Ayurveda spa holidays
There are different doshas of the human body listed in ancient Ayurvedic medicine. Although Ayurveda is not a science, it exceeds scientific norms to give you optimum health benefits otherwise impossible to achieve with traditional medicine.
Considered one of the ancient medical sciences (much accepted today) in the world, traditional Ayurveda is a holistic form of healing, practiced in Asia, primarily in India, for over 4000 years. Derived from the word “Ayus” which means “life” in Sanskrit, and “vid”, which means knowledge, Ayurveda translates to something unique – the knowledge of life.
According to the Ayurvedic principles, there are various aspects of life – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, which contribute to our health. It is very important to balance all these elements and address the body in its holistic form. Ayurveda helps in restoring equilibrium when you fall sick and boost your body’s defense system to make it stronger and healthier.
While western medicine conventionally treats the signs and symptoms of a disease or ailment with the help of medication or surgery to cure, Ayurvedic medicine follows a holistic approach that works to prevent the very onset of a disease or illness by monitoring the lifestyle of a patient. Lifestyle is a broad term that encompasses your diet, activity level, emotional state, work conditions, sex life and spirituality.
Ayurvedic proponents mainly emphasize on the use of herbal remedies and natural foods. They also recommend meditation and yoga for different doshas. By taking all unique mental, spiritual and physical factors in stride, Ayurvedic practitioners can suggest you some remedies, based on your constitution, which will help you to manage stress, lose weight, prevent illness, detoxify the body and balance your health.
Knowing your Body Composition
Everything in the nature, including your body, is composed of 5 elements –
- Space
- Air
- Fire
- Water
- Earth
These 5 elements combine to create the 3 basic profiles of body and mind, also called doshas, which govern our physical composition. It also defines how uniquely inclined we are to interact and react with our surroundings. In Sanskrit, these doshas are categorized as:
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
Whilst each of these doshas play distinct roles in the bodies, it is only possible to achieve overall optimum health when these three are perfectly balanced. Knowing your proportions of these three doshas is a prerequisite to your understanding of Ayurvedic diagnosis. The body-mind makeup of a person and characteristic features help in determining their doshas.
Vata Dosha
People, who are thin and small having lightest body types, belong to this category. They have rough and dry skin, dry hair, crooked or protruding teeth and disjointed thought. They dislike cold weather and benefit from regular afternoon naps.
When vata is in balance, it promotes flexibility and creativity. When imbalanced, vata leads to anxiety and fear.
Pitta Dosha
Medium built, usually strong and focused with reddish or fair skin. They have fine and straight hair, often thinning. They are sharp-minded people but dislike hot weather. They benefit from regular meditation.
Balanced pitta promotes understanding and intelligence. Imbalanced pita causes jealousy and anger.
Kapha Dosha
Large build, physically strong and sturdy, are the ones belong who belong to Kapha dosha. They have pale and oily skin, thicker hair, white teeth, and they reflect calmness. They dislike damp and cold weather. They believe in the saying, “early to bed and early to rise.”
Balanced kapha promotes forgiveness and calmness. Imbalanced kapha causes envy and greed.