An Introduction to Ayurveda

The Sister Science of Yoga

An Introduction to Ayurveda 

What is Ayurveda? 

Ayurveda is one of the oldest holistic approaches to medicine in the world. It combines dietary suggestions, lifestyle choices, ayurvedic herbs, and meditations to create an environment where the body can maximize its own innate healing intelligence.  

Rather than focusing on symptoms, Ayurveda helps the individual establish patterns of living, sleeping, eating, and thinking that promote longevity and good health so symptoms are less likely to occur. Ayurveda seeks to create an environment where disease cannot get a food hold as opposed to trying to deal with the symptoms after disease has already taken hold.  

The Three Gunas

Everything that we experience with the five senses can be said to have specific qualities. In Yoga, these qualities are explained in by the Three Gunas.  

The Three Gunas are titled: 

  • Rajas

  • Tamas

  • Sattva

Rajas is the active quality of nature. It is often thought of as “fire” - but it is probably more helpful to think about is “that which makes things active.” Anything that is moving or active whether the wind or your mind can be thought of as Rajas at work. 

Tamas is the inert or dormant quality of nature. Anything that is heavy and stable (like a rock) can be considered the quality of Tamas. 

Sattva is the balanced or harmonic quality of nature. Sattva is the ability of the natural world to harmonize itself. When you see things “in balance” - this is the Sattvic Quality at work. 

In the experiential world, these three qualities of nature are always at play. Ayurveda is one method by which you can balance or harmonize the qualities of Tamas and Rajas to achieve a state of Sattva. 

Ayurvedic and The Five Sacred Elements

Ayurveda and the healing it brings, is also based on and utilizes the concept of The Five Sacred Elements (and the interaction the Three Gunas have upon those Five Sacred Elements).  

The Five Sacred Elements Are Titled: 

  • Earth

  • Water

  • Fire

  • Air

  • Either (or Space if you prefer) 

The Qualities of The Five Sacred Elements

Earth - The Quality of Earth is Stable and Solid. It brings the quality of solidity to all that exists.

Earth gives thing shape and form. In your body, earth is tissues, skin, muscle and bone. In your mind, earth brings stability to your thoughts.  

Water – The main quality of water is flow and wet. The water element brings the quality of flow and moisture everywhere it is present.

In the body water is in the fluids; the lymphatic and interstitial fluids as an example. You also find flow and moisture in waste fluids, mucous, sweat, tears, urine, breast milk, and menstrual fluids.  In the mind, water brings flow--the healthy flow of thoughts and our ability to flow from one task to another throughout our day as an example.

Fire – The main qualities of fire are light and heat. The effect of The Sacred Fire Element on nature is transformation.

In your body the fire element is what gives rise to metabolism. It transforms food into tissue. Fire in the mind gives you discernment and clarity. It also “transforms” sensory input into thought and concept. 

Air – The main quality of The Sacred Air Element is Movement. Wherever you see movement and animation happening, this is the play of The Sacred Air Element at work.

You can think of the air element as anything that has movement or animation.  Air is the only element that moves. Like the wind, the air element has an ever-changing variable nature.  

Air governs all the movement in the body, from sensory input coming in through the nervous system, to the movement of blood in the circulatory system, to the movement of our thoughts and limbs, to the movement of food and waste material through the digestive tract...ALL movement...even on a cellular level is caused by the Sacred Air Element.
 
Ether - The main quality of Ether is Space, as in the space between things. Ether is the context and backdrop on which all knowable phenomenon take place. 

Though it is neither the paint, nor the artist, nor canvas – without Ether connecting everything and holding it all together, neither artist, nor canvas, nor concept could exist. 

Atoms would fly apart without the space in-between that holds the Atoms together. This is the effect of The Sacred Ether Element in nature. 

The Three Doshas of Ayurveda

The Three Doshas of Ayurveda are used to describe imbalances of The Five Sacred Elements within your body, mind, spirit. Ayurveda seeks to balance The Three Doshas, and in so doing, bring health and vitality to every aspect of your life (Sattva from the Three Gunas). 

The Three Doshas of Ayurveda are titled: 

  • Vata Dosha

  • Pitta Dosha

  • Kapha Dosha 

Vata Dosha

Vata Dosha is made up of both air and ether elements. Because of the Air Element, Vata Dosha gives rise to variability and movement, and the Ether Element being so subtle, provides ease of movement. 

Space/Ether provides the quality of cold, and air brings in the quality of dry. It should be no surprise that individuals with a significant amount of Vata Dosha tend to have cold feet and dryness of skin as well as dry digestion. 

Vata usually “leads the procession” so to speak in that it is the easiest element to go out of balance, and the most challenging element to keep in balance. Imagine trying to bring Sattva to the wind.

Pitta Dosha

Pitta dosha is a combination of the fire (and some water) element. Pitta Dosha can be seen in individuals with a lot of drive and determination. You see it out of balance when you see someone burning out of control at any activity, or over-doing anything. 

Fire in balance brings warmth and transformation. Out of balance fire brings conflagration and complete annihilation. Ayurveda seeks with Pitta Dosha, like all of the doshas, to bring harmony to the fire, and balance it, so it is useful rather than destructive.

Kapha Dosha

Kapha dosha is made of earth and water.  The earth element brings stability and weight to the person with significant Kapha Dosha. 

In balance they are sweet and steady. But – being the heaviest of the elements, when Kapha Dosha gets out of balance, it can cause lethargy, heaviness of mind, heaviness of body (weight gain), immobility, and inflexibility to a person's life. 

Keeping Kapha Dosha from going out of balance isn’t as difficult as Vata or Pitta Dosha, but once it has gone out of balance, it takes a tremendous effort to restore balance. Wet concrete is fairly easy to work with, but once it sets up and hardens in place, it takes a jack hammer to change it. 

Summary: An Introduction to Ayurveda 

This introduction to Ayurveda is just the briefest of explanations, and barely scratches the surface of all that can be known about the practice of Ayurveda. But we hope you have enjoyed it. 

If you wanted to prioritize what is worth remembering from this brief introduction, it is:

  • Ayurveda seeks to balance the elements and their impacts on your life.

  • Everything that can be said to exist, is comprised of the Five Sacred Elements and the effects the Gunas have on those elements.

  • The Three Doshas of Ayurveda are composed of the Five Sacred Elements and the effects of the Gunas on those elements within you as an individual. 

  • Balancing the Doshas gives rise to health, happiness and vitality. 

  • Doshas out of balance lead to disease, depression, and a feeling of being unfullfilled. 

  • Bonus Knowledge 

    • Once balanced, the Doshas do not tend to stay balanced. The Ayurvedic Lifestyle is designed precisely to help maintain the balance of the Doshas once they have been harmonized. 

Tina Woolsey Ayurveda is located in Oakland California and offers Ayurveda Oakland and the entire Bay Area including San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and all of Marin County. 

Contact Tina Woolsey Today to Book Your Initial Ayurvedic Consultation.