Ayurvedah (Sanskrit) is the ancient Hindu science of natural health and medicine that has been practised for five thousand years. Ayuh, life, health + Veda, knowledge, lore... a part of the medical treatise summarized in the 5th Veda. The perfectly balanced human being does not experience disturbances in energy flow, since all levels function in harmony.
"According to the acharyas the mind of a person is qualified on the basis of the type of his repeated action; it is so because that quality must be predominating in him." Charaka Samhita Chapter 8:6 What we are wanting to know however, is how do we achieve balance in these modern times? The popularity of yoga is increasing rapidly in the West and just like everything else it is being packaged and in some cases diluted to a point where the very essence is absent. Yoga is an integrative technology and science of human development which provides a foundation for a spiritual journey and self awareness. This self awareness we speak of relates to your authentic self the Atman or soul.
Today we will begin an exploration of some of yoga's deeper practices that can help us to move closer to a state of balance, harmony, and well being. We will discuss the five elements, the three doshas, and langhana & brahmana.
The Five Elements: these are the building blocks of all matter including our physical bodies and they consist of; Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. Langhana in the context of yoga postures refers to poses that slow down metabolism, relax the nervous system and create parasympathetic dominance to cool the body and ease the mind. Brahmana refers to poses that speed up metabolism, stimulate the nervous system and create sympathetic dominance, warm the body and activate the mind.
The Three Doshas: are archetypes of a human being related to the five elements. They represent your physical, mental, and emotional constitution and characteristics. For yoga to be optimally beneficial the students dosha should be considered as well as many other factors including current health status, environment, emotional level, and even the climate. Doshas are classified as Vata; a combination of air and space. Pitta; mostly the fire element but with some water. And Kapha; a combination of earth and water.
This is a simplistic explanation of course and as a precursor to yoga I recommend all students to discover their own archetypes by filling out a questionnaire on http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/ The results will enable you to determine if you are tridoshic, bidoshic, or single.
The results are not static in that our bodies, emotions, and environments change frequently through out our lives. I encourage students to retest and consult with me 4 times per year or whenever a life changing event (joyous or stressful) takes place. On my next post I will share details of an actual consultation and the personalized yoga routine I created for them.
Namaste,
Luli
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