Yoga & Ayurveda
3rd of October 2007Healthy living through yoga & Ayurveda
The Blending of Two Traditions.
Yoga and Ayurveda are two flourishing traditions that have spread from their 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 emancipation (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 and we are some of the fortunate trustees.
To highlight their intertwining I want use the example of the Autumn to mention some practical Ayurvedic and yogic suggestions for staying healthy during these seasonal changes. Ayurveda recommends that we balance vata at this time of year and there are some great Ayurvedic and yogic tips to help you stay balanced this Autumn.
Autumn
Autumn is predominantly a cool season where vata predominates. Vata is like the wind; light, erratic, drying, rough and cold. If it's windy or dry or you live in an exposed place then this increases vata further. The time surrounding seasonal changes is governed by vata too, as vata is associated with movement or change in general. On the emotional level increased vata can increase fear, or feeling scattered, ‘spaced out’ and anxious.
Here are a few Ayurvedic lifestyle recommendations for balancing vata:
Qualities of vata: The vata dosha is comprised of the elements of space (akasha) and air (vayu). Each dosha contains aspects of all the elements but space and wind are predominant in vata. So, vata is cold, light, rough, mobile, subtle, clear, dry and astringent. The functions of vata reflect these qualities. It is responsible for all movement in the body and all electrical impulses; blood flow, elimination of wastes, speech, it moves the diaphragm and muscles in general, it also stimulates the function of the intellect. The root ‘va’ means to spread. The primary site of vata is the colon. It also resides in the bladder, thighs, ears, bones and the sense of touch.
How to aggravate vata: vata is aggravated by astringent, bitter and pungent flavours (as they all increase dryness), at the end of a meal, early morning and evening, by fear and insecurity, in early autumn and spring, at the latter stage of life, by excessive movement, by a dry and cold climate, by going to bed after 11pm. If you are out of balance there is, unfortunately, a natural tendency to be attracted to these as according to the Ayurvedic rule ‘like attracts like’.
How to balance vata: As vata is ‘light’, ‘cold’, ‘dry’ it is attracted to and increased by these tendencies. It is best balanced by using the opposite qualities:
- More warmth, moisture, groundedness.
- Less bitter, astringent and very pungent foods (cold salads, coffee, strong tea, very hot spices).
- Less rushing, travelling, hurrying.
- Less cold and dryness (eg ice, raw foods, pop corn, beans).
- Less fear and anxiety.
- More oily, warm oil massage: Have a warm sesame oil massage regularly.
- More regularity: A daily routine is essential to balance vata.
- More warmth: Hot baths, warm & relaxing teas - ginger, Relax vata herbal tea.
- More stillness: Learn relaxation techniques . Try Brahmi Plus to aid clarity.
- More confidence and security: Enhance self-esteem.
Vata treatment is concentrated on digestion in the lower abdomen. Take demulcent laxatives such as Triphala Plus (includes psyllium) for this. Another great formula is Asafoetida Plus (Hingashtaka) as this can help prevent wind and bloating.
Yoga to balance vata
All practices focus on grounding, calming and centering. Use your own intuition as to what is the best pace for you. Also pay attention to the lower abdomen, the joints and slow breathing.
ASANA
Wind relieving poses (Pawan Mukt Asana): Joint rotation of each junction in the body.
Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar): Slow and with mantra. Bring the solar qualities into your life.
Heavenly stretch (Tadasana): Clench the buttocks and direct awareness to the lower abdomen.
All inverted poses , twists and backward bends help to relieve vata.
PRANAYAMA
Purification breathing (Nadi Shodhana): Slow alternate nostril breathing.
Victory breath (Ujjai): Slow breathing whilst contracting the glottis - very calming.
Bee breath (Brahmari): Making the humming sound of the female bee. Pleasant vibrations to calm and ground.
MEDITATION
Inner silence (Antar Mouna): One of Swami Satyananda’s gems. The practice of inner silence.
Mantra (Ajapajapa): Repetition of a mantra. Soft repetation of the mantra Om.
Sense withdrawal (Pratyahara): Withdrawal of the sense from their objects for inner peace.
Hanuman Chalisa to combat fear. All chanting can alleviate fear and vata.
CLEANSES
Trataka: Gazing at a fixed spot. Focus on a candle to keep the light throught the winter.
Nauli: Abdominal churning. Gently under the guidance of your teacher
Kapalabhati: Frontal bellows breath. Practice slowly and deeply
Try adding The Heavenly stretch (Tadasana), The Cat (Marjariasana) and The Spinal twist (Matsyendrasana) to your daily practice during the Autumn. These along with some of the above lifestyle suggestions will help you on your way to a truly balanced Autumn.
Bibliography
Bernard, T, Hatha Yoga, Rider, 1950.
Eliade, M, Yoga: Immortality and freedom, Princeton University Press, 1958.
Lad, V, Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles, The Ayurvedic Press, 2002
Saraswati, S, Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hathy Yoga, Bihar School of Yoga, 1985.
Wujastyk, D, The roots of Ayurveda: selections from the Ayurvedic classics, Penguin, 1998.
