Hi there,
My name is Catherine Warner, and I’m the creator of h o l d . s p a c e . healing . You may be thinking to yourself “Ayur-what?” or maybe it’s something you’ve heard of before but never really looked into or understood fully.
So first, let’s start with the word…
The word Ayurveda is an ancient Hindi word (the scripture itself is called Sanskrit). Hindi by nature is a phonetic language, so every single word you see will actually be pronounced the way that it is spelled, making it a LOT easier for us Americans! If that sentence made no sense to you, you can just say: Eye-Yur-Vey-Duh.
The word “Ayur” means life.
The word “Veda” means knowledge or science.
Put them together, and you have Ayurveda – the Science of Life!
But… what *is* it?
The answer to this is actually incredibly complex because Ayurveda is in everything. One simple answer is Ayurveda is the sister science to Yoga! However, Yoga pranayama (breathwork) and asana (physical postures) are also a big part of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic Medicine is a holistic, Indian medicine system that uses different ancient philosophies to maintain our natural state of health, as well as prevent disease.
Holistic meaning it incorporates the mind – body – soul, and how they are interconnected and affecting each other.
Our natural state will depend on us as an individual, as this is not a general science with blanket advice for health or medicinal benefits.
In Ayurveda, our natural state is what is referred to most commonly as our Dosha. When we are living in appropriate nature to our personal Dosha, our holistic health will be in balance. When we are out of balance with our inherent nature, this is what will breed disease.
Okay, so what are the Doshas?
Part of Ayurvedic philosophy is that we are all one with nature – our bodies are made up of the same matter that everything on our Planet is made from. It’s the same reason our bodies are pulled towards the Full Moon just as the tide is – we are mostly made of water! The five elements are Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Space. Everyone has all 5 elements in their body, they just show up in different proportions. This is where the Doshas come in…
A Vata person will be made from mostly Air/Space.
A Pitta person will be made from mostly Fire/Water.
A Kapha person will be made from mostly Water/Earth.
Most people are combinations of two Doshas, and in the U.S., it is mostly Vata and Pitta people. But to reiterate, we have all the elements in our bodies.
How do these Doshas relate to our health?
In Ayurveda, it is believed that ‘similar increases similar’, so we treat with opposites.
For example, say, there is a fiery Pitta woman who has an excess of Pitta due to her food and/or lifestyle choices. This can show up as red skin with rashes, acidity in the stomach, irritability and quick to lose her temper, and many other ways. How do we find balance with her nature? We balance with proper foods, changes in lifestyle, yoga and breathing techniques, and even herbal medicine. Through these changes, we cool her down.. we find ways to soothe and calm.. we bring her to holistic homeostasis.
This is where an Ayurvedic Practitioner comes in…
In an Ayurvedic consult, we will go over all of these concepts together – we will discover your Dosha, go over any current imbalances and health concerns, and we will find a way to adjust food and lifestyle choices that will bring you to a better state of balance. Towards your true, peaceful nature.
It has been proven in science that your body will naturally always try to heal itself. It is always, always trying to move towards health and prevent disease. Homeostasis is your birthright. Therefore, your body already holds all the answers. You may just need someone to ask you the right questions, so that we can start listening and moving forward in the right direction. All the cells in your body hear every single thought that runs through your mind. Perspective is everything. So let’s start there, together.
For me on my journey, Ayurveda is hope. It holds a mirror to yourself, which allows you to see yourself, nourish yourself, and heal yourself. From that place, you can then begin holding space for others to do the same.
Sending you all my love,
Catherine
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