A woman in white meditating on the bank of the Ganga at Rishikesh, with the suspension bridge and hills behind
Understanding Ayurveda

The Science of
Life & Balance

Ancient wisdom for health and balance.

What Is Ayurveda

Understanding Life
in Its Wholeness

Ayurveda is one of India’s ancient systems of knowledge and healthcare. The word Ayurveda
comes from Ayus—life—and Veda—knowledge or wisdom: the knowledge of life.

Ayurveda views health through the relationship between the individual, their constitution,
lifestyle, food, environment and changing stages of life.

Rather than looking at a health concern in isolation, it seeks to understand the individual
in their wholeness and the factors that may influence their state of balance.

Purpose of Ayurveda

To Preserve Health.
To Restore Balance.

A classical principle of Ayurveda expresses its purpose as:

Swasthasya Swasthya Rakshanam,
Aturasya Vikara Prashamanam

To preserve the health of the healthy and to support the alleviation of
imbalance in those who are unwell.

This twofold purpose remains central to Ayurveda—maintaining wellbeing
while addressing imbalance when it arises.

Preserve
Health

Supporting balance and wellbeing through awareness, appropriate lifestyle choices and preventive care.

Restore
Balance

Addressing imbalances when they arise, through personalised care and appropriate Ayurveda therapies.

Prakriti

Your Individual
Constitution

Ayurveda recognises that no two individuals are exactly alike.

Prakriti refers to an individual’s inherent constitution—the unique pattern that influences physical characteristics, tendencies and responses to food, lifestyle and environment.

Understanding Prakriti helps explain why something appropriate for one person may not necessarily be appropriate for another.

Because balance is personal.

The Three Doshas

Vata. Pitta. Kapha.

Ayurveda describes three fundamental functional principles known as the Doshas.

  • Vata

    Associated with movement
    and communication
    within the body.

  • Pitta

    Associated with
    transformation, digestion
    and metabolism.

  • Kapha

    Associated with structure,
    stability and nourishment.

All three are present in every individual, but in different proportions. Their balance may be influenced by diet, lifestyle, age,
season, environment and daily routines.

Prakriti and Vikriti as two halves of one circle: on the left a woman sits calm and smiling in sunlit greenery; on the right the same woman holds her head, tired, in a hazy landscape
Prakriti & Vikriti

Your Nature.
Your Present Balance.

While Prakriti describes your inherent constitution, Vikriti refers to your present state and how it may differ from that natural constitution.

Understanding the relationship between the two helps the Vaidya consider what may be influencing your current wellbeing and what kind of care may be appropriate.

This is why Ayurveda consultation begins with the individual, not simply the symptom.

Agni

The Power of Digestion
& Transformation

Agni is a central concept in Ayurveda. It refers to the body’s capacity to digest, assimilate and transform food and other inputs.

Balanced Agni is considered important for nourishment and wellbeing, while disturbed digestive and metabolic processes may contribute to imbalance.

For this reason, Ayurveda places considerable emphasis on what we eat, how we eat, when we eat and how well we digest.

  1. Dhatu

    Nourishment

    The body’s structural and nourishing tissues that support strength, function and overall wellbeing.

  2. Mala

    Elimination

    Natural waste products that need to be appropriately eliminated for the body to remain in balance.

  3. Ojas

    Vitality

    Associated with vitality, resilience and the essence of well-nourished tissues.

Nourishment. Elimination. Vitality.

Ayurveda describes the body’s structural and nourishing tissues as Dhatus, while Malas refer to natural waste products that need to be appropriately eliminated.

Ojas is associated in Ayurveda with vitality, resilience and the essence of well-nourished tissues.

Together, these concepts reflect Ayurveda’s understanding that wellbeing depends upon the body’s ability to receive, transform, nourish and eliminate appropriately.

When Digestion
Is Complete

Ama is an Ayurveda concept associated with substances resulting from incomplete digestion or transformation.

Ayurveda therefore gives particular attention to supporting appropriate digestion, metabolism and elimination through food, routines, therapies and lifestyle practices suited to the individual.

Daily & Seasonal
Rhythms

Ayurveda recognises that our needs change with time of day, season, age, environment and circumstances.

Dinacharya refers to daily routines that support balance, while Ritucharya considers how food and lifestyle may be adapted with the changing seasons.

The principle is simple: wellbeing is supported when the way we live remains responsive to both our individual nature and the world around us.

Food as Part of Wellbeing

Ayurveda considers food an important part of maintaining balance.

Rather than prescribing one ideal diet for everyone, food choices may be considered
in relation to constitution, Agni, present balance, season and individual needs.

Ayurveda also describes Shad Rasa—the six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent—
and their appropriate place in nourishment.

It is not only what we eat, but what we are able to digest and assimilate that truly supports our wellbeing.

PRĀṆAMEVA JAYATE

Understand the individual. Understand the balance. Personalise the care.

Ancient wisdom. A healthier tomorrow.

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