What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is an ancient system of holistic medicine that originated in India over 5,000 years ago and is still widely practiced today. The word itself comes from Sanskrit: “Ayur” means life, and “Veda” means knowledge or science—so Ayurveda translates to “the science of life.”

The Five Elements | Panchamahabhuta

Everything in the universe—including the human body—is composed of five fundamental elements:

The 3 Governing Energies | The Doshas

These elements combine to form three biological energies that govern all physical and mental processes:

The 20 Qualities | The Gunas

In Ayurveda, we use the gunas, the 10 pairs of opposites, to help us understand the quality of the diseases, of the patient and of the medicine.  The principle “like increases like” is a foundational concept that helps explain how imbalances occur in the body and mind. It’s paired with the complementary idea: “opposites bring balance.”

HeavyLight
Slow (Dull)Sharp (Penetrating)
ColdHot
Oily (Unctuous)Dry
StableMobile
DenseLiquid
Slimy / SmoothRough
SoftHard
SubtleGross
Cloudy (Sticky)Clear

Resources

Suggested Books

Lad, Vasant, 1990. Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing – A Practical Guide. Lotus Press.

Shunya, A., 2017. Ayurveda lifestyle wisdom: A complete prescription to optimize your health, prevent disease, and live with vitality and joy. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.

Svoboda, R.E., 1989. Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution. Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press.

Websites/Ayurveda Companies

Banyan Botanicals: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com

The Ayurveda Shop: https://ayurvedashop.ca/

Life Spa: https://lifespa.com/

Rasa Ayurveda: https://rasa-ayurveda.com/?ref=nAtHSKbL – 10% off – use coupon code: SARADEVITA

Videos

California College of Ayurveda Intro to Ayurveda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t-dgVhh768

Banyan Botanicals Intro to Ayurveda: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/pages/ayurvedic-intro-to-ayurveda

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