Ayurveda Course

What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is made up of the two Sanskrit words: Ayur, life and longevity, and Veda, wisdom, and knowledge. This term could, therefore, be translated as "knowledge of life and longevity." 

Key things to know:
Over 5,000 years old;
Formed in the Vedic civilization in India;
Revealed only to the Rishis, or Indian Sages, during meditation;
Shared via sutras, songs, and rhythmic texts; and
Historically considered not created by man, but rather derived from the universe and nature.

Purpose of Ayurveda:
Relieve sickness
Maintain health
Self-actualization

Samkhya: The Religious and The Spiritual
It is said that Ayurveda is birthed from a cosmic consciousness. Samkhya is taken from the Sanskrit word sat: truth and khya: to know. Ayurveda is heavily steeped in this spirituality, but that is not to say that this must be subscribed to in order to benefit from Ayurveda.

Modern Day:
Many pharmaceuticals are derived from nature and the WHO has taken great interest in this sister science to yoga in recent years. 

Words to know:
Purusha - masculine energy and is the energy of the consciousness of the being
Prakruti - feminine energy an is the decision making energy
Gunas: Sattva, Rajas, Tamas the three fundamental energies that take from in the ego

The Oneness of Ayurveda
The entire being is brought into consideration in Ayurvedic terms. One cannot separate the mind from the body not the spirit. These elements intertwine and as much as the bark of a tree is bark and roots of the tree are roots, and the branches extend as branches, all parts are one in the form of a tree. There is a oneness amongst the practitioner with the world around him in the same way.

Achieving Balance
It is said that balance can be achieved through the discipline of Ayurveda, yoga, and tantras. Through these modalities, much like the tree, a wholeness may be obtained.

Words to know:
Yoga - union, yolk, mind and awareness in tandem
Tantra - the domain of the soul, controller of the energies
Ayurveda - the science of life, how we care for our bodies

Journal Prompt
A progression takes place between the acts of Ayurveda and the practice of yoga from the state of tantra. 

The Five Elements:
Ether
Air
Fire
Water
Earth
Each element reflects a practitioner’s constitution, or dosha.

The Three Doshas:
Vata
Pitta 
Kapha
An individual will likely have more than one constitutional (or dosha) and the dominate dosha can fluctuate in seasons of the practitioner’s life. Some may be bi-doshic, and others even tri-doshic. These elements will fluctuate in life.

The 20 Characteristics 
The following 20 qualities are given in pairs of opposites: 

Heavy – Light
Slow – Hasty
Cold – Hot
Oily – Dry
Sticky – Rough
Thick – Liquid
Soft – Hard
Stationary – Mobile
Subtle – Crass 
Murky – Clear 

The general idea is to provide remedies corresponding to the opposite characteristics. 

We will elaborate on these concepts within this course. It is our intention to provide an understanding of Ayurveda, rather than a prescription for treatment. Should you decide to continue your education on to be a provider of such services, we offer education providers to so.