“Healing isn’t a rescue mission; it’s a rhythm.”
The Roots Create The Fruits
I’ve had two long-term love relationships. But despite the unquestionable presence of Love in both, neither of them worked out. And when I look back, there’s one glaringly obvious theme that ran through both – we did not commit to a weekly Date Night to create a safe space for open and vulnerable communication. We watched series together, we cooked and shared yummy meals together, we chatted everyday throughout the day, we shared friends, danced, and did everything together, so date night didn’t really find its place. It didn’t seem necessary. So when things went unexpectedly sideways and we tried to fix it – in both cases – it failed. No amount of counselling, praying, reading or trying worked. By the time the symptoms were obvious enough to see, the disease was already too far gone.
In life, we can either wait until something goes wrong, and then try fix it, OR . . . we can prevent things from going wrong in the first place, by putting in the small steps today, to create solid foundations that withstand the inevitable challenges that life will throw at us tomorrow.
In a previous post How a Rare Autoimmune Diagnosis Sent Me on a Global Food Experiment, I touched on the very beginnings of my discovery of and journey into Ayurveda, not as a ‘quick fix’, remedy, treatment or a product, but in its true sense as a Lifestyle.
In this post, we go deeper to unpack the Science of Ayurveda; to understand how an Ayurvedic Lifestyle can help us put the structures and foundations in place today, to protect our health and wellness – physical and mental – from going sideways tomorrow.
Because Prevention is Better than Cure
Core Principles of Living Ayurveda & a Balanced Inner Climate
In its truest sense, Ayurveda is Yoga – which is the practice of Balance & Alignment of Body, Mind, Spirit, Earth and the Cosmic Forces of our entire Being. Ayurveda is a lifestyle that connects our inner rhythms with the world around us. It is far more than Ashwaghanda, Curcumin and Turmeric lattes, a product-focused, consumer mentality – unfortunately – that has bastardized over 5000 years of profound wisdom.
The Five Elements
Ayurveda recognizes that all things on Earth – living and non living – is composed of the Five Natural Elements. And that Human Beings are no exception; that Human Beings are 100% Earth like everything else. Which means that Human Beings are also composed of a combination of the Five Natural Elements, which is understood like this:
- Earth – stability and grounding
- Water – flow and fluidity
- Fire – transformation and digestion
- Air – movement and communication
- Ether (space) – openness and expansion
Combinations of these elements form the three doshas (constitutions) that govern our physical and mental processes.
The Three Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha
According to Ayurveda, the three doshas are energies that combine the elements, influencing our unique constitution and health tendencies:
- Vata (Air + Ether) – Governs movement and creativity
- Pitta (Fire + Water) – Governs digestion, metabolism, and energy
- Kapha (Earth + Water) – Governs structure, fluidity, and stability
Every one of us is born with a unique combination of these doshas, which is what gives us our individuality. But similar to a garden of roses, although each flower is unique, every rose is still part of its particular family, and there are general rules and observations that apply to each individual. And so the rose gardener – like all gardeners – is required to take care of her rose garden both individually AND holistically.
Now in the same way as the roses in a garden are affected by the environment – soil conditions, weather conditions, shifting seasons, pollution, pests and a whole host of factors – so too are we as human beings. And as we pass through life, with its many experiences, our doshic balance shifts away from its birth state. This shift creates a gradual state of imbalance. And according to Ayurveda, imbalance is the cause of all illness, disease and distress – physical and mental.
The very first step with Ayurveda therefore, is understanding our doshas – both our prakriti (Birth Constitution) and vikriti (Current Constitution). Because from here we can clearly identify where our imbalance lies. And Ayurveda has over 5000 years of Collective Knowledge about how to tailor our lifestyle – beginning with Right Digestion – to return the Body-Mind-Spirit-Earth axis into balance.
Now the magic here is that like everything else on Planet Earth, each food ingredient has its own dosha. Every fruit, vegetable, grain, seed, nut, animal or animal product, beverage, sweetener, spice and herb, legume and oil that has been consumed by humans over the past 5000+ years across the planet, and their associated dosha has been observed and noted. What does this mean? Well it means that simply through our food choices, we can either aggravate or pacify a particular dosha. Which means that simply through our food choices, we have the power to return our Whole System into a state of balance, according to our Core Nature, at will, from any position. And that’s awesome!
