Where to start with Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient approach to wellness that includes all aspects of life. If you are curious to know where to start with Ayurveda, discovering your Dosha is first on the list.
The word Ayurveda translates to “wisdom, knowledge or science of life.”
Ayurveda is a common sense science that focuses on preventing illness and maintaining health in the mind, body and spirit.
Ayurveda explains that everything in nature is made up of 5 elements. We are constantly interacting with nature, digesting various foods, breathing air, drinking water, so the balance of these elements can change frequently. Ayurveda believes that when these elements are balanced, our body, mind and soul are healthy. Disease and dysfunction occur when there is an imbalance.
Knowing the ratio of elements in ourselves allows us to continually find balance within.
Every person has their own unique ratio of the elements, which is called your Dosha. Your dosha, or constitution, is determined at conception and stays the same throughout your lifetime. Over time and seasonally, your dosha may become out of balance. Checking in with where you are from time to time will help you understand what is out of balance and how to get back to your ideal ratio.
There are three doshas and each have common physical, mental, and emotional characteristics. More on that to come!
The 3 doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Vata is made up of the elements of air and space.
Pitta is mostly fire with a touch of water.
Kapha is composed primarily of earth and water.
While all 5 elements are present in each dosha, the elements listed are more concentrated than the others.
Some people are a single dosha, others a combination of 2 and even others have all 3 doshas roughly equally. Between the 3 doshas, there are 7 possible combinations.
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
Vata-Pitta
Pitta-Kapha
Vata-Kapha
Tridoshic (Vata-Pitta-Kapha)
There are several free quizzes to learn your dosha and identify any imbalances that are present. Here are a few of my favorites:
When you are ready to dive deeper into Ayurveda and learn how it can support your mental health, consider a Custom Seasonal Self Care plan with implementation sessions. CLICK HERE to read more and get started.
And in case you were wondering, I am Vata-Pitta, full of motivation, active and creative energy!