Why You Should See an Ayurvedic Practitioner
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Ayurveda is a holistic medicine that seeks towards balancing the body through proper diet and routine. While Ayurveda can treat and cure certain ailments, the intention of Ayurveda is to maintain balance in our body and avoid sickness in the first place. If you’re interested in learning more, check out my post about the Ayurvedic doshas.
As a yoga teacher and practitioner, I’ve always been interested in the practice of Ayurveda. So much so in fact, that I hope to attend the school of Ayurveda in California so I can become a legitimate practitioner. In the meantime, I’ve been doing my best to learn on my own. I own and have read quite a few books that I will link at the end of this post, and I’m constantly researching ways to maintain balance and health.
Prior to my first experience with an Ayurvedic practitioner, I always thought that my dosha (Ayurvedic body type) was Vata Pitta. I have been doing my best to eat according to my dosha, and maintain a lifestyle that suits my body type. Still, I found myself getting sick frequently, lacking energy and overall aggravated.
Recently I decided to pull the plug and get a consult from an Ayurvedic practitioner. While there are tons of resources that help determine your body type, it’s hard to get an accurate read from a fixed test. If you’ve ever taken a test online to try to determine your dosha, you know that the tests can be very standard and difficult to get an accurate read. It’s also super difficult to answer the questions correctly if you’re in between answers. This is where the help of an Ayurvedic practitioner comes in.
My first meeting with my Ayurvedic practitioner was very similar to one of those online tests. We started off with basic questions about my skin, hair, and physical features. She then took a look at my tongue, nails, and, eyes and dove a little deeper into my daily routine and habits. A lot of the questions she asked were simple, like what’s the texture of my hair, are my nails strong or do they crack easily. The deeper we dove, however, the more I discovered that Ayurveda is not so cut and dry. There were some questions I had difficulty answering and even more I felt wishy-washy on. Luckily I was in good hands and my Ayurvedic practitioner was able to determine what characteristics were true to my nature, and what was caused by an imbalance.
At the end of my session, we determined that my body type is straight Vata, with a strong presence of Kapha particularly in the mind. I was somewhat shocked! I had no idea that my Kapha qualities were so strong, but after chatting with her everything made so much more sense. The past few years I was doing my best to follow a Vata Pitta pacifying diet. Ironically enough, that was what caused me to have such an imbalance in my little Vata body.
Of course, I can’t blame my own misdiagnosis for all of my recent health issues. In Ayurveda, following a pacifying diet in accordance with your dosha is