Why an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Matters Today
In today’s world, many of us face chronic stress and anxiety, digestive disorders, and numerous lifestyle-related illnesses that disrupt our well-being. And many preventable physical, chronic and mental illnesses – from the ‘common cold and flu’ to burnout, autoimmune disorders and arthritis, have become normalized, labeled, and automatically associated with a ‘solution’. Coffee, supplements, ‘quick fixes’, remedies, cleanses & detoxes, social media influencers and products are all on the rise. And yet, as a society, we are not seeing improvements. Ayurveda acknowledges the symptoms, but does not get stuck there. It offers an holistic, integrated lifestyle approach that addresses the root causes of these modern issues – individually, environmentally and societally – helping us realign with our innate health and balance.
A tree with healthy roots bears healthy fruits, so Ayurveda focuses on the roots.
What Goes on Underground
Just because we are not seeing something, does not mean it is not happening.
And this applies to the good, the bad and the ugly. Showing up consistently in small steps of daily exercise does not show immediate results. But over time when we look back, we notice that in all the Unseen, there was continuous growth happening. Just like with the roots of a tree. Similarly with illness, it is happening long before we actually see it manifested as symptoms. By the time we feel that ache, notice our fragile hair, irritated skin, bloating in the belly, anxiety, fatigue, etc., the culprit has been at work for months, years and even decades. Rather than waiting for symptoms to arise and then panicking to fix them, Ayurveda helps us cultivate health and true wellness at the subtle energy levels, creating resilience through balance.
In this way, Ayurveda is a lifestyle that not only heals but empowers, making self-care a foundational part of daily life, and not a rescue remedy.
Living Ayurveda In a Nutshell
Since we’re talking about a 5000-yr-old living science, we are certainly not even going to scratch the surface in a few blog posts. But what we can do is focus on the First Pillar of Right Digestion, which is applicable and accessible to all of us, and then break it down into an overview, to give us a general roadmap we can understand. So, if you choose to explore an Ayurvedic Lifestyle, what can you expect?
- Reset your Digestion. Among all foods and herbs are ingredients that are tridoshic. This means they are equally balanced across all three doshas. Step 1 carries us through a 3-day tridoshic fast, where you eat only one dish – three times a day, home-cooked and prepared with a specific combination of food ingredients and medicinal spices and herbs. It is nutritionally balanced, set to a specific rhythm, structure and ritual, and is designed to remove waste debris, rest, reset and bring our Digestive System back to Centre. It also directly influences the limbic system of the brain to remove the waste debris of stored emotions. From here, we have set the foundation to move forward.
- Know your doshas – prakriti AND vikriti. From here you will learn 2 things:
I. The physical and mental characteristics that sit at the core of who you are. This is a great help in the journey of knowing oneself and self acceptance. Which in a world of comparison and competition, is invaluable.
II. Your current state of physical and mental health and balance compared to your birth and core state. This is invaluable because it helps you see where and how you are off balance. Not compared to a generic one-size-fits-all baseline, but according to your Core Nature. - Gradually establish your rhythm by integrating the Ayurvedic Lifestyle practices applicable to you, into your daily lifestyle, one small step at a time.
Simple Small Steps to Begin Today
And even before making any commitment, you can begin by integrating these simple and small steps into your days, which should (unless you have specific chronic imbalances that need deeper attention) yield noticeable results after 7 days:
- First thing in the morning: Soak 1 teaspoon each of coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in boiled water and drink as a tea
- Before every meal, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds. Say ‘thank you.’ Then take your fist bite
- At the end of every meal, repeat the same breathing technique for 3 breaths before standing
- Take a 15 minute gentle walk after lunch
- Switch off all devices while eating
- Put your spoon or fork down between each mouthful
- If you’re struggling with constipation: slice a piece of fresh ginger the size of a coin, add a pinch of rock salt, and chew thoroughly before each meal.
Don’t forget to smile.
Don’t forget to breathe.
And always give yourself a hug, because you deserve it!
Conclusion
Ayurveda offers a lifestyle that is profoundly relevant to our modern lives, centering on gut health, resilience, and the alignment of body, mind, spirit and Earth. By embracing Ayurvedic principles, we don’t just address symptoms; we cultivate a life of harmony and well-being, beginning at our Root, that is adaptable to the challenges of today.
Invitation
If something has stirred for you; if you feel an Inner Knowing whispering for you to lean in just one brave step closer, I invite you into a guided and immersive experience with your own body, from your own kitchen – I invite you into a Sacred Food Journey.
Click Here for your Invitation – there is No Payment & No Commitment.
