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Massage & Ayurveda
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KINDRED
Massage & Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine that has its roots in the Indian subcontinent. The history of Ayurveda can be traced back over 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest healing systems in the world. The word "Ayurveda" is derived from the Sanskrit words "Ayuh" meaning life and "Veda" meaning knowledge or science, indicating that it is a science of life.
Today, Ayurveda is recognized globally as a holistic, preventative and complementary system of medicine. It emphasizes a holistic approach to health, considering physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Ayurvedic principles involve balancing the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and using natural remedies, including herbs, diet, and exercise/yoga, to prevent and treat illnesses.
Ayurveda is often considered the sister science to yoga, and the two have been closely linked throughout their histories. As yoga gained traction in Western countries, it brought with it not only physical postures and breathing exercises but also the broader philosophical and holistic principles rooted in traditional Indian systems of medicine, thus opening the door for Ayurveda.
History of Ayurveda
Vedic Period (1500–600 BCE):
Classical Period (600 BCE–600 CE):
Post-Classical Period (600–1800 CE):
Colonial Era (1800–1947):
Post-Independence Period (1947–present):
The earliest references to Ayurveda can be found in the Vedas, particularly in the Rigveda and Atharvaveda. These texts contain hymns and verses related to the healing properties of various plants and herbs.
During this period, Ayurveda evolved into a more organized system. The foundational texts of Ayurveda, known as the "Charaka Samhita" (compiled by Charaka) and the "Sushruta Samhita" (compiled by Sushruta), were written. These texts provide comprehensive information on anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, and treatment.
Ayurvedic knowledge continued to expand, and additional texts were composed during this period. Notable works include the "Ashtanga Hridaya" by Vagbhata. Ayurveda also spread to other parts of Asia, influencing traditional medicine in regions like Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia.
The British colonial period in India had a mixed impact on Ayurveda. While some aspects of traditional medicine were preserved, others were marginalized in favor of Western medicine. The establishment of Ayurvedic colleges and institutions helped in the revival of Ayurveda.
After India gained independence, there was a renewed interest in promoting and preserving traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda. The government established regulatory bodies to standardize and promote Ayurvedic education and practice.
How does it relate to me?
Ayurveda is not merely about taking herbs or treatments passively and waiting around for the results to kick in. It involves a proactive approach that allows us to be part of our own healing. The art of awareness.
Ayurveda is a holistic system that empowers individuals to be proactive agents in their own healing journey by making conscious choices aligned with their unique constitution and the principles of balance. It goes beyond symptom management to address the root causes of imbalance, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle choices and preventive measures.
Here are a few points that elaborate on this:
Holistic Lifestyle
Self- Awareness
Balancing the Doshas
Daily Routine
Mind-Body Connection
Preventive Health
Active Participation in your healing
Understanding imbalances
Ayurveda encourages individuals to adopt a holistic lifestyle that includes mindful eating, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management. These lifestyle choices play a crucial role in maintaining overall health.
Ayurveda places importance on self-awareness and understanding one's unique constitution or dosha. This awareness allows individuals to make informed choices regarding diet, daily routines, and activities that align with their specific needs.
The concept of doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) is central to Ayurveda. Understanding and balancing these doshas through diet, lifestyle, and practices help in preventing imbalances that can lead to health issues.
Daily Routines (Dinacharya): Ayurveda provides guidelines for daily routines, known as dinacharya, which includes practices like oil pulling, tongue scraping, and self-massage. These routines are designed to promote overall well-being and balance.
Ayurveda recognizes the intimate connection between the mind and the body. Practices like meditation, yoga, and pranayama are integral parts of Ayurveda, contributing to mental and emotional well-being.
Ayurveda's focus on preventive healthcare encourages individuals to make choices that prevent imbalances and maintain health, rather than solely addressing symptoms after they arise.
Ayurveda encourages individuals to actively participate in their healing process. This may involve making conscious choices related to diet, exercise, stress management, and other lifestyle factors that contribute to overall well-being.
