Ayurveda is a science which has always existed, because its principles come directly from the laws of nature; one individual did not invent it. For example, when we feel sick, often we want to stop eating, and take a rest from daily activities.  We know instinctively how to behave.  In modern life, disease comes when we ignore our instincts, and repeatedly make choices that are against our natural rhythms.  Ayurveda teaches us to use nature’s laws to achieve balanced state of health. 

Ayurveda understands the basic rules of nature, and respects them, such as the daily and monthly cycles of the sun and moon and the seasons.   Ayurvedic remedies are created using plants and minerals in their whole form, rather than extracting the active compounds.  Nature intelligently creates plants so that there are active compounds and other qualities that tell the body how to utilize the substance, this prevents side effects from occurring. Through a thorough and deep understanding of all parts of the plants, minerals, even animal products, the science of ayurveda makes very detailed recommendations for diet, lifestyle, and disease treatment.

Ayurveda is built upon the Samkya philosophy, which breaks the universe up into twenty four principals.  Those composing the earth on a gross physical level are the five elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth.  On a subtle level, there are the five senses, one associated with each element:  hearing with ether, touch with air, sight with fire, taste with water and smell with earth.  The senses connect the external world with the internal world.   The five elements compose our body, but something must give the body intelligence.  The five elements control the body through the three doshas or ‘tridosha’.  When the doshas are out of balance, an individual becomes disturbed.  The doshas are the principles of intelligence in the body that manage the combinations of different elements.  They manage the metabolism of the body, each playing a specific role.

• Vata dosha – ‘that which moves,’ composed of air and ether
• Pitta dosha – ‘that which transforms,’ composed of fire and water
• Kapha dosha – ‘that which binds or stabilizes,’ composed of water and earth

Although we are each composed of a combination of the three doshas, we naturally have a higher proportion of one or two of the doshas. This is said to be our constitution, or nature, Prakriti, in Sanskrit. Since we have a higher proportion of certain doshas, these are more likely to go out of balance, creating a Vikriti situation, or imbalance. Disease comes when we are living in a state of imbalance. Ayurveda teaches us to balance our constitution through diet and herbs.

It is perfectly normal to be initially a little overwhelmed with Ayurveda. There is a paradigm shift that takes place: rather than thinking in terms of isolated problems and symptoms, expand your vision to the whole of the individual, including the mind, body and even the spirit. The health of these areas is inter-related and inter-dependant. An individual with a healthy body and an unhappy or anxious mind is not really healthy. It is only a matter of time before physical problems manifest as a result of stress on the nervous system. Even without fully understanding Ayurveda, you can start to become aware of your body and mind, and how they affect each other. Gradually, then you can make changes to your diet and lifestyle. It is important not to become overly concerned with rules, but to keep a flexible, open mind and an exploratory attitude.