Ayurveda, the healing system native to India, has been practiced for millennia. Along with yoga, it is based on the Vedas, Sanskrit texts that date as far back as 1,500 BCE. Often translated as “the science of life,” ayurveda centers around the importance of individual balance and the balance between the individual and the laws of nature. Ayurveda and yoga are complementary practices that are used together to create a more integrated and powerful approach to overall health. Both offer tools and techniques to reduce stress, improve digestion, balance emotions, and promote overall health. The combined practices of Ayurveda and yoga can provide a unique, holistic approach to achieving balance in all areas of life, from physical, emotional, and mental health to spiritual and social wellbeing.
The intersection of yoga and Ayurveda
Ayurveda and yoga are two ancient Indian practices that have been intertwined for centuries. Some historians say that Patanjali, who compiled and codified the Yoga Sutras in the centuries just before or just after the first millennium, also outlined the Charaka Samhita, one of the foundational texts of ayurveda. But yoga and ayurveda share even more than that. Underpinning both is the philosophy of Samkhya (also Sankhya), which gives us a map of the universe and an explanation for how cosmic consciousness manifested itself into form.
Samkhya is dualistic—that is, everything can be categorized as either purusha (pure consciousness) or prakriti (matter or form). All physical existence derives from prakriti, which has three qualities, known as gunas: sattva, tamas, or rajas. From these three qualities arise the five elements, as well as the senses, the sense organs, the motor organs, the mind—24 universal principles in all.
Finding balance
Ayurveda’s methods are based on these principles. When all are balanced, the individual is healthy. When something is out of order (disarranged or deranged), the disease process begins. Most yogis are familiar with ayurveda’s concept of the doshas, or individual constitutions: kapha (earth/water), pitta (water/fire), vata (air/space). And many of us have experienced ayurvedic treatments like shirodhara that have found their way into spas and studios. But as it was practiced historically, ayurveda encompasses a vast array of diagnostic techniques and remedies, including tongue analysis, cleanses, herbology, mantra, and even gem therapy. (The 2001 film Ayurveda: The Art of Being, is a beautiful introduction to some of the ayurvedic practices less familiar in the West.)
Balance, prevention, and self-care are key to ayurveda, and several simple practices especially beneficial for yogis can be added easily to a daily routine. One is abhyanga, daily massage with warm oil, which helps prepare the muscles and joints for asana. Simple cleanses include nasal irrigation with a neti pot, which aids in yogic breathing and meditation. Eating according to one’s dosha can improve digestion and increase energy. Dr. Vasant Lad, one of the first to introduce ayurveda to the West, has said, “Ayurveda can be practiced successfully by anyone for the achievement of good health and longevity.”
A foundation for self-realization
The ultimate goal of yoga is self-realization. Ayurveda helps us create a foundation for self-realization by giving us practical means for understanding how the universe works within us. These “sister sciences,” despite their great age, continue to be relevant in the modern world and across cultures, offering deep insights about inner human nature and our relationship to the natural world around us.
What are some ways that you’ve incorporated ayurveda into your daily life?
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