What is ayurveda?

The word ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit words: “ayur” meaning life and “veda” meaning knowledge or science. Then, ayurveda is life science. 

Don’t be fooled by this simple definition. The ocean of ancient ayurvedic knowledge is deep and wide. The “life” in ayurveda refers to body, mind, and soul. This is why ayurveda is often referred to as yoga’s sister science. Ayurveda and yoga complement each other as physical, mental, and spiritual practices. And ayurveda is every bit as complex as yoga!

Ayurveda seeks to balance body, mind, and soul in svastha, perfect health, “as a basis of or as a part of the path to enlightenment.”[1] The Caraka Samhita, one of ayurveda’s foundational texts, systematically categorizes Vedic knowledge for promoting physical, mental, and spiritual health, as well as managing physical, mental, and spiritual dis-ease. The building blocks of this ayurvedic health system are the five senses and their corresponding organs, the five actions and their corresponding organs, and the five elements and their basic qualities.

We see with our eyes, we smell with our noses, we hear with our ears, we touch with our skin, and we taste with our tongues—these are the five senses and their organs. We speak with our mouths, we grasp with our hands, we walk with our feet, we create with our genitals, and we eliminate with our anuses—these are the five actions and their organs. The five senses and their corresponding organs, as well as the five actions and their corresponding organs, enable us to experience the five elements and their qualities. 

The five elements of earth, fire, water, air, and ether are expressions of twenty basic qualities, presented in pairs of opposites: cold/hot, moist/dry, heavy/light, gross/subtle, dense/flowing, static/mobile, dull/sharp, soft/hard, smooth/rough, and cloudy/clear. Each element can be described by a particular combination of these qualities. It will come as no surprise that fire is hot or water is moist! Unfortunately, it’s not always this obvious, so it takes study to learn how the qualities are represented in each element. Once we understand the elements and their qualities, we can use them to balance our own physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The final building block of the ayurvedic health system is the mind. “Along with the capability to experience the world and act within the world, human beings need a mind to process their experience.”[2] The mind gives us not only the ability to think about our lives, but also the potential to change our lives.

Ayurveda becomes a personal life science when we take responsibility for our own minds, actions, and senses. With knowledge of ayurveda’s philosophy, principles, and practices, we are each empowered to learn our true nature, our current nature, and our own “next right steps” toward balance. This doesn’t mean that a personal ayurvedic practice would or should ever replace the specialized care of qualified healthcare providers.* It does mean that a personal ayurvedic practice might promote general physical, mental, and spiritual wellness enough to lessen the need for that specialized care.

Can you imagine a life where you enjoy nourishing foods, have great energy, and sleep well? Can you imagine a life where you are even-tempered, make decisions easily, and stress less? The healthy, balanced life you imagine is available to you through the wisdom of ayurveda.

*Ayurveda is not a substitute for healthcare. Consult with a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new physical or mental health activity. Read more.

[1] Marc Halpern, Principles of Ayurvedic Medicine: Textbook for the Ayurvedic Profession, Eleventh Edition (Nevada City: California College of Ayurveda, 2016), 2.

[2] Halpern, Principles of Ayurvedic Medicine, 26.