“Ayurveda teaches us to cherish our innate-nature ‘to love and honor who we are,’ not as what people think or tell us, who we should be.”
Ayurvedic Proverb
Ayurveda originated in India thousands of years ago and translates to the “science of life.” It’s comprised of deeply healing and nourishing practices to help us stay attuned to nature and balanced through every season of the year and of life. Many, including me, think of it as the sister science to yoga. When I use the term yoga, I don’t just mean asana, or the physical practice. Rather, I’m talking about all eight limbs of yoga. Which are:
- Yama: Character-building or moral disciplines
- Niyama: Positive and character-building duties or observances
- Asana: Physical practice.
- Pranayama: Breathing techniques, breath regulation and breathwork.
- Pratyahara: Withdrawl of the senses
- Dharana: Meditation in which concentration is focused.
- Dhyana: Meditation in which one is absorbed.
- Samadhi: Meditation in which there is a sense of oneness or bliss.
At the risk of oversimplifying, yoga is so much more than a workout or the physical expression of a spiritual practice. It is a way of life. If you are already a yoga or meditation practitioner, Ayurveda is a gorgeous complement to practice. But even for those new to one or all, getting started is as simple as deciding to incorporate a nourishing habit or two into your daily routine. Then as you feel ready, continue to add or tweak over time.
Ayurveda is about being kind and gentle to ourselves and tuning into the needs of our bodies, minds and spirits. It’s about getting closer to nature and to our own natural state. It’s about learning how to digest our food and drink and learning how to digest our lives. All of that takes time, so developing patience with ourselves is essential. This isn’t a quick fix. Rather, it’s a practice that gradually unfolds and unfurls over time.
By being mindful our own unique constitution and its needs, and being attentive to the flow of energy through our body-minds, we are able to spot imbalances when they arise and gently nourish ourselves back into our own natural balance and with nature. In Ayurveda, through balance in our lives, lifestyle habits and practices, diet and thinking, we can live a life filled with energy, vitality, peace and joy, even amid the many turbulent seasons and situations that arise through the course of our earthly existence.
“Ayurveda is the art of living in harmony with the laws of nature.”
Dr. Vasant Lad
Living Well Ayurveda 
One thought on “What is Ayurveda?”