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Ayurveda is an ancient Sanskrit word; the literal translation of Ayurveda is Knowledge of Life. Ayurveda originated in India more than 5000 years ago and is now becoming popular all over the world. One of the underlying principles is the idea that we are capable of taking charge of our own health, and that when we apply the art of healthy living it enables us to create harmony in our everyday life.
The Ayurvedic way of life embraces the concept we can listen to and address the unique needs of our body, mind and spirit and it all starts with knowing ourselves. Keeping ourselves healthy and prevention of disease are the main goals of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda texts state that there are three main energies or doshas that combine to form all things in the universe, each one has particular qualities which affect the human body, and we remain healthy as long as these energies are in a state of balance within the body.
The combination of doshas that we inherit when we are conceived make up our original constitution. Keeping our original constitution in balance as much as possible will help us to maintain good health. Throughout our life the choices we make with regard to diet, lifestyle, work, environment etc can create an imbalance, which if not corrected can lead to a deterioration in our health.
In Ayurvedic philosophy the five elements air, fire, water, earth and ether combine in pairs to form the three doshas. These three doshas are:
Vata– air and ether - governs movement
Pitta– fire and water - governs heat, metabolism and transformation
Kapha– water and earth - governs structure and fluid balance
There are infinite ways these energies can combine to create the unique qualities in each of us. When we can identify these energies in our body and our individual constitution, we can begin to take charge of our health.
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