Yoga and Ayurveda are two flourishing traditions and powerful combination spread from Indian origins around the world. They are as relevant for living today as they have always been as their goals are just what we all need more of; spiritual insight, wisdom and health. This article looks at some of the basic Ayurvedic concepts, such as the three humours (dosha), the digestive fire (agni), detoxification and rejuvenation and how they can be blended with your yoga practice.
This article introduces how Yoga and Ayurveda are connected and how an understanding of the basics of Ayurveda can lead to a deeper yoga practice. As it is Autumn we will also look at some seasonal ways of integrating Ayurveda into your yogic lifestyle.
It is often assumed that Yoga and Ayurveda have always been part of the same tradition. Whilst in the broader sense this may be true, as they are Indian, in a more specific sense they are two distinct traditions that have only come together in the last few hundred years. Of course, it is important to define what I mean when I say ‘Yoga’ and ‘Ayurveda’. Yoga I take as hatha yoga, the yoga of physical purity, strength and mental clarity leading to spiritual insight as this is the most common form of yoga practised in the west today and appears to be what many people understand as ‘yoga’.
Yoga is a tradition of mental and spiritual refinement; the art of joining your individual-self (atman) with the universal-self (Brahman). It rejects the first three goals of Hinduism (wealth, sensual pleasure and religious duties) in preference of seeking the ultimate goal of life, spiritual liberation (moksa).
Ayurveda I take as the generic term for the medical system of India that also includes lifestyle advice, massage, diet and herbal treatments. Ayurveda is literally translated as ‘science of life’ but it can also be described as ‘the way of living with insight and balance.’ An early description given in the Charaka Samhita written circa 150BCE-100CE says:
“It is called ayurveda because it tells us which substances, qualities and actions are life enhancing, and which are not.”
Both Yoga and Ayurveda appear to have seedling origins in ancient Indian Vedic and Brahmanical culture. There are mentions of medical and yoga practices in the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda (c 1500 Before Common Era), but these origins cannot be called Yoga or Ayurveda at this stage. Their connection becomes clear in the Goraksha Samhita (900-1400 CE) and the hatha yoga pradipika (16CE), the Light on Yoga.
These yogic texts are full of references to the three Ayurvedic humours, known as the dosha. These three dosha are the foundation of Ayurveda and are the basic elements that determine your health. They can be broadly translated as Wind (vata), Fire (pitta) and Water (kapha). Their relative balance in the body determines your health. For example, too much Water or kapha and you can feel sluggish, have a heavy head and a chest full of phlegm, an imbalanced Fire or pitta can lead to inflammations, acidity and irritability, whilst too much Wind or vata and you can feel bloated, spaced out and anxious. Some of these Ayurvedic principles are clearly expressed in hatha yoga pradipika that describes many yogic techniques that are effective at removing phlegm, fire or wind.
In such texts we can see that Ayurveda and Yoga adopted aspects of each other’s tradition. Yoga, after centuries of being solely interested in the mind and self, became fascinated with attaining a healthy mind through having a healthy body. It began to focus on the ‘purification’ of the body on its journey towards mental refinement and we see the introduction of the six cleanses (shat karma) into regular yogic practice as well as sensible dietary advice to help lead the yogi (ni) to liberation.
Ayurveda also adopted insights from the yogic realm. It began to incorporate the tantric practice of using various mineral substances (for example, gold and silver) to optimise health and extend life. The Ayurvedic doctors began to make special potentised medicines that extended life. It re-emphasised the yogic objectives of attaining that state beyond death to that of virilisation (vajikarana) and rejuvenation (rasayana). This idea of rejuvenation became central to the Ayurvedic approach to life and is an extension of the yogic approach that death can be kept at bay. Today many modern Ayurveda centres and teachers have started to include yoga postures, breathing exercises and meditations as part of their approach for reaching optimum physical and mental health.
Here we can see how Ayurveda and Yoga are examples of the wonderful Indian trait of absorbing everything around them. They have added and complemented each other.
Article Source:
http://www.4ayurveda.com/health.asp?aid=463
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