What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda translates to the “science of life” and is an ancient healing modality originating 5000 years ago in India. Ayurveda uses the elements in nature to balance our bodies and minds holistically through various treatments, herbs, spices, and lifestyle choices.
The elements used in Ayurveda to describe the energies in our bodies are fire, water, earth, air, and space. These elements make up the three doshas- Vata (earth and air), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water). It’s important to know that we all have the energies of all the elements and doshas within us. The key to living an Ayurvedic lifestyle is discovering what your prakruti (your dosha at the moment of conception) and your vikruti (your current dosha), Once you discover your prakruti and vikruti, you can use Ayurvedic lifestyle changes to keep your doshas balanced.
So how do you discover your vikruti and prakruti? The best way would be to talk to an Ayurvedic practitioner in your area but here are some general guidelines and basic information on each dosha.
Vata- air and space. Vata is light, airy, cold, and fast-paced. People who have a vata prakruti are creative, great leaders, organized, and like routine. If your vata is out of balance you may experience dry skin, insomnia, cracking joints, anxiety, and constipation. To balance vata you want to incorporate warm and cooked meals, avoid raw and cold food, stay on a routine, and incorporate self abhyanga daily.
Pitta- fire and water. Pitta is hot, fiery, fierce, and strong. People who have a Pitta prakruti are bold, passionate, determined, great leaders, and very independent. If your pitta is out of balance you may experience rashes, acne, heartburn, rosacea, anger, and jealousy. To balance pitta you want to incorporate cooling foods like mint, cucumber, coconut, and rose. It’s also great for pittas to practice meditation, light yoga, and pranayama.
Kapha- earth and water. Kapha is smooth, dense, and full. People who have a kapha prakruti are loyal, easy going, loving, and mellow. If your kapha is out of balance you may experience congestion, dullness, allergies, fluid retention, and weight gain. To balance kapha you want to incorporate warming spices like cinnamon and ginger, avoid kapha foods such as dairy, sugar, and gluten and incorporate a vigorous exercise routine. It’s also great for kaphas to try hot yoga, steam regularly, and dry brush daily.
When learning the different doshas it’s also important to know that you may be born with more than one dosha like Pitta-Vata or Kapha-Vata. This just means that your body and mind lead with one dosha but you have qualities of the other and are sensitive to both doshas going out of balance.
Ayurveda doesn’t need to be some complex system that’s hard to figure out. You can easily start by trying to figure out if you have any of the above symptoms and changing your diet slightly to see if you notice a difference in how you feel. It’s one thing to read about something new but it’s always easier to understand if you can learn through real life situations. Below are just a few and common foods that hold qualities of each dosha. When reviewing the lists keep in mind that if you are vata, you want to limit vata foods, if you are pitta you want to limit pitta foods, and if you are kapha you want to avoid the itmes listed as kapha foods.
Vata- broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, iced beverages, frozen beverages, ice cream, watermelon, lettuce, black beans, pinto beans, caffeine, coffee, turkey.
Pitta- all peppers, spicy foods, tomatoes, onions, garlic, alcohol, oranges, pineapple, grapefruit, fermented foods, honey, beef.
Kapha- bananas, melons, coconut, dates, avocado, pasta, oatmeal, walnuts, milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, sour cream, bread, beef.
For a full list of food items, we recommend visiting Banyanbotanicals.com
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