Greetings friends. This is my first official blog post on Dakini Ayurveda! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. If there’s one thing I love to do in life it’s sharing the knowledge of Ayurveda, so this blog is the perfect medium to spread the word.
I thought I’d use this post to talk a little about some questions and clarifications regarding Ayurveda. The two most common questions I get are, “What is Ayurveda?” and “How can Ayurveda help me?” If you’ve read through my site, you already know that Ayurveda is an ancient system of healing that emerged through India some 5,000 years ago. Literally translated from Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “the knowledge of life.” Ayurveda is essentially indigenous medicine – the medicine of nature. We all have the knowledge of Ayurveda within us. Ayurveda is remembering. Remembering that we are part of nature and nature is part of us…the rhythms of nature are the rhythms of our body and mind. When we begin to understand these basic rhythms, we are able to flow with nature rather than live a life that is creating obstacles to our health and well-being. The body is always moving in the direction of healing but the modern lifestyle creates many obstacles to that healing. Ayurveda teaches us what those obstacles are and how to remove them so that our body can heal itself.
That leads me to the next question, “How can Ayurveda help me?” Ayurveda focuses on healing the root cause of disease. All of those seemingly disparate symptoms you experience? From an Ayurvedic perspective they’re likely related to one root cause, which is an imbalance in one or more of the three doshas, or bodily humors – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. An Ayurvedic Practitioner treats you as a whole person – not just your disease – by understanding your unique mind-body constitution, and may recommend foods, herbs, healthy lifestyle practices, meditation, yoga, pranayam (breathing practices), bodywork, cleansing and other therapies that promote healing for your specific mind-body constitution.
Witnessing the shift that occurs through the Ayurvedic healing process is a profound experience. Long-standing, stubborn diseases, symptoms, patterns and habits begin to heal. You become more centered, vital, confident and content as you learn about your true nature, your true needs, and how to nourish and heal yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually.
In Sanskrit, the language of Ayurveda, the word for health is “swastha,” which means “to be seated in the Self.” What a beautiful concept. Perfect health is experienced when we know our true self and nurture it, leading us to be centered, integrated, and self-confident…seated in the Self.
Wishing you peace and perfect health…