About Ayurveda

Tri-Dosha Theory

Ayurveda is an ancient holistic science that originated in India thousands of years ago. “Ayur” means life and “Veda” means science. Simply put, Ayurveda is a precise science, which teaches us how to live life in a way that maintains health and balance. It is holistic because Ayu is further defined as the mind, body, senses and soul. Thus, this science takes all aspects of the person in consideration when evaluating his/her health. The unique gift of Ayurveda is the application of the tri-dosha theory. Ayurveda states the human being is made up of the 3 Doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Vata is composed of ether and air. Pitta is composed of fire and water, and Kapha is composed of water and earth. Each Dosha has a particular “home” or location(s) in the body and has certain functions to maintain. If our Doshas are in balance, we will experience health. It is the imbalance of the Doshas that leads to Disease.

Prakruti

Although each person has all 3 Doshas present in the body, Ayurveda states each one of us is a unique and individual combination of the Doshas that determines our Constitution(Prakruti). This Constitution is determined at conception and is set for life. A person can be a combination of one or two Doshas, for example, one could be a Pitta/Kapha or a Vata/Pitta Constitution. The Doshas present in our Constitution will not only govern our physical body (large, small, thin, average) but also our mental and emotional tendencies and even our metabolism. This is why Ayurveda is so unique because within its system it believes every person is an individual and their Constitution is as distinct as their fingerprint. Thus, one’s individuality has to be considered in order to truly treat the person. There is no room for blanket health recommendations in Ayurveda.

Vikruti

Each one of us reacts/responds to life differently and our reactions to stress, work, relationships, family can lead to the disturbance of the Doshas. This disturbance if left untreated can lead to formation of Vikruti, or imbalance. Vikruti covers or blinds us to our natural state (Prakruti) and we no longer feel, think, or behave like ourselves. We no longer know ourselves if a Vikruti has formed. Ayurveda’s beautiful gift to us is its ability to remove the covering that is blocking us from truly knowing ourselves. Many people are so used to imbalance, they think that’s “just the way I am” . When what has truly happened is they have begun to identify with their Vikruti(covering) instead of their true nature, their Prakruti. Ayurveda provides us with the means to begin to remove our covering and once again experience our own inherent joy, strength, beauty, enthusiasm, and passion. The tools that Ayurveda uses to do this include one-to-one consultations, treatments, oils, yoga, lifestyle and diet guidelines.