Originating over 3,000 years ago, Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means the “science of life,” as it focuses on preventative medicine as a means for increasing health span.
Ayurveda is based on a five-element theory, governed by fire, water, earth, air, and space. Recently it has gained awareness in North America through the yoga community. Ayurvedic medicine not only recommends yoga as therapeutic movement, but it also offers individualized advice on all other aspects of life such as dietary regimen, daily routine, sleep schedule, etc… All are ways to balance both mind and body, encouraging optimal health.
The five elements and their innate qualities (i.e., fire as having the quality of heat) combine together to explain a person’s individual makeup, or their Ayurvedic constitution. There are three constitutional types in Ayurveda, known as the three doshas. These are vata (air and space), pitta (fire and water), and kapha (earth and water). These three Ayurvedic constitutions are explained below in terms of physique, mentality, and disease trends:
The vata person, consisting of air and space elements, is generally slight in figure. Vata people are light on their feet but can also fidget or get distracted in their daily tasks. Since this dosha does not contain the earth element, the vata person can often be ungrounded both in physique and in mentality. They can be “space-y” and disorganized in their thought patterns, though this trait can also lend itself to a vivid imagination and a endless creativity. For vata people, they tend towards cold, dry, or light conditions such as brittle nails, constipation, anxiety, osteoporosis, and joint pain.
On the other hand, the kapha person, consisting of earth and water elements, is the most grounded of all three doshas. Kapha people have a sturdy physical build and larger features, which can include big eyes or lustrous hair. They typically have an unwavering and reliable personality, tending towards being relaxed and calm, though are often also quite stubborn. The cold, wet, and heavy qualities of this dosha can lead to a variety of diseases such as water retention, mucus production, depression, and weight gain, for example.
Lastly, pitta dosha is the constitution containing both fire and water elements. Pitta is the warmest of the three doshas, and physically, the pitta person is hot-blooded with a muscular build. Pitta people may even have piercing eyes or angular features. Mentally, they are sharp and intelligent, though can also be quick to anger and many are overrun by a type-A personality. Pitta people tend towards hot and oily ailments such as acid reflux, acne, diarrhea, allergies, and irritability.
The goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to have all three doshas in balance. There is no one dosha that is superior to another. Imbalances are shaped by the many daily aspects of life, including diet, lifestyle choices, sleep habits, physical surroundings, seasons, and past traumas. These imbalances can be diagnosed by observing the pattern of symptoms throughout life, and can be reversed with Ayurvedic recommendations that pull from the opposite elements and doshas.
If one suffers from inflammatory acne, for example, the Ayurvedic practitioner would strive to remove the hot pitta dosha, from the patient’s lifestyle and increase opposite energetics from the two other doshas (vata and kapha). A simple treatment would include reducing pitta from all aspects of the patient’s life, not just from the body, but also the mind. For example, the patient would be tasked with following a diet consisting of generally cooling foods, decreasing the intensity/heat of their exercise regimen, and calming their mental stress with guided meditations.
These concepts in Ayurveda not only treat symptoms and diseases, but also function to prevent it. An Ayurvedic practitioner, through precise questioning and examination of pulse and tongue diagnostic patterns, can serve as a guide for defining which doshas need balancing in the patient’s life. Successful treatment is attributed to the patient’s continued ability to maintain daily lifestyle changes that eventually bring the body and mind back into balance. Ayurveda is truly an empowering lifestyle medicine, wherein everyday choices are implicated in this “science of life.”
Both Drs. Rosalie De Lombaert and Melissa Yaden offer Ayurvedic consults. Please book with Dr. Rosalie here or by calling (360)385-5375. Contact Dr. Melissa directly to book an appointment with her here or call (360)343-0670.
Dr. Melissa Yaden, owner of Healing Tree within Prosper Natural Health Wellness Center offers a full range of Ayurvedic treatments in addition to consults, including panchakarma programs and individual services such as Abhyanga; Ayurvedic herb-infused oil massage, Shirodhara; herb-infused oil drip on the forehead, Basti; Nasya; oil in nostrils and Herbal Bolus massage treatments.
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(360) 434-0670
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