Steve Jobs, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elle Macpherson and even Princess Diana have all been said to follow the Ayurvedic way of life - and if you’ve read any of our blogs, you’ll know it’s an ancient practice (5,000 years old, to be exact) that focuses on a healthy lifestyle to ensure optimum health all over the body and mind.
The definition of Ayurveda is translated into ‘the science of life’ and, in our blog series, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface. So, whether you’re new here or just want to brush up on your Ayurvedic knowledge, we’ve decided to delve deeper in the basic principles of Ayurveda.
Back to where it all started…
Having been around for over 5,000 years, Ayurveda is one of the oldest medical systems in the world. There’s even evidence of it in the Indian Vedas, which are ancient Indian scriptures, thought to be from around the first millennium BC. Many even regard Ayurveda as the mother of all medical systems.
In short, Ayurveda focuses on a simple and holistic way of healing - using a healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise. When it comes to ill-health, Ayurveda works by gaining insight into the problem and discovering the cause - whether that’s poor diet, lifestyle, or an emotional or energetic imbalance - as well as ways to bring it back into check.
By knowing our unique human body type (more on that later!) we can know exactly what triggers our ill-health and can take necessary steps to ensure it doesn’t happen.
The Ayurvedic approach
Ayurveda isn’t just about treating certain symptoms and medical conditions. In fact, Ayurvedic practitioners say we should focus on stopping any imbalances, which then cause the disease.
In Ayurveda, a symptom is a sign that there’s something wrong with the body and a deeper correction is required. That’s why, using diet and lifestyle, Ayurveda’s main goal is to restore the natural balance and harmony in the body, which then manifests into positive physical and mental health.
Ayurvedic practitioners believe that Ayurvedic approaches can combat a number of health conditions including skin concerns, digestion problems, migraines, blood circulation issues, obesity and even gynecological concerns. Mental health concerns, sleeping issues and joint and muscle illnesses can also be treated.
Disease according to Ayurveda
One of the most important things to know about Ayurveda is that it isn’t a quick switch. Instead, it’s a complete lifestyle designed to give you optimum health. Ayurvedic medicinal approaches aren’t intended to be used the moment you feel out of whack. In fact, it’s a journey and lifestyle - and it’s all about prevention. It teaches you to get to know your body and be aware of anything unusual.
By identifying an imbalance early, Ayurvedic practitioners believe you can prevent disease. As a whole, disease can be split into 6 stages which is why it’s so useful to know your body and mind - and what’s normal for you.
- Accumulation - when the body or mind is accumulated by the disease
- Aggravation - when the disease begins to move outside of it boundaries
- Dissemination - the disease moves around the body looking for weak points
- Localisation - the disease settles in different parts of the body
- Manifestation - symptoms begin to manifest
- Disruption - chronic disease arises
Ayurvedic approaches are designed to prevent imbalances from happening in the first place and treat symptoms and disease if they do occur.
The doshas
Of course, the Ayurvedic way of life isn’t just about eating healthy and exercising. It goes one step further with tailored lifestyle and nutrition advice that’s specific to you and your body. Enter: the three doshas.
Ayurveda says we’re all born with a unique body makeup. We all have three doshas in us - Vata, Pitta and Kapha - but we’ll have different proportions of them, and a more dominant one. This is responsible for who we are and how we react, which is why we might be more at risk of some illnesses compared to others.
Our emotions, diet, lifestyle, and even environment can take its toll on our dosha levels and cause one to come out of balance. But, by knowing which dosha we’re more dominant in, we can take small steps to ensure our body and mind are balanced. We’ve made it super easy for you to find out your dosha makeup with our easy quiz too and we’ve even written a blog on why it’s so important to know your dosha.
Take the next step
Ready to start living your best life? Perhaps you’re already a fan of Ayurveda but just want to know a little more about where the idea came from. Or maybe, you’re new to the concept but want to see what Ayurveda can do for you. Either way, you’ve come to the right place and it’s never been easier to make better decisions about your health.
Our range of natural supplements and organic latte powders have been designed with inspiration from these ancient Indian practices so you can get your Ayurvedic fix at home. What’s more, whether you want to treat a specific concern like acne or maybe just want to boost your day-to-day regime to help you to feel your best, we have just the thing!
Don’t forget to tag us in your pics on Instagram and show us how you’re living your best Deja life. Our DMs are always open too if you have any questions or just want to chat about the Ayurvedic approach.
