How Ayurveda Heals

Ayurveda is a 5000 year old naturopathic system, time enough to work out the bugs. It is not a quick fix, but it is profound in its health improvements. It discusses balanced living as the mainstay for optimal functioning. It addresses root causes. Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual function inevitably improve. It discusses three major constitutional types and how to keep each at its best. The healthiest, most radiant people I know follow Ayurveda.

It has guidelines about daily living. It discusses in great detail how to eat and what to eat, learning to recognize the effects of food rather than merely the taste and quantity. It teaches how to know if a meal has been easily and fully digested and assimilated toward today’s efforts and not shunted into excess fat tissue. Gastrointestinal health inevitably improves in time. Psychological traits are also examined in detail and balancing concepts are offered.

The three constitutional types have Sanskrit names: Vata - nerve activity and movement; Pitta - doing and metabolic transformation; and Kapha - structure and routine.

If elevated, problems arise. Pain always has too much nerve activity (Vata); Inflammation always has too much metabolic activity (Pitta); and growths and accumulations (asthma, sinusitis) always have an excess of structure or stagnation (Kapha). Ayurveda suggests behavioral and dietary changes and uses herbs to bring the three major forces back into balance.

Ayurveda also addresses the energetic precursors to metabolism. Yoga and meditation properly done can be profoundly healing.