What is the concept of Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is the oldest healthcare system in the world originating more than 5000 years ago. It is a Sanskrit word made up of two parts “Ayu” – life and “Veda” – science/knowledge and so literally translates as the science of life. 

It offers tremendous opportunity for achieving a more optimal state of health and can bring such relief from the breadth of physical, mental and spiritual discomforts we can experience as human beings.

Ayurveda speaks of the 3 doshas of the body: Vata (ether + air), Pitta (fire + water) and Kapha (water + earth). Considering the elements in this doshic framework we can see how they impact our daily function and wellbeing.

• Vata is the dosha which represents the nervous system and our movement.
• Pitta is related to transformation and so encapsulates the action of enzymes, metabolic processes in the body and heat regulation.
• Kapha is the dosha responsible for stability, structure and lubrication.  

As we journey through life we are subject to seasonal, environmental, dietary and lifestyle factors which impact our elemental makeup. As a result, we experience natural fluctuations in how the doshas are represented in our body and how we feel at these times. A small variation is easily corrected by acknowledging the cues provided (if we know how to read them) and allow our body time to recalibrate.

Any fluctuation away from our natural baseline/prakruti will present as a dis-ease of the body or mind. By understanding this doshic theory and the attributes that excite or pacify them we can learn to provide the right environment, exercise or nutrition, at the right time for our present needs, thereby remaining in a state of conscious wellbeing.  

My journey into the Ayurvedic lifestyle

My professional journey started as an electrical engineer and after some time in industry I returned to study for my postgraduate degree in Systems Biology. This was a tremendous experience for me to gain a further understanding of the scope of challenges and opportunities in researching complex biological systems and the integration of different disciplines to better understand the problem. With a tendency/need to simplify and reduce that which is intrinsically highly complex, there is always a trade-off between gaining a result and maintaining full integrity and true understanding of the system. The body is the most remarkable machine and its health is influenced by much more than the physical variables that are already overwhelmingly vast for our conscious minds or computer systems to simultaneously visualise.

Ayurveda provides an intelligent perspective from which to view this complex, unparalleled human body and mind with a beautiful way to acknowledge the unique constitutional makeup we each have. As allopathic medicine acknowledges the need to move towards a more personalised medicine model, Ayurveda already presents a magnificent and extensive understanding of this.

I have never felt such excitement for any topic I have ever encountered.  With every article I read and the more I further my own knowledge in this vast ocean of wisdom, it resonates so well and, generally the consensus I have repeatedly heard, and felt personally, is “this makes sense”. Exploring Ayurveda is like returning to a well-known place and I am excited for every person who peers through the window and wishes to understand more.  Learning about Ayurveda has been like gaining a new set of eyes for me and with that, I have felt awakened to an entire world of new tools and helpful approaches for the enhanced well-being of all.

Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Nutrition Consultant

Today, I am an Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Nutrition Consultant with a passion for food, movement and balanced living, I live my life with the intention to help others and care deeply about each person I have the privilege of connecting with.

As the empirical search for knowledge continues at pace, I believe there is a deep necessity and importance to continue to acknowledge and respect the wisdom of our ancestors.

Having a background in research myself and a deep appreciation for continuous learning, I feel strongly that the vast knowledge and tools offered to all by Ayurveda can be of immense help to humanity.

While my studies continue, as I work towards gaining full practitioner status through the valued teachings of Dr Deepika Rodrigo at The Ayurveda Institute UK, I have already witnessed the benefits of this healthcare modality in treating many disorders including, but not limited to, insomnia, anxiety, obesity, arthritis, IBS, ulcerative colitis and digestive disorders, infertility, menstrual irregularities, fibromyalgia, heartburn, respiratory disorders and skin disorders. My aim, each day, is to help communicate this ancient and sustained science, which remains of great value in our modern world, to raise awareness of the possibilities for our wellbeing and that of the world we inhabit.  

How can Ayurveda benefit me?

Whether someone already suffers from an ailment or is interested in gaining a further understanding of how to remain in their best health, Ayurveda has something to offer all.

During your consultation, an assessment will be made of your healthcare needs and an understanding provided as to how your diet, lifestyle and environment are impacting you.

Supporting herbal remedies will be prescribed where necessary, aiding a return to your natural state of balanced health and vitality.

This is an empowering journey to reconnect with your inner doctor and live in an enhanced state of balance with yourself, those around you and the world in which you inhabit. 

Ayurveda places you at the centre of your health and encourages a connection to your own natural rhythms and in-built feedback system which so many of us have come to suppress and override daily to achieve what we feel is required of us in society.

Can Ayurveda help with digestive issues?

Ayurveda states that all disorders have their source in the digestive system, so each and every treatment will have the aim of optimally restoring digestive function.

This itself can alleviate many chronic symptoms, supporting a return to sound and restorative rest, the optimal absorption of nutrition from our food and the elimination of that which doesn’t serve us.

Such an approach brings an enhanced ability to fully process/digest everything we receive through all of our sensory organs each day leaving our physical and emotional selves in a state of enhanced nourishment.

By further understanding our own natures and the deep connection we all share between ourselves and the world in which we inhabit, Ayurveda also calls on our unique ability to raise our own consciousness and journey with a compassionate and stable foundation in truly beneficial values and ethics enhancing happiness for all.