Have you ever heard your yoga teacher mention Ayurveda and not fully understand what they were speaking about? Or maybe some of you may have heard about Ancient Chinese Medicine?
Ancient Chinese Medicine is approximately 2,500 years old and included various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage and exercise. Well, Ayurveda greatly influenced Ancient Chinese Medicine.
Ayurveda is an Ancient Indian medicine that has been used for thousands of years and is still greatly used today.
Ayurveda dates back 5,000 years to the ancient Indian Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. Yoga and Ayurveda are two branches of Vedic knowledge.
Yoga and Ayurveda are related healing disciplines of India which have been used for thousands of years and are still used today.
Doctors in India are Ayurvedic Practitioners, and one of the first protocols for sickness is to first balance the persons Doshas.
Ayurveda addresses all aspects of medicine including diet, herbs, drugs, surgery, bodywork, and its own special clinical procedures like panchakarma.
In addition, it provides life-style recommendations for health, longevity, and disease prevention. It includes the practices of Yoga from asana and pranayama to mantra and meditation as part of its healing tools.
According to the philosophy, universal life force energy manifests as three different energies, or doshas, known as vata, pitta, and kapha.
Each person is made up of the three doshas. Some people have a different prominent dosha for their body and their mind.
As we move through life, the proportion of each of the three doshas constantly fluctuates due to our environment, our diet, and many other factors. As they move into and out of balance, the doshas can affect our health, energy level, and general mood.
Vata
- Elements: Space and Air.
- Vata Body: Vata types tend to be thin and have long limbs. They tend to run cold and dry and enjoy warm, humid weather.
- Vata Mind: They are very mentally and physically active and enjoy creative endeavours, meeting new people, and traveling to unfamiliar places.
Pitta
- Elements: Fire and Water.
- Pita Body: They tend to have a medium build and endurance with powerful musculature. They often have freckled skin that easily reddens in the sun, during exercise, massage, and when blushing.
- Pita Mind: They are strong willed and good at doing what they think is right. They are strong minded, intense, and irritable.
Kapha
- Elements: Water and Earth.
- Kapha Body: Kapha types have strong frames, they have a tendency to gain weight.
- Kapha Body: They are stable, compassionate, and loyal. They prefer a regular routine in their personal and professional lives.
To find out what mind-body type you are, you can take this quiz by Sahara Rose. I am Vata body, Kapha mind, and for me the characteristics for each are completely correct for me!
YogaHub will definitely explore Ayurveda more on this blog as it is such an interesting subject and is massively linked to yoga.
Have a wonderful week guys, and be sure to check out my blog!
