WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

Ayurveda heals from the inside - out.

A forest being lit up by golden sunlight. The foreground is a valley spotted with trees. The background is mountains with jagged cliffs.

Rooted in the principles of nature

A blue, human eye, sparkling by the light, with long brown eyelashes.

No "one size fits all" quick fixes

Flat river stones stacked high representing zen energy. A few dried star anise around the bottom of the rock stack.

Holistic approach - mind, body, & spirit

Ayurveda is a natural system of health and healing. This means that it is based on the principles of nature in order to provide a state of wellbeing and peace to an individual. Ayurveda literally means the "science of life". It reminds humans that we are, indeed, a part of nature and that the principles that govern the world around us also govern the world within us.

It is an ancient practice that originates from India over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda is known as a shashwat science, meaning unchanging. The principles of nature do not change, and therefore neither do the healing approaches Ayurveda uses. It is a natural and complete science that works when applied consistently over time. It is cumulative, so the longer you practice and live in harmony with nature, the better you will feel, inside and out.

Treating the root cause, instead of the symptoms...

Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine, which means it does not focus on disease or pathology. It looks at a person as a whole, unlike modern approaches to medicine that separate and conquer. Instead, Ayurveda believes that all life must be supported by energy in balance. Ayurveda recognizes an intelligent principle present in both the universe and the body. An innate wisdom that lies deep within each and every living thing, an inner knowing of how to maintain one's health and live life fully. Health is a "harmonious function of the whole individual, no system can work in isolation" (Myra Lewin of Hale Pule). Therefore, the goal is not to treat or suppress symptoms individually, but to restore balance by eliminating the cause of the imbalance. When the root cause of imbalance is removed, symptoms will disappear.

Each person is unique and needs different things...

When is comes to Ayurvedic treatment, there is no "one size fits all". Each client is approached as a unique person who holds the keys to their own healing. An Ayurvedic health counselor determines the client's unique constitution or baseline (prakruti) as well as their current state of imbalance (vikruti). The counselor then works with the client to create an individualized plan to assist them to move in the direction of health and wellbeing. Ayurveda uses diet, lifestyle, herbs, self-care rituals and traditional treatments to bring individuals back to balance. Offering a client wisdom and an opportunity to learn about how their choices effect the way they feel brings about a strong sense of self-responsibility. There is no substitute for taking responsibility for one's own actions in Ayurveda. No quick fixes or superfoods. Ayurveda offers a balanced way of living and a path towards true freedom.

See how Ayurveda changed my life.

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