EDUCATE Ayurveda, Yoga, and The Power of Surrender
The 5 elements ...
... combine to form the 3 doshas in Ayurveda. Vata is composed of Air + Space; Pitta is Fire + Water; and Kapha represents Earth + Water. The 3 doshas (and 5 elements) are present in all of us - but we all have a unique combination or proportion of elements, known as our constitution, or Prakruti. This delicate balance can become disturbed because of a number of external influences: stress, diet, climate, seasons, pollution, energy vibrations. This imbalance is known at the Vikruti. By taking care to keep your Prakruti in balance, you will always be in your true essence.
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Santosa - Contentment
Ayurvedic and yogic philosophy believes in the greatness of your individuality and not coveting what others have. Everyone has a unique gift to offer this world. We can bring more love and peace into our lives when we stop comparing ourselves to others, and honor the unique divine light and purpose in each of us. This is known as Santosa: contentment, which is is our true nature.
Svadhyaya - Self-study
In order to attune to our divine plan, we must engage in Svadhyaya, or “self-study.” But don’t be fooled by the translation - sometimes ancient Sanskrit words have a complexity that the English language cannot quite capture. This is not our western concept of psychoanalysis, or analyzing our ego or personality. What we actually want to take away from this is being non-reactive, non-judgemental and living in the present moment as much as possible. When we listen to the ego, we often do things that don’t align with our intuition, or our soul’s beliefs or mission. By tapping into our intuition through meditation and other spiritual practices, we unite with our higher Self, and with the universe.
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Dosha - Balancing
Every human being that exists is a unique creation of the cosmos, with a unique divine blueprint that is our truest nature, and our optimal way of living and being. This depends on the predominance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in an individual’s constitution. Knowing your Ayurvedic constitution can help you to tune in to the rhythms of Mother Nature and best surrender to your life’s purpose. Ayurveda is a spiritual science which views the human body is a microcosm of the whole universe, or macrocosm. Ayurveda teaches that the 5 elements - Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth - are the building blocks of you, me, and everything else in the universe.
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Ways to balance Vata • Stick to a regular daily routine. • Incorporate meditation and relaxation techniques into daily life. • Apply warm oil to the body daily in a self-massage (use sesame, almond, or avocado oil). This daily ritual protects joints, lubricates dry skin, and grounds anxiety-prone Vata types. • Consume plenty of healthy fats such as avocados, ghee, olive oil, sesame seeds, and almonds.
Ways to balance Pitta • Consume plenty of coconut water, cook with coconut oil, and eat cooling foods such as avocados and bananas. • Apply coconut oil to the skin daily, which calms and cools the skin, and quenches thirst. • Limit sun exposure. • Limit intake of alcohol, coffee, spicy, oily, and fried foods.
Ways to balance Kapha • Detoxify the body (internally + externally) on a regular basis, by eating plenty of organic vegetables and fruits. • Perform regular self-massage to increase circulation and drain the lymphatic system. (Use light, heating, or warming oils such as mustard seed, grapeseed, or almond). • Cook with warming spices such as ginger, cayenne, and black pepper, in order to stimulate the digestive fire, or agni, which cleanses ama, or toxins, from the digestive tract. By first taking care to balance the body, we are able to then take care of the mind and spirit. When we live our daily lives conscious of balancing our doshas, we live within the rhythms of nature, and step into our natural flow, and can tap into our higher Self.
Kiera Nachman is an Ayurvedic practitioner based in New York
City, where she has a private practice. Kiera created Sundara Holistic, an Ayurvedic skincare and wellness brand, with a commitment to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. Sundara Holistic products are 100% natural and non-toxic, using only food-grade and plant-based ingredients.
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