To understand Ayurveda, you need to start with the name. Āyuḥis Sanskrit for life or vitality, while vedahmeans knowledge.
The result?
Ayurveda = Knowledge of life
In simple words, Ayurveda is a natural and holistic approach to living that promotes health and wellbeing.
Although it’s commonly referred to as Ayurvedic medicine, Ayurveda encompasses so much more. It’s a philosophy. A science. Psychology. A lifestyle. Health management.
Ayurveda encompasses a complete set of principles guided by:
Praneshana - a desire to live a long and healthy life
Dhaneshana - a desire to enjoy financial security and comfort
Paralokeshana - a desire to secure eternal happiness
The Ayurvedic health care system is dedicated to maintaining a healthy balance between the body, mind, and spirit and the environment and social well-being.
Since the second century BC, Ayurveda has evolved in India, surviving from remote antiquity to today thanks to its sound scientific basis and time-tested effectiveness.
As worldwide interest grows in natural medicines and the natural lifestyle, we have seen a dramatic increase in the scientific research of Indian herbs, with countless studies already proving the benefits of herbs, extracts, and products used in Ayurvedic formulas.
Ayurveda embraces ingredients harvested from what Mother Nature has already provided us. Herbs. Fruit Extracts. Essential oils. All proven so safe and effective that you now find them in common medicines, food supplements, personal care, and everyday diets.
Ayurveda embraces multiple disciplines to prevent and treat disease, maintain optimal health, promote a healthy lifestyle, and nurture personal wellbeing.
In this way, Ayurveda shares similarities to modern approaches, such as predictive, preventative, and personalised medicine (PPPM).
An Ayurvedic practitioner can:
Assess your constitution, which will guide ways to protect against, diagnose and treat health concerns.
Offer detailed and personalised guidance about food, nutrition, and diet.
It also outlines what may be beneficial and what may be harmful to your health and wellbeing.
Ayurveda is built on the belief that the entire universe and the human body are one. Any principle that governs the universe also governs the human body.
Maintaining health and wellbeing is closely intertwined with your inner life and the balance you have in your external relationships and the environment. This is a concept called Swastya or ‘being rooted within one self’.
Ayurvedic philosophy is made up of a whole range of interrelated concepts like Swastya.
The natural elements
Ayurvedic medicine describes every human’s makeup, their genes if you like, as a distinct mixture of 5 natural elements or mahabhoota (space, air, fire, water, and earth).
Doshas
The 5 elements combine in 3 ways, called the doshas, which govern your physical, physiological, and psychological functions (such as your metabolism).
Thesedoshas are:
Kapha(a combination of water and earth)
Pitta(a combination of fire and water)
Vata(a combination of air and space)
Prakriti
Everybody has a unique blend of doshas. This body type, called prakriti, determines your physical and psychological traits.
When the doshas are balanced, the body is healthy. An imbalance, where one dosha is more dominant than the others, brings disease.
Once an Ayurvedic physician has worked out your prakriti, they can start to personalise your treatment.
For example, if you’re vatadominant, you might have dry and rough skin that needs regular moisturising. If you’re pittadominant, you may have more oily skin that’s prone to acne and rosacea. And if you’re kaphadominant, you may have to deal with pimples, whiteheads, and water retention.
Ayurveda has embraced cosmetics for millennia but not in the way you may be used to them, with a narrow focus on beauty. Beauty in Ayurveda isn’t just about looking beautiful but about feeling youthful, healthy, and alive through good health.
Ayurvedic skincare is subtly woven into the daily routine for both men and women and is based entirely on natural ingredients. In fact, the established science documents more than 200 natural herbs, minerals, and fats that can be beneficial to the skin.
Ayurvedic formulas use these natural ingredients to create cosmeceuticals that actively protect the skin and prevent premature aging. Benefits include:
Brightening and smoothing the complexion
Revitalising skin and delaying signs of aging
Healing blemishes and imperfections
Protecting the skin against allergens, substances, and stress that cause breakouts and inflammation
Strengthening skin metabolism
Hydrating the skin
The beauty, health, and wellness sectors are increasingly inclined to embrace natural and holistic treatments. As a result, interest in Ayurvedic skincare has skyrocketed.
Ready to embrace an approach to health and wellbeing that nurtures beauty from within? Shop our Ayurvedic skincare products, created on sound science and with all-natural ingredients.
