Ayurveda Wellness

The term Ayurveda translates to mean the knowledge, or science of life (Ayur = life and Veda = science or knowledge). Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that is often considered to be the oldest of the healing sciences. Its aim is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can stay healthy, and individuals with health challenges can improve their health.

Rather than managing disease directly, Ayurveda is a health-creating system that serves as a guide to wellness, healthy lifestyle, and healthy personalized diet. In this sense, Ayurveda is a guide to a deeply customized self-care and self-nourishment plan designed to cultivate balance in your body, mind, and spirit. The basic premise of Ayurveda is that by maintaining balance in both the mind and the body you achieve optimum health and well-being. Treatment and prevention come about through lifestyle practices (such as yoga, meditation, pranayama or breath work, and diet) as well as herbal and oil remedies.

Ayurveda (pronounced: ah-yure-vay-da) is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing that originated in India that holds the view that the human body has an equilibrium or natural state. As the science of life, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda views everything—our minds, bodies, interactions, natural world, food, energy—as being composed of the five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. These elements comprise three fundamental energies, or Doshas, that govern our inner and outer world:

• Vata: Vata is comprised of the space and air elements and is the force of movement. Circulation of blood and fluids, moving oxygen through your respiratory system and moving food through your digestive system are examples of the way vata works in your body.
• Pitta: Pitta is comprised of fire and water and is the force of transformation. Anything that changes or transforms in your body is affected by pitta such as metabolism and digestion of both food and thoughts.
• Kapha: Kapha (pronounced Ka-pa) is comprised of the water and earth elements and is responsible for generation and regeneration in your body such as the generation of tissues and bones.

As individuals, we are each born with a unique balance of each of these elements. This unique balance is known as our constitution, or Prakriti, and it remains the same throughout our lifespan. As we move through our lives, the elements in an individual’s constitution can be affected by stress, lifestyle, diet, exercise, and essentially all the variables of life—including the seasons and the weather—resulting in an imbalance. This state of imbalance is known as our Vikriti.

After your assessment, you will have an understanding of both your Prakriti and Vikriti. You will receive dietary and lifestyle recommendations that are tailored to help move towards your unique balance of the Doshas in your body and mind.

In regard to diet, it is important to note that from the perspective of Ayurveda, there are no good or bad foods. There are foods that can help bring you into balance and out of balance, and there is a place and time for all of them. One of the main goals of Ayurveda is to teach each individual how to take charge of his or her life and health to both alleviate and prevent symptoms.

The Ayurveda Assessment is a unique experience where you have the opportunity to truly talk about your health history and concerns. Ayurveda emphasizes balance in all areas of your life, and as such, is curious about all of you. You are, after all, more than a set of symptoms! A thorough intake process helps identify key health challenges, potential causes of imbalance, and determine the appropriate treatment options for you.

What is the initial examination?

Ayurveda Wellness Counseling assessments consist of three parts:

• Observation (Darshan): A portion of the evaluation consists of general observation of the body (e.g., movement, physical stature, quality of skin and fingernails, facial features, etc.) and a visual assessment of the tongue.
• Questions (Prashna): This is the largest portion of the assessment, and will comprise the majority of your assessment session. You will be asked about current health complaints and symptoms, as well as the duration of discomfort. You will be asked about emotional health, life stresses, and external factors and challenges that affect your physical health. Your whole story is important—not just your symptoms.
• Touch (Sparsha): In Ayurveda Wellness Counseling, a pulse analysis is completed, which is done by physical touch on the wrist.

At your follow-up appointment, which will be within one week of your initial assessment, you will receive a summary of your Ayurveda Assessment. This will include details regarding your Prakriti and Vikriti, as well as treatment recommendations designed to bring the Doshas back in to balance for you. Follow-up sessions have a similar format and structure to the initial assessment, including pulse and tongue analysis to monitor progress and inform ongoing treatment recommendations.

Anyone who:

• Is interested in disease prevention, increasing energy, strengthening the immune system
• Is looking for a healthy diet change without giving up any major food groups
• Is looking for improved quality of sleep
• Is wanting to improve digestion
• Is suffering from chronic health conditions including food intolerances and allergies