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a-z wellness professionals: ayurveda  
 
 
 
   
     
  Ayurveda is an ancient healing system from India that dates back some 5,000 years or more. It encompasses a wide range of techniques to treat illness and encourage general wellbeing  
     
  Translate from Sanskrit, Ayurveda means "the science of life". The central philosophy is that the mind and body are one and the same, and that [physical health can't be achieved without emotional,mental and spiritual health. Since Ayurveda is only now gaining some popularity in the West, the number of scientific studies has been small. From the evidence so far, it seems that the Ayurvedic approach can be effective in treating a number of disorders, including digestive problems and allergies,  
     
  A range of disorders  
 

Ayurveda can be used to treat a range of disorders, including:

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anxiety
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digestive problems
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high blood pressure
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high cholesterol levels
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rheumatoid arthritis
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stress
 
     
 

The five elements and doshas
According to Ayurveda, the five elements that make up everything in the universe are, earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Each element is represented in the human body. For instance, bones and teeth are earth, blood and lymph are water, the metabolism is fire, oxygen is air, and ether is the spaces found between matter, represented best by vibrations or sound. These five elements pair up to form three forces, or "doshes", within the body:

  
     
 
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vata –made up of air and ether. responsible for such functions as the heart beat, locomotion and the workings of the nervous system, Too much Vata can lead to symptoms such as high blood pressure, while too little can result in constipation.
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pitta-made up of fire and water. Responsible for such functions as digestion and temperature. Too much pitta can lead to symptoms such as ulcers and acne, while too little result in indigestion.
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kapha –made up of water and earth. Responsible for such functions as immunity. Too much kapha can lead to symptoms such as runny nose or productive cough, while too little can result in poor concentration.
   
 
  An individual blend of doshas  
  Each person has an individual blend of three doshas, with one or sometimes two doshas predominating. Someone who is mainly a Vata type will br=e creative and nervous; a Pitta type, confident and competitive; and a Kapha type will be patient and possessive. A person's dosha balance can be upset by a variety of factors including diet, stress, emotional upset and the weather.  
     
  Doshas and there effect on prana  
  An Ayurvedic practitioner aims to balance the patient's dosha's in order to increase their life energy, or 'prana'. Only then is good health possible. We take up prana from the food we eat and the air we breathe. Food can affect a person's dosha levels because food is also made up of the five basic elements and can be predominantly vata, pitta or kapha.  
     
  A range of therapies  
 

An Ayurvedic practitioner uses a range of healing therapies to balance and bolster prana, including:

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Acupuncture
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Aromatherapy
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Diet
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Herbal medicine
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Massage
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Meditation
• Pancha karma - (lit. 'five therapies') a specialised treatment consisting of five therapies resulting in internal detoxification and balancing of the three doshas or the three energies (Vata, Pitta and Kapha)
• Sound therapy, or the use of mantras
• Yoga
 
     
  find an ayurveda practitioner