I like to believe I’m full of surprises, and consider myself to kind of be a jack of many trades: I write, I paint, I study art, I study science, I do genetics research, I’m a plant fanatic, the list goes on. I forget sometimes that interacting with people over the internet doesn’t only hide little things like that, that may otherwise come up in little day-to-day conversations, but also things about me that are obvious in my appearance…but maybe not so obvious when I’m just a person writing words online. For instance, some of you might have guessed based on my name, but I’m half Indian.
My dad grew up in New Dehli, and my mom grew up in upstate New York. It’s been cool getting to learn about things from each of them, and it’s amazing to me how seamlessly their ideals about taking care of ones body align sometimes. My mom is a yoga instructor, and my dad grew up in the country of yoga’s origin. It’s crazy cool, and has taught me a lot about ways of living that I might have never otherwise been exposed to.
Today, I want to talk a little about a practice commonly called “yoga’s sister science” : Ayurveda. While yoga is a Vedic science focused on movement and breathing, Ayurveda is a Vedic science focused on lifestyle and eating.
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda emphasizes that the way that a person looks reflects the way they take care of themselves, in a physical, mental, and spiritual sense. This reflection is referred to as one’s dosha, and it can be impacted by the same things that impact the Western world’s idea of health: sleeping patterns, eating patterns, and even the climate/environment a person live in!
When it comes to food and eating practices, Ayurveda encourages focusing on what you eat in correspondence with the seasons. Similar to the way that birds migrate in the winter to escape the cold, it’s important for humans to pay attention to what our natural rhythms are in alignment with seasonal shifts.
For instance, people classically ate foods like watermelon, berries, and cucumbers in the summer when they were in season. These foods also have a high water content, helping keep our bodies hydrated during the dry summer. In winter, on the other hand, humans would eat grains that were harvested in the fall and stored, and these grains would help keep our bodies warm.
How you eat is just as important for practicing Ayurveda as what you eat. It’s important to eat with intention, and to eat what you want because you want to eat it. Rather than eating whatever the latest diet trend tells you you’re allowed to eat, it’s important to eat things that your body can handle, and often even things you’re craving. For instance, often people who experience extreme salt cravings (myself included!) need the extra sodium to keep bodily fluids properly balanced, and to help keep mood swings to a minimum.
Why Should I Care About Ayurveda?
Ayurvedic medicine is actually one of the worlds oldest medical systems. It’s been practiced for over 3,000 years, and relies on natural methods of healing rather than artificial chemicals and drugs. And while I don’t have any qualms with the miracles of modern medicine, I think natural alternatives are always a great option, especially for people looking to treat multiple ailments or symptoms at once.
Ayurveda is based on the idea that there are three main doshas, and each one has different properties and thus target different specific health problems.
For example, the Vata dosha focuses on blood flow, and should be the center of treatment practices gearing towards blood clotting, stroke, or heart issues, as well as things that have to do with heart rate, such as anxiety.
The Pitta dosha has to do with energy and metabolism, and the one to focus on for dietary or digestive track problems. Finally, the Kapha dosha focuses on the strength of the body, and this encompasses many types of strength: immunity, physical might, weight, and even sense of stability. This dosha should be the focus of people concerned with obesity, asthma, cancer, and other autoimmune deficiency disorders.
Treatment practices in Ayurveda involve things like shifting eating habits, massage routines, and variety in forms of exercise.
How Can I Practice Ayurveda?
Practicing Ayurveda mostly involves being mindful of what, why, and how you’re eating. It’s about making sure you have balance in both your diet and your life, and allowing your body to fall into natural rhythms that nature has set for us.
Keeping this balance up is something that can be challenging, but ultimately rewarding. The way I try to do this is by actively keeping my mind, body, and conscious on the same page. I try to constantly improve my body and mind, while keeping my conscious positive to cheer the other two on in their journeys!
It might sound kind of flighty, but I promise it’s a wonderful practice, especially in parallel with meditation and yoga. If it seems a little crazy and out-there right now, I would recommend checking out online guides about practicing Ayurveda regularly (there’s a ton out there too, and they explain the entire concept even more in-depth than I have!) as well as brands like Banyan Botanicals, who’s company practices and ideals are based in Ayurveda itself.