Ayurveda principles for the New Year

Let’s start this New Year with a clear understanding of how Ayurveda can act as a tool for bringing longevity to your life and vibrancy to your health. If there’s one thing you can do to make a positive impact on this world we live in, may it be to learn how to care for yourself via conscious eating and lifestyle, and thus creating a reality for inspiration and empowerment. Let’s start by veering away from the idea of “dieting” and more towards the idea of creating a lifestyle that is supported daily by the essence of Ayurveda. Let’s begin right here, right now! Be prepared to see how authentically natural it is for you to integrate these concepts into your life.

Working with the Elements
Ayurveda recognizes three primary life-forces or doshas in the body: VATA, PITTA, KAPHAcorresponding to AIR, FIRE, WATER.
These doshas determine the life processes of growth and decay. When they are out of balance, the doshas are the causative forces behind the disease process. So how do we know which dosha is out of balance? Well, for example, when VATA is in excess, we may experience constipation or dizziness. When PITTA is in excess, we may feel burning sensations in the body or a more yellowish color of our stool. When KAPHA is in excess, we may feel heaviness, difficulty breathing, or poor digestion. There are a multitude of symptoms that are specific to the individual. I am here to assist if you’d like to dive deeper into understanding which dosha may need to be nourished within your body and how to do just this!

Applying Taste for Treatment
Let’s get a bit deeper now. Ayurvedic diagnosis of disease is based on these three doshas, and treatment is according to the six tastes. These tastes are applicable to herbs, foods, and minerals. These tastes, rasas, are: SWEET, SALTY, SOUR, PUNGENT, BITTER, ASTRINGENT. The rasas possess therapeutic properties and they increase or decrease the doshas. For example, sweet taste decreases VATA and PITTA, yet increases KAPHA. Everyone needs a certain amount of each of the six tastes and the proportion differs according to the constitution of the individual. Too much of a particular taste can be harmful, as can too little. Furthermore, each taste relates to certain organs and when in excess may damage that organ. For example, salty taste damages the kidneys, while astringent damages the colon.
The six tastes are also the flavors of our various emotions and can affect us in the same way as diet and herbs. Emotions have the same effect as food or herbs of the same energetic quality. For example, love nourishes us like the sweet taste yet can create attachment as well. Also, bitter taste depletes us like grief, therefore, herbs and diet are not enough, and the taste of the mind must be addressed as well.