Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that has been practiced in India for over 5,000 years, according to www.umm.edu, and is considered to be the oldest healing science.
The term comes from two Sanskrit words: ayur meaning life or lifespan, and veda meaning knowledge, says http://www.umm.edu.
“Ayurvedic medicine is considered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)…[using] herbs, massage, and specialized diets,” says nccam.nih.gov.
Those who believe in and follow the ways of Ayurveda determine and maintain one’s health based on types of doshas, or energies. There are three types of doshas: vata, pitta and kapha.
Vata is said to be the energy associated with bodily functions, such as motion, blood circulation, breathing, blinking and hearbeat, according to http://www.unm.edu.
According to http://www.nccam.nih.gov, the vata dosha is “the most powerful dosha because it controls very basic body processes such as cell division, the heart, breathing, discharge of waste, and the mind. Vata can be aggravated by, for example, fear, grief, staying up late at night, eating dry fruit, or eating before the previous meal is digested.”
Vata is related to the elements of air and ether, says www.kripalu.org.
The pitta dosha is the energy that is comprised of the body’s digestion system, metabolism, appetite, vision and body temperature.
“In balance, pitta leads to contentment and intelligence,” says http://www.unm.edu. “Out of balance, pitta can cause ulcers and arouse anger.”
Pitta is associated with the elements of fire and water.
The last dosha is kapha, which controls growth in the body, supports the immune system and lubricates the joints and skin.
“When in balance, they are the best friend a person could have — calm, devoted, consistent, tolerant, and patient. However, out of balance, they are their own worst enemy, being prone to mental sluggishness, procrastination, lethargy, weight gain, excessive sleep, and problems letting go,” says www.kripalu.org.
People who follow Ayurveda always strive to maintain and balance their doshas. The first step is to determine which dosha best defines him or her.
To do this, there are dosha tests available to help.