Ayurveda FAQ's
Q. What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda recognizes that each person has a unique constitution. While we may be easily filed into larger subgroups or ‘types’, we benefit most from a more detailed analysis of what keeps us as individuals in or out of balance on a more personal level. Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India. The wisdom along with detailed descriptions of diseases and treatments is thousands of years old and has remained unchanged as it was first recorded in Sanskrit. The wisdom includes philosophy and spirituality and it should be noted that Ayurveda and Yoga are sister sciences. It is believed that if practiced together one can achieve and maintain their most optimal state of health.
Q. Why would I seek out Ayurveda and how can it benefit me?
In a practical sense, the purpose of Ayurveda is to maintain a healthy balance. When our bodies are in balance, they are able to heal more effectively and handle stress and potential illnesses. Ayurveda is sometimes referred to as the ‘fountain of youth’ because living a healthy balanced life can seemingly slow down the effects of aging. Simplified, aging is the result of stress and time on the human body. Diet & digestion is always considered and imbalances addressed. Ayurveda can be used to balance almost any concern, from sleepless nights to weight issues or depression, low self esteem to skin problems and stress and breaking bad habits. Ayurveda utilizes the 5 senses of the body to find or restore balance.
Taste-food
smell-aromatherapy
sight-color therapy
touch-massage therapy
hearing- sound therapy
Q. What happens in a consultation?
The purpose of a comprehensive Ayurvedic exam is to discover the root cause, or underlying imbalance that is causing disharmony. That disharmony or imbalance may be causing you minor discomfort or be contributing to an actual disease that has already manifested. During the consultation I will take a deeper look at things like stress on the nervous system, your daily rituals & lifestyle, and your health history. There are many Ayurvedic tools available to restore balance. What I do as a practitioner is to come up with a plan to help you meet your personal goals. Part of what makes each persons experience unique is that while there are some things that I recommend for most people, there are other recommendations that are unique to your plan. Usually that plan will start out with herbal recommendations, perhaps oils and/or some dietary adjustments. For some people I recommend taking a walk in nature or enjoying quite hour to themselves, for others it may be joining a gym or checking out a yoga class. For some it may be finding some quality time with family or partner. There is no one size fits all or magic bullet answer to balancing health. What everyone will gain is knowledge. While the complete understanding of how Ayurveda works may be overwhelming to learn all at once, what I will do is introduce the concepts and knowledge as it applies to each individual as the need arises.
Q. Can you cure my disease with Ayurveda?
While it is true that people have experienced recovering from serious illness with the help of Ayurveda, I would never claim to be able to heal or promise recovery from any illness. The more advanced a disease is the more complicated it is to relieve symptoms or release illness from the body and this is true of any alternative, Eastern or Western medicine. In fact, if you are currently under a physicians care for a serious illness or disease you should consult them prior to the use of any herbal supplements or alternative care. Having said that, many people do turn to Ayurveda after other modalities have not succeeded in relieving their symptoms or discomfort. Ayurveda is unique in that it puts your health in your own hands more so than many other systems.
Q. I don’t really have any major health concerns yet I’m interested in Ayurveda. Is there any benefit for me learning more about it and perhaps integrating it into my lifestyle?
Yes! I have had clients that just wanted ‘better’ health, more knowledge of how to become & stay balanced or just want a simple herbal formula for a minor concern. No matter what your goals are, learning about ayurveda & integrating some of the healthy habits into your lifestyle can only benefit you for now and continued good health in the future.