Understanding Imbalances: Ayurveda equips individuals with the knowledge to recognize early signs of imbalances and address them before they manifest as full-fledged illnesses. This proactive approach helps in maintaining equilibrium
Ayurveda recognizes that no two people are alike. We all are unique in our make-up; therefore, no two treatments will be the same. What might put one person in balance, might completely knock another out of balance.
For example, eating a salad sounds healthy right? Well, if you're experiencing constipation (Vata issue), eating dry, rough, light and hard raw veggies in a salad could increase the qualities of vata within the Gastrointestinal tract, further aiding to dry, rough qualities within the colon and knock you further out of balance. In this case, you would want to veer towards warm, cooked, oily/unctuous foods to support the GI tract with lubrication to pass a healthy bowel movement. Anything can be medicine just as anything can be poison - it just depends on where you are currently at in your doshic balance.
Where to begin?
The first step of the journey towards discovering Ayurveda and how it relates to you, is to start viewing yourself through an Ayurvedic lens. Lets start with some key principles which Ayurveda uses to view the world.
In Ayurveda, the concept of gunas refers to qualities or attributes that are inherent in all things, including foods, herbs, environments, and individuals. There are 20 gunas in total, and they are categorized into ten pairs of opposing qualities.
Heavy
(Guru)
Slow/Dull
(Manda)
Cold
(Shita)
Oily
(Snigdha)
Slimy/smooth
(Slaskshna)
Dense
(Sandra)
Soft
(Mrudu)
Stable/Static
(Sthira)
Subtle
(Sukshma)
Clear
(Vishada)
Light
(Laghu)
Sharp
(Tikshna)
Hot
(Ushna)
Dry
(Ruksha)
Rough
(Khara)
Liquid
(Drava)
Hard
(Kathina)
Mobile
(Chala)
Gross
(Sthula)
Sticky/Cloudy
(Picchila)
20
ETHER - Akasha
Sound, the field, space
AIR - Vayu
Touch, vibration, motion, connection
FIRE - Agni
Sight, appearance, conversion (heat-color), energy
WATER - Apas
Taste, nurturance, repair
EARTH - Prithivi
Smell, Solidity (density of particles), Mass
5
VATA
Dry, Light, Cold, Rough, Subtle, Mobile, Clear
PITTA
Hot, Sharp, Light, Liquid, Mobile, Oily
KAPHA
Heavy, Slow/Dull, Cold, Oily, Liquid, Slimy /Smooth, Dense, Soft, Static, Sticky /Cloudy, Hard, Gross
3
GUNAS
-Qualities
MAHA BHUTAS
-The Five Elements
DOSHAS -Forces
Panchamahabhutas (The Five Elements)
Pancha Mahabhutas - The Five Great Elements
ETHER
Akasha
AIR
Vayu
FIRE
Agni
WATER
Apas
EARTH
Prithvi
Our bodies are a reflection of the universe around us, the microcosm to the macrocosm. The human body is a complex system where different elements come together to form unique energetic forces, known as doshas.
By understanding the interplay of these doshas and their relationship to nature, we can gain valuable insights into our own individual health. By viewing the world through an Ayurvedic lens, we start to observe the world around us and in us, through the gunas (qualities) that physical or emotional experiences possess.
i.e. Pitta is composed of Fire + Water
Physically: One example of where pitta presents itself in the physical body is through stomach bile. Bile's qualities are hot, sharp & oily. The fire can be seen as the digestive enzymes such as hydrochloric acid, pepsin & renin, all residing in a liquid structure for transport. That stomach fire burns, breaks down and supports the metabolic system, transforming food into energy.
Emotionally: In balance -Feelings of charisma, courage, intelligence, determination. Out of balance – anger, frustration, irritability.
The 20 Gunas (qualities) are a valuable tool that helps us to restore balance, and it's quite an intuitive process. If you are able to assess what quality you are currently experiencing, you then can introduce the opposite of that quality to restore balance.
For example if you are cold, you put on a jacket to get warm. A deeper example would be....
i.e. Vata imbalance (Ether + Air)
Its a cold winter day, you've drank 2 cups of coffee, skipped breakfast, went on a walk in the chilly wind, worked on your laptop, had a stressful conversation on the phone for a few hours & suddenly feel anxious and depleted.
