurveda is that through certain practices, not only can we prevent disease, but we can also better understand ourselves and the world around us. We can live a long healthy life in balance and harmony, achieve our fullest potential, and express our true inner nature on a daily basis.

Ayurveda provides an integrated holistic approach to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle interventions and natural therapies. It is based on the view that the elements, forces, and principles that comprise all of nature – and that holds it together and make it function – are also seen in human beings. In Ayurveda, the mind (or consciousness) and the body (or physical mass) not only influence each other – they are each other. Together they form the mind-body. Ayurvedic philosophy and practices link us to every aspect of ourselves and remind us that we are in union with every aspect of nature, each other, and the entire universe.

There can be no mental health without physical health, and vice versa. In Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases that could be categorized as mental thoughts or feelings are just as important as symptoms and diseases of the physical body. Both are due to imbalances within a person, and both are treated by restoring the natural balance mentally and physically. In Ayurveda your whole life and lifestyle must be in harmony before you can enjoy true well being. Lifestyle interventions are a major Ayurvedic preventive and therapeutic approach.

In Ayurvedic philosophy, the five elements combine in pairs to form dynamic forces or interactions called doshas. Dosha means “that which changes.”  The doshas are constantly moving in dynamic balance, one with the others. Doshas are required for life to happen. In Ayurveda, dosha is also known as the governing principles as every living thing in nature is characterized by the dosha. Ultimately it is the goal to have the doshas in balance and in harmony living as one.

Most of Ayurveda is diet and lifestyle management that is used on a daily basis. In Ayurveda there are no drastic changes, just simple intentional, gradual progress. I need to remind myself of this…that small changes are the first step on this journey to wellness and transformation.

So I have a Vata-Pitta dosha, what does that mean? 

First we need to make a distinction between Prakriti and Vikruti. Prakruti is our nature, our “constitution/dosha”, with which we were born. While our Vikruti is our current state, often referred to as our “imbalance”. 

All doshas can be found in every body, but different people may have more of some doshas than others – this is what determines a person’s constitution. Dosha’s are born from the five elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Water. The elements combine in pairs, to create the energies of the doshas. Vata is the energy of movement; Pitta is the energy of transformation; and Kalpha is the energy of lubrication and structure.

Being a Vata-Pitta type means that two doshas are predominant in my Prakruti or what’s referred to as constitution, we talked about this above. Vata is composed of air and ether while Pitta is composed of fire and water. So, what do you think an imbalance might look like? Think about what happens when you build a fire, air will feed the fire causing it to burn bright and big but too much air it also burns the fire out and quickly in some cases. Presently, I am dealing with the aftermath of a burnout in body, mind and spirit.

Currently that means I am prioritizing rest and trying to stay cool as it is Pitta season (See video) am rejuvenating my body by nourishing it with wholly wholesome foods that are grounding yet cooling. Like broccoli, zucchini and cucumbers. I am practicing a combination of mantra meditation and sitali pranayama. Both of which I can write about later if you are interested. I am getting out in nature more, which is very grounding for me. Early mornings are the time I walk with Hailey and it’s a bit cooler. And today while writing this post I’m sitting in the shade of a maple tree, with a nice breeze, sipping some cool water and eating frozen black grapes. My next goal is to incorporate a daily yoga practice even if it is just 15 minutes.

If you are at all interested in Ayurveda and how it can help you please let me know. Until next time…