THE TECHNIQUE: Ayurveda is an ancient preventive wellness and healing practice originating in India more than 5,000 years ago. The word, Ayurveda, means “science of life” in Sanskrit and may be the root for many natural healing methods available in the West in present day.

Ayurveda emphasizes preventive lifestyle practices to bring balance to one’s life, thinking, diet, lifestyle and the use of herbs. Ayurveda also focused on finding and treating the root cause of diseases, rather than symptoms. And Ayurveda looks at wellness of your whole being–mind, body, spirit, and social well-being.

WHO IT MIGHT HELP:

• People who value preventive health and wellness.
• People who seek natural healing options.
• People who are ready and willing to adjust their lifestyle practices.
• People with an interest in herbs.

RESEARCH & REASONS TO BELIEVE:

• What is Ayurveda: Ayurvedic Institute
• What is Ayurveda: Ayurveda Experience
• What is Ayurveda: Cleveland Clinic
• What is Ayurveda: National Ayurvedic Medical Association

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

I first sought Ayurveda to help me with chronic fatigue. At the time, I was tired all the time and needed at least two naps every day to get through the day. A friend suggested I give Ayurveda a try after months of trying Western medicine routes that had not helped.

The Ayurvedic doctor I worked with spent more than an hour with me going over my entire health history–well worth the visit just from the insights I gained from reviewing my health history with a health professional! She asked me questions about my willingness to change some of my daily habits and/or take herbs. I said I was willing to give anything a try.

She suggested I start with tongue scraping, dry brushing, abhyanga, and herbal tablets for stress from Banyan Botanicals. She also suggested I try Heartfulness meditation and yoga.

I opted to try all her suggestions, but after a few months, I dropped yoga because I wasn’t enjoying it. Plus, I was already practicing Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Qigong.

The tongue scraping and dry brushing were welcome additions to my morning routine–in fact, I still use them daily and it’s been almost 6 years since my first Ayurvedic appointment. By the end of a few months, I felt they were giving me an energy boost in the morning.

I also continue doing abhyanga a few times a week in the evenings before bedtime as it feels good, helps with my dry skin, and seems to have a positive impact on my Oura sleep data when I correlate the two.

I took the herbal tablets for stress for a year. I admit, I’m not sure I noticed any difference in my time taking them, but I came to enjoy the ritual of brewing them into a tea every day and the taste of the tea.

Finally, I admit I don’t do Heartfulness meditation as much as I wish, but it remains enjoyable and wonderfully helpful in balancing out strong emotions.

TIPS & THINGS TO KNOW:

• Ayurveda, and other natural preventive wellness practices are vastly different from what we’re used to in Western medical experience. Most significantly, it doesn’t provide quick fixes. Since it’s focused on bringing a person back into proper balance, lifestyle practices, such as herbs, exercises and meditation take time to work.
• Ayurveda is also concerned mostly with treating root causes of imbalance and/or dis-ease. That means if you’re struggling with something like itchy feet, you may be asked to eat more cilantro. (Personal experience, and it worked!)
• Ayurveda is still not recognized by most Western medicine systems, though increasing research on tenets of Ayurveda are increasing. This means seeing an Ayurvedic practitioner will likely not be covered by your health insurance, though payment through Health Savings Accounts are often accepted.
• If you’re interested in giving Ayurveda a try, I recommend learning a bit more about Ayurveda to understand what you might expect, and talk with the practitioner to see what criteria they suggest you use to determine whether it is working for you.

In addition to continuing my experience with Ayurveda, I work as a consultant with a NAMA Board Certified Ayurvedic doctor helping to manage the business of her practice. As such, I regularly see first-hand how this ancient art and science benefits many others!