All of these things can increase vata due to excess chala (movement) and stimulus to the nervous system. In this situation you would want to look at all of these things for the qualities they possess.
Excess movement through working, talking, walking outside on a cold -windy day with an empty stomach.
- Excess movement, cold, empty stomach (light).
- We then can introduce the opposite qualities such as stable, hot/warm & heavy by drinking hot water, cooking a warm soup with grounding root vegetables & finding stillness in meditation or a quiet space.
VATA
PITTA
KAPHA
USING GUNAS AS A TOOL
Dosha दोष
Dosha (Bodily Humors) - Referring to Vata Dosha, Pitta Dosha & Kapha Dosha; the three psycho-physiological functional principles of the body, the ratio of which determines an individual's constitution at the time of conception.
According to Ayurvedic principles, everyone has all elements present in their body, therefore we all possess each dosha however they vary in their amounts. The first step is discovering your Prakruti, or unique dosha constitution which can then help you to make lifestyle choices that promote balance and well-being to maintain optimal health.
When functioning normally and present in normal quantities, the doshas maintain all healthy bodily processes.
When out of balance, they create dis-ease.
VATA वात
Vata in the body
Governs: Breathing, Pulsation of the heart, Muscle movement, Nerve Impulses, Sensory perception, Communication, all movements in the cytoplasm & cell membranes etc. CATABOLIC (Vata refers to all bodily processes that are catabolic. I.e., The breakdown of larger complex molecules into smaller ones to release and move energy).
Vata In Balance
Promotes creativity, our capacity to experience flexibility, joy & expansive consciousness. Proper function of bodily movements (i.e. healthy blood circulation).
Vata Vitiated (out of balance)
Nervous system disorders, worry, anxiety & fear, loss or void (excess ether), Irregular schedule and appetite, Underweight, Gas, Bloating, and Constipation, Dry skin, Brittle hair/nails, Colon disorders, including Constipation, Arthritis etc.
Vata Gunas (Qualities)
Dry, Light, Cold, Rough, Mobile, Subtle, Clear
Ether + Air
The energy of Movement
PITTA पित्त
Pitta in the body
Governs: Appetite, Digestion, Absorption, Assimilation, Nutrition, Metabolism, body temperature & transformations. METABOLIC (Pitta refers to all bodily processes that are metabolic,
generate heat, defend, or regulate)
Pitta In Balance
Promotes understanding and intelligence. Charisma, courage, determination & ambition.
Pitta Vitiated (out of balance)
Out of balance, pitta arouses fiery emotions such as anger, frustration, irritability etc. In the body it is any inflammatory disorder, skin rashes, acne, ulcers, heartburn, indigestion, acid reflex, diarrhea etc.
Pitta Gunas (Qualities)
Hot, Sharp, Light, Liquid, Mobile, Oily
Fire + Water
The energy of Transformation
KAPHA कफ
Kapha in the body
Governs: Structure & Cohesiveness. Kapha forms the body's structure and provides the "glue" or cohesion that holds the cells together. Kapha supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes skin and maintains immunity. Kapha is the builder. ANABOLIC (Kapha refers to all bodily processes that are anabolic, moisten and nourish or repair. I.e., Builds up smaller molecules to larger ones and requires energy).
Kapha In Balance
Kapha is expressed as love, calmness, grounded-ness, stability, nourishment, growth, lubrication, regeneration, fluid balance, fat regulation, strength, stamina, memory and our ability to feel compassion, contentment & forgiveness.
Kapha Vitiated (out of balance)
Out of balance Kapha can lead to attachment, depression, greed, possessiveness, heavy/dull/ lethargic emotions, congestive disorders, excess mucous, excess build up adipose (fat) tissue, tumors, lipomas etc.
Kapha Gunas (Qualities)
Heavy, Slow/Dull, Cold, Oily, Liquid, Slimy/Smooth, Dense, Soft, Static, Sticky/Cloudy, Hard, Gross
Earth & Water
Lubrication & Structure
