Redefining Health with Ayurveda

In a culture obsessed with food analysis, creating the perfect diet, hundreds of health supplements, and more gyms than we could count, health is definitely on our minds. But how often do we stop to ask ourselves what “healthy” really means?

Often, we think of health as the absence of illness. But when we look deeper, health is so much more. Ayurveda’s word for health, svastha, is a state in which the mind, soul, and senses interact harmoniously to experience a feeling of Self, of wellness, and even bliss. This is a unity, a synchronization of the body, mind, and spirit at their best, providing a deep sense of well-being, a vibrancy of life.

For many of us, in our busy, fast-paced, modern lives, this definition of health sounds amazing, but far from realistic. Finding a way to translate this into our own experience can feel daunting at best—and how relevant could a 5,000-year-old system actually be in today’s world?

The truth is, Ayurveda translates seamlessly into our modern world and is just as valid now as ever before. Ayurveda provides us with the tools to discover who we truly are, and from there, take ownership and full control over our own health.

Ayurveda & You

Start with the doshas. The doshas are Ayurveda’s way to explain different energies and influences that explain all of creation, ourselves included. If you’re already familiar with the three doshas, you know they are called vata, pitta, and kapha.

Each dosha embodies a combination of natural elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) and qualities (like warm, cold, soft, hard, and so on) to create a functional entity—an energetic force of nature.

All three doshas are present in every person, but the proportions of each varies from one person to the next.

This means that you have a unique combination of these three doshas that stays constant throughout your life and serves as a sort of blueprint for your health. This blueprint is sometimes referred to as your constitution, or your Ayurvedic body type. When you are in balance, healthy, and well, you match your blueprint.

Determining your Ayurvedic body type is the key to finding your optimal state of balanced, natural health—and not just the absence of illness, but that state in which you holistically experience a feeling of wellness, vitality, vibrancy. Even bliss.

Your Ayurvedic body type offers insight into what being in balance uniquely means to you, as well as what you need to do to recalibrate when you go out of balance. Ayurveda guides us through this process, helping us learn our greatest strengths along with our biggest challenges—and what to do about them.

As we explore Ayurveda, we in turn discover ourselves, gaining a deeper understanding of our truest nature.

Once you understand the doshas, it is impossible not to see them everywhere and in everything, especially in yourself. At that point, applying this knowledge to daily life comes naturally.

If you’re looking for a solution that takes the guesswork out of determining your Ayurvedic body type, Banyan Botanicals offers a free and deeply comprehensive dosha quiz. You receive information about your body type and are able to create your own Ayurvedic profile, full of resources to help you on your journey toward balance.

As an ancient, yet timeless holistic healing modality, Ayurveda offers us the ways to attain the health and vibrancy we’re seeking. I wish you well on your journey of self-discovery!