Why Should Everyone Learn Ayurveda?

How Has Modern Living Snatched You From Yourself?

Have you ever felt that the modern lifestyle is taking a toll on your health? With constant demands physically and mentally, along with poor dietary choices, lack of sleep and overreliance on quick fixes, don't you think your body sometimes feels disconnected? 

Are there not times when you feel out of sync with your natural rhythms?

In between all these, Ayurveda is the science of life you need to learn, to focus on a balanced living - without looking for the constant need for pills and injections. That is why the world has recognised the importance of Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine tremendously during recent times.

What Does the World Health Organisation (WHO) Say About Ayurveda?

The WHO established its centre of Ayurvedic Global  Centre in India in 2022. WHO recognises that around 80% of the world's population is estimated to use traditional medicine. To date, 170 of the 194 WHO Member States have reported the use of traditional medicine. 

The organisation opines that the term traditional medicine describes the total sum of the knowledge, skills and practises indigenous and different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness.

Just as that, Ayurveda offers a refreshing perspective on health and well-being. The main emphasis of Ayurveda is on achieving balance and harmony in all aspects of life, recognising the true reflection of the mind, body and spiritual self - all working in unison.

The need to tune our bodies in today's world by paying attention to the signs they send, can restore the balance within to prevent the onset of any health issues.

So, let's see what the amazing aspects of Ayurveda are. you must learn to get back to taking care of yourself!

Reason 1 : The Unique Personalised Approach of Ayurveda

Personalisation of medicine is a need of the time. Recently, most healthcare professionals have started recognising personalisation in the healthcare system. Personalisation has even been actively happening in cancer treatments, cardiovascular treatments, and vaccinations.  

However, the personalisation in Ayurveda is something different and unique than these. To understand ayurvedic personalisation, you must learn the core principles of Ayurveda.

One of those core principles is the concept of Doshas. Doshas are the three fundamental bioenergies in the body. The doshas keep control of your body's physical and mental functions. To give some examples of the three dosha's functions;

• Vata - Vata governs all the movement and communication in the body.
• Pitta - Pitta governs metabolism, transformation and digestion.
• Kapha - Kapha governs structure and stability. 

But how do these doshas form? The formation of doshas is a combination of five elements in the nature: earth, fire, water, ether, and air. 

Further, different combinations of these three bio energies (vata, pitta, kapha), create a unique you. And, this unique you is known as 'Prakriti'. Prakriti is like your genetic makeup or fingerprints. Each individual on this earth has a different level of combination of bio-energies.

So, the aim of learning Ayurveda is to identify this unique body-mind type called prakriti (deha prakriti and manasika prakriti). With this identification, you can create a lifestyle that supports your true nature and then achieve and sustain a joyful, vibrant state of health.

Reason 2 : Understanding the Control of Bioenergies (Doshas)

Recognising your dosha combination (at physical and mental level), will help you recognise the changes that you go through on a daily basis. With a deep understanding of doshas, a slight change in the balance between the level of three (vata, pitt, kapha) can be easily recognised.

This understanding will help you personalise your diet, lifestyle, sleep cycles, self-care routines and why, even the partner of your temperament! 

Jokes apart, recognising your unique combination of doshas will help you be more mindful, relaxed and in parallel with the changes in nature. This will definitely give you contentment in body and mind.

Reason 3 : Agni Controls the Functions in Your Body

'Agni', is a Sanskrit word for 'fire'. When an ayurvedic expert refers to the word agni, it means 'digestive fire' or 'metabolic fire'.

Why is Understanding Agni so Essential in Ayurveda?

Even before the concept of gut health and gut microbiome was researched with modern scientific tools, ayurvedic principles considered that the gut is the root of all diseases.

And the part that controls the whole of gut health is the Agni.

The quality or intensity of this fire directly impacts the digestion and nutritional absorption. If your agni is not ignited to the optimum level, then it leads to indigestion and further changes in the metabolic rate or health. These changes which cause inactivity or sluggishness in the body is recognised as the formation of Ama (that which has not been digested) or metabolic toxins in the body, which is the starting point of all health conditions.

However, it's not so easy to understand the function of this agni because there are 13 types of functional agni in your body. To make it more amazing, these 13 types of Agni are formed in different or unique ways in every single individual on earth. So, again, the dominance and balance of these agni types vary according to your prakriti, lifestyle, health conditions, age and season.

Yes, season, too. That is why we say Ayurveda always works in rhythm with nature.

Reason 4 : Your Body is in Rhytm with the Seasons

Ayurveda always works on a unique structure and rhythm for every single individual. One of the major decision makers of this uniqueness is the change in the environment we live in.

When you know how your environment works, you learn how they bring changes in your body.

Have you ever noticed that your hunger decreases in the summer season and increases in the winter? Or, have you ever noticed that your immunity goes down in rainy seasons? Then one explanation to all these changes is - the act of Doshas!

Yes, yet again, the doshas behave differently in each season. For example, your pitta dosha goes erratic in summer, and you cannot eat more hot food items. Your level of vata dosha goes up in the rainy season and you face issues like bloating and indigestion.

So, why do you need to learn all these changes?

