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7 Ayurveda questions answered
1. What is ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a 5,000 year-old Indian health philosophy that is considered the mother of ‘the art of healing’. Ayur in Sanskrit means ‘life’ and veda means ‘science’. A literal translation of Ayurveda would thus be ‘the science of life’.
2. Which principles is ayurveda based on?
The essential principle of ayurveda is that we follow a lifestyle, diet and movement pattern that is aligned with our physical constitution and the laws of nature, including race, climate and living circumstances. When we do so, the energy in our body is balanced; a balance which is the key to good health and a long life. A holistic healing system that sees the person as a collective of body, mind and soul, and one which strives to achieve balance between these elements, Ayurveda works more on preventing illness and ailments than on curing them.
3. What are doshas?
The doshas (body types or life energies) are fundamental to ayurveda. We are born a pita, vata or kapha, together with the specific characteristics associated with each. These are expressed, for example, in character traits, physical make-up and behaviours. The art is to live in a way that is aligned with one’s own constitution, so that the energy is balanced.
4. What does an ayurveda programme look like?
An ayurveda programme is designed to rebalance the doshas that are off balance. This is achieved through a diet and treatments personally tailored to one’s constitution. Though meditation, breath exercises and physical movement also play a significant part. Any programme will begin with establishing your dosha. This is done by an ayurveda practitioner, who will also subsequently devise your individual treatment plan.
5. What are typical ayurveda treatments?
There are various types of ayurveda programmes. A rasayana programme is about pure relaxation, whereas a panchakarma programme is mainly about throroughly cleansing body and mind. Ayurveda can also be used to treat specific illnesses or complaints, such as rheumatism or psoriasis. Depending on the goal, there are numerous types of treatments and therapies: from massage, herb and steam baths to cleansing techniques. Better known ones are shirodhara, which involves oil being poured onto the third eye, and abhyanga shareera massages, whereby oil is massaged into the head and body. The oils used are prepared with healing herbs, picked specially for your dosha type.
6. What is ayurveda cuisine?
Ayurveda believes that around 70 per cent of illnesses can be alleviated through proper diet. What a person eats should fit with their dosha, because what is healthy for a pita type isn’t always good for a kapha or vata, and vice versa. On a retreat, dishes are always labelled with the suitable dosha types. In addition, ayurveda prescribes certain principles around eating, which should be followed in order to achieve good health. The recommendations include eating at the same time of day as often as possible, and to refrain from eating too much, too quickly or too slowly. Most of the food is also vegetarian.
7. Why try ayurveda?
Being a holistic healing system, ayurveda can sometimes ease ailments and illnesses that western medicine cannot. Because the ayurveda approach considers body, mind and soul as one whole and also considers energy imbalances, healing takes on a different meaning and expression. That aside, the beneficial herbs, oils and therapeutic massages also have a wonderfully relaxing and cleansing effect. This makes an ayurveda retreat suitable even for those without any specific complaints. Fancy giving an ayurveda trip a try? View our varied destinations – from Spain and Slovenia to Sri Lanka and India – here.
