Ayurveda
About
Ayurveda is a science dating back 6,000 years, coming from the region of India. The philosophy is deep and rich, but it isn’t rocket science. It’s logical and can easily be following by anyone and everyone. Through Kshamming, I aim to take this ancient wisdom and make it practical for our modern day lives.
“Ayur” means life and “veda” means science or knowledge since its teachings show how balancing the body, mind and soul can bring health and longevity to our lives. More than just the food that we eat, Ayurveda discusses the environment that we live in, the company we keep, the thoughts that we digest, the way in which we breathe and so many other fundamental factors in life that we should consider when thinking about our health.
The 5 elements
According to Ayurveda, the world is made up of 5 elements - space, air, fire, water and earth. Each element has different qualities to it - such as hot or cold, dry or oily, light or heavy and others - and in different proportions. What this means is that every person, plant, chair and rock, which is made up of different proportions of these 5 elements, is also made up of different proportions of these qualities.
What’s more, no two rocks or chairs are 100% identical, and neither are any two humans. Everything about us - our body, mind and soul - all make up who we are and make us unique. We may be very similar to someone else but never identical, which is why a one size fits all diet, medicine, or exercise regime doesn’t work. Ayurveda focuses on the uniqueness of individuals to find solutions that work specifically for each one of us.
How do we heal ourselves?
The cardiologist Dr. B M Hegde put it very well: “The human system is a closed system which when you are born has an ingrained doctor. It's called the immune system. So most of the time this doctor cures you”. This is a fundamental belief in Ayurveda. By understanding our body and what keeps and therefore takes it out of balance, we can discover how to maintain a system that helps itself as much as possible.
It’s pretty simple. Know your body and listen to your body. If you’re hungry - eat. If you’re not - don’t. If dairy products bung you up - quit them. If they don’t - keep on eating them (in moderation!). If you feel groggy after a 10 hour sleep - don’t sleep so long. If you tend to get anxious - avoid activities that aggravate that and bring some calming influences into your life. If you’re pooping 3 or more times a day….well, come and see me.
Discovering what our body needs and what it is telling us is a really powerful tool. Once we master that, we learn how to adapt to different seasons, situations, and stages of life without physically or mentally suffering in the process.
Ready to discover who you are?