Understanding seasonal changes is essential as it helps you;

• Adapt diet and lifestyle in harmony with nature's cycles.
• Prevent imbalances that arise from seasonal transitions.
• Enhance healing by adopting seasonal therapies (Seasonal Panchakarma).
• Tailor self-care routines, such as exercise, meditation, and sleep.

Did You Know?

You are allowed to take a long nap during the daytime, in the summer season, but not in other seasons!

Reason 5 : Dinacharya - All About Daily Changes for Self-Care

If you ask "Can ayurvedic principles easily integrate into everyday life?", the answer will be to learn about dinacharya, the daily healthy routine.

Ayurveda offers practical and accessible guidelines that you can easily incorporate into your daily life.

Such daily changes, again, depends on how your dosha levels behave according to your prakriti. So, when you learn these, you can personalise your daily goals.

Dinacharya, or daily routine, focuses on the importance of establishing consistent habits to promote health and balance by;

• Improved digestion by regularising meals according to your unique body type.
• Following a consistent sleep cycle for your dosha type.
• Immunity-boosting practises that will strengthen your natural defences.
• Improved focus and mental clarity are required to achieve your goals.

A typical dinacharya will include;

• Morning routine
• Daily routine
• Evening routine

The simple routine can be easily integrated into your daily life to bring a balance you have never seen before!

Reason 6 : Confused About Food Choices? Learn Ayurveda!

Your food choices are your own! Your dislike for sour tamarinds and love for sweet doughnuts may tell something about your genetics. Or, the change in your regular food choices can also help you understand that its a sign that your body has gone into an imbalnce.

Yes, when you learn the way Ayurvedic principles explain food, you will need nothing else to balance your body and mind. Its all in the science of Ayurveda.

Have you heard this saying?

"What is the use of medicine when diet itself is the disease, and what is the use of medicine when diet is not unhealthy?"

This is a very common quotation among Ayurveda experts. Put forth by the ancient Ayurvedic practitioner and author "Charaka Acharya", this quote explains a lot about why you must learn about the principles of diet in Ayurveda, called  "Pathya-ahara."

What Will You Learn From the Ayurvedic Principles of Diet?

By learning how different people behave according to different food items and other principles of the Ayurvedic diet, you will know about;

• Personalised nutrition according to your level of dosha body type and mental constitution.
• Balanced eating does not go for any restricted fad diets but balances your inner bioenergy to create better nutrition for you.
• Taking care of your individual digestive health which may improve with a ginger tea for you, but with a glass of buttermilk for your friend.
• How you must add all types of taste to your meal and eat in enough quantity.
• hundreds of food combinations that you must learn when you are used to grabbing takeaways from food joints and watching tik tok reels of  frying food in honey and mixing oranges in curd!
• Change your diet in each season and finally understand why you can eat a whole turkey in the chill of november thanksgiving dinner!
• Developing a healthier and more mindful relationship with your food by putting away the screen during food time.
• Understanding the connection between your body, food and brain.

This vast expansion of wisdom is to be learnt - for you, for generations to come and for a healthier world.

So is that all to learn in ayurveda? Absolutely not! 

Ayurveda is a treasure that everyone must learn and understand and does not end in just the 6 points mentioned here. 

If you can name one aspect of everything revolving around curative and preventive healthcare, the answer lies in the depths of Ayurveda. All you need to do is learn Ayurveda - the science of life.

Learn Ayurveda to Bridge the Gap Between Ayurveda and Conventional Medicine

Ayurveda does not seek to replace modern medicine. Instead, it aims to complement conventional medical practices, focusing on prevention, natural balance, and addressing the root causes of health issues even before you see the symptoms externally.

While modern medicine excels in treating emergency conditions, Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to overall well-being.

Ayurveda is complementary, not alternative!

Recently, with growing interest in exploring the scientific basis of ayurvedic practices, dietary principles in managing various health conditions, more than 50% of the world population now opt for Ayurveda.

Here are some research findings that will amaze you.

1. Secret to longevity may lie in the microbiome and the gut.

2. Researchers uncover mechanisms for cancer-killing properties of pepper plants.

3. MicroRNA markers for Madhumeha (diabetes).

4. Indian spice may delay liver damage and cirrhosis, study suggests.

5. A new hybrid drug derived from may protect and rebuild brain cells after a stroke.

There are also some higlighted ones you may already know, such as;

• Ashwagandha for stress relief.
• Turmeric for inflammation.
• Triphala for gut health.

And there is a lot more than these from our Ayurvedic experts which are researched-backed and evidence-based.

But, before grabbing those herbal supplements and plant-based products, you must know that every individual is different and  its not all about taking supplements!

Ayurveda is a lot more than that!

That is why Everyone Must Learn Ayurveda.

The Final Reflection!

Ayurveda offers a preventive, personalised, and practical approach to health and well-being. You must learn all about recognising your unique doshic constitution to tailor your lifestyle and dietary choices in rhythm with the environment you live in. 

With everyday stressors and trying to balance work and life, it's high time you learn to embrace the most natural and easy ways to nurture your mind and body.

Ready to start your Ayurvedic journey? Take the first step towards self-awareness and natural health with Nirva.

Check out our website or reach out to our team to discover how Ayurveda can transform your life.