As part of my 10-day Ayurvedic spring liver detox, I will give you a brief introduction to the subject of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda and yoga are inseparable and have gone hand in hand for at least 5000 years.
It's only a matter of time when you start to get interested in Ayurveda, when you start your own yogic journey.
We also like to call Ayurveda the medical sibling if not even the medical Mother of Yoga.
But what exactly is "Ayurveda"? Translated, Ayurveda is the science of life and you can only imagine how much I could write about the science of life! Luckily, there are already endless other articles and sites about Ayurveda, this one is very detailed, but great!
Ayurvedic medicine is holistic, which means viewing the body and mind as a whole. It prevents the dis-ease by balancing proper food intake, lifestyle, and maintaining a healthy mindset, rather than fighting the illness once it has occurred.
Each person has a constitution - a "Dosha" and is seen as an individuum. Which is good for one is may be not good for the other.
Simplified the Doshas are:" Air -Vata, Fire -Pitta, or Earth Kapha (there is also the element of space in nature but it is integrated in the three Doshas).
You cannot change your basic constitution, but you can learn how to balance all three Doshas for optimal health.
Ayurveda also integrates other acts of wellness, such as dry brushing of the skin (exfoliating the skin, increasing lymphatic movement and circulation), warm, soothing oil massages so-called "Abhyanga" and other rituals.
I learned about Ayurveda in my yoga teacher training and my teacher said, "In Ayurveda you always like the things you shouldn't" And I always thought that only applied to men. All kidding aside, it didn't make sense at first, but as we dove deeper into the world of Doshas, so many of my behaviours were suddenly self-explanatory and predictable.
I bet you're wondering what your Dosha is, right? Take this test and see if you come to the same conclusion.
Are you Vata, Kapha or Pitta?
An example: My dosha is Kapha-blessed with stability, endurance and stamina. Thick skin, strong physique, big gentle eyes. Serenity, forgiveness, inner peace and patience are right up my alley (my patience thread for others is much longer than for myself!) Grounded, loving and encouraging are just a few more Kapha traits. As a Kapha type, you'll also always prefer a yin class to a power yoga class. Ayurvedically speaking, however, you should attend the power yoga class and not the yin class.
Kapha people need that energetic kick in the butt to get going, as we also tend to be lethargic and too relaxed. And hey, losing weight is an Olympic discipline for us too! It's so much easier and more comfortable to sit on the couch eating sweets and having nourishing conversations than to sweat. Usually more nurturing for others, because that's a Kapha trait, too: caring and worrying about the well-being of others." I see you're not feeling well, can we fix that with a cookie?".
However, your Dosha can become imbalanced due to accumulated toxins "Ama", stress, life circumstances, or the "wrong" food intake, and with Kapha, other traits such as greed, envy, attachment, and possessiveness take over, perhaps even depression.
How can you balance Doshas?
- Choosing the right movement/sports (Kapha: intensifying and heating, Pitta and Vata: slow movements. Remember, you should always do the opposite of what would be most comfortable).
- Dietary changes:: Eat/drink Dosha specific and avoid or minimize "wrong" foods, such as dairy, sugar, caffeine, meat/fish, convenience foods, etc....
- I'm sorry, but ice cold drinks are really not good for your digestive fire "Agni", bye bye ice coffees and smoothies. Lukewarm is best!
- Use herbal remedies such as Triphala, Ashwagandha, turmeric, essential oils, etc.
- Pay attention to your daily routine and create time for mindful moments. Mindful
eating, mindful conversations, mindful walks.. All this will help to reduce stress.
What are you spending your energy on?
- Get enough sleep and don't scroll mindlessly through your phone just before you go to bed. Rather charge it in another room, so that the temptation does not arise to pick it up again.
-With this newly won time you can think about what you are grateful for today.
. and repeat the same in the morning.
- Daily self-care such as warm oil massages, meditation, pranayama, and yoga/
sports, just you-time.
If you still struggle to imagine how a morning routine works, check out my short video.
This is just a brief explanation about Ayurveda focusing on the Kapha Dosha, but let me assure you that since I know my Dosha, I am much more aware of all my moods and actions. Since then, I accept my body as it is and understand that no matter what I try, I will always have a heavier but stable physique. It is just perfect the way it is, I am grateful that it works for me day in and day out and is healthy. My confidence has grown and there are so many ways to use your Dosha qualities to your advantage in your daily life and at work! And my friends and colleagues also benefit greatly from the love (and cookies) I share with them...
If you would like to get to know more about Ayurveda I highly recommend following my London based teacher Emma Brown I have done the detox with https://www.yogabromley.co.uk/ or my Tahiti based teacher Lauren (click picture below).
Ayurveda opened my eyes and I hope I can encourage you to figure out what your Dosha is, too. I wish you many "Aha!" -moments and keep in mind, you can't change your Dosha, but you can balance it with acts of self-love, awareness and dietary.
Let me know in the comments below what your Dosha is and if it was a surprise for you?
Much love, Bella
(This article is also available in German +recommendations)
