What is Ayurveda?

Often described as the sister science to yoga, Ayurveda originated in India and dates back thousands of years. The definition of Ayurveda literally translates as "the science (veda) of life (ayu)." I began my studies in Ayurveda back in 2010 at the Kripalu Center for Health and Yoga in Lenox, Massachusetts. Back then, I was at a crossroad in life, working in public health at the National Cancer Institute while also living my passion as a personal trainer, group exercise instructor and yoga teacher. I was in an unhappy relationship, and I felt both overwhelmed (i.e., anxiety) and underwhelmed (i.e., depression) by life. I dived into my Ayurveda studies hoping for some kind of resolution to the age old question, "What am I doing with my life?"

As I started learning more about Ayurveda and yoga philosophy, things started to make sense. I gained a better understanding of my prakriti, or true nature, and I began to learn tools for returning to my true nature, especially during those moments of overwhelm and underwhelm.

In Ayurveda, the word for health is swastha, which literally means "to be established in the self," meaning alignment and integration of body, mind and spirit.

The science of Ayurveda is rooted in tridoshic theory and the premise that each of us contains our own unique constitution of the following elements: air and space (Vata dosha), fire and water (Pitta dosha) and water and earth (Kapha dosha). Each dosha contributes to particular physical, mental and emotional aspects of our being, and while we all have each of these elements and doshas within our constitution, we typically have a predominant dosha -- which is often the cause of any imbalance we might experience. In fact, dosha literally translates to "trouble maker!"

Since my early days studying Ayurveda, I've learned a lot about this beautiful ancient medical tradition and importantly, myself. According to Ayurveda, the seasons play a huge role in our daily rhythms. Learning to live in balance with seasonal transitions and change is key to optimizing health and wellness.

More specifically, Ayurveda promotes optimal health and well-being by encouraging us to observe cycles in nature and adopt dietary and lifestyle practices that align with the seasons (including the seasons of life), the times of the day, our environment, and with our innate constitution--or prakriti. 

The practice of both Ayurveda and self-study (svadhyaya) is a life-long journey. I still have times of overwhelm and underwhelm, and I'm pretty sure I've found myself at a few more crossroads over the past decade or so. But I now have the tools, and it's become my life's purpose to share these tools. Stay tuned for more!