A brief overview of an ancient Indian medical practice
More than 3,000 years ago, a natural medicine system developed in ancient India. It became what is today known as Ayurveda. The Sanskrit term Ayurveda translates to “The Science of Life.” A major focus of Ayurveda is balance, which occurs in different realms of the body. In order to prevent health ailments, Ayurveda recommends that people strive to obtain balance throughout their mind, body, and consciousness.
To understand the foundations of Ayurveda, it’s important to become familiar with the concepts of doshas, prakruti, and vikruti.
Understanding Ayurveda: The Three Doshas
There are three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. You can think of the doshas as energy patterns. When it comes to doshas, two major forces dictate their effects: prakruti and vikruti.
Prakruti is one’s “essential constitution.” It describes the influence of doshas on your overall self, and explains the way in which everyone has a dominant dosha type due to their natural composition. Understanding your own prakruti could help you inform which qualities your mind and body will exude when your doshas are in balance.
On the other hand, vikruti is one’s “imbalance.” It describes the set of dosha imbalances that you are currently experiencing in your mind and body. Knowing how vikruti manifests in yourself can help you treat the ailments caused by the dosha imbalance.
Vata Dosha
Vata dosha is associated with air and space. Those whose prakruti is Vata dominant are creative types who might find themselves getting swept up in their whirlwind schedules or lost in their imaginative minds. When the Vata dosha is balanced, they feel energetic, clear headed, and engaged and alert. They’ll also enjoy easy sleep, good digestion and circulation, and a balanced body temperature. An out of balance Vata dosha may cause them to feel anxious or worried, unfocused, tired, and they may also experience poor digestion and physical coldness.
Pitta Dosha
Pitta dosha is associated with fire and water. Those whose prakruti is Pitta dominant are fiery and passionate with a tendency to run hot. When the Pitta dosha is balanced, they can lean into their strengths as go-getters, who radiate with intelligence and inner peace. An out of balance Pitta dosha may cause them to feel overly controlling, stressed, and overheated, with poor sleep caused by the imbalance.
Kapha Dosha
Kapha dosha is associated with earth and water. Those whose prakruti is Kapha dominant are sweet, steady, and patient types. When the Kapha dosha is balanced, their compassion and affection, great memory, and ability to remain calm and level-headed are a pleasure to those around them. An out of balance Kapha dosha may cause them to feel lethargic and sad, with difficulties waking up, and tendencies to overeat due to the imbalance.
To balance the doshas, Ayurvedic tradition recommends different mind-body practices specific to each imbalance. Ayurveda operates on the principle that likeincreaseslike, so balancing the doshas involves countering their dominant effects. For example, if Vata is cool, light, and full of movement, treating Vata imbalance might include following a mind-body routine that promotes warmth, rest, and nourishment.
Ayurveda and Vikara Village®
While we’re neither experts on Ayurvedic health, nor Ayurvedic medicine practitioners, at Vikara Village® we recognize the role of Ayurvedic tradition in our mind-body healing services. Yoga and meditation are sibling sciences to Ayurveda, so we owe some of our inspiration to the ancient science.
We’ve put together some resources for you to learn more about Ayurveda and it’s practices.