Ayurveda
Ayurveda
At Mandala Yoga Community we believe in the importance of self-care and we seek to incorporate the principles and practice of Ayurveda into our yoga practice and life.
“Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.
Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.
For each element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. When Vata is balanced, a person is lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the system, a person tends to experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty focusing. When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance, a person tends to be compulsive and irritable and may suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition. When Kapha is balanced, a person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a person may experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.
An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.” www.chopra.com/ayurveda
A simple way of incorporating Yoga’s sister practice into our daily lives is Dinacharya (dina = daily,charya = routine/practice). Here are 10 simple steps that you can incorporate into your life each day:
1. rise with the sun
2. drink a glass of water (drink lots throughout the day)
3. scrape your tounge
4. brush your teeth
5. cleanse your nasal passages with a netti pot
6. massage your skin with a dosha appropriate oil
7. shower
8. meditate
9. practice yoga
10. say a prayer of gratitude
To learn more about Ayurveda, Carin Cundey provides Personal Ayurveda Consultations, Ayurvedic Bliss Therapy Treatments, Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, and Workshops. Please email: mandalayogabend@mac.com attn: Ayurveda for more information and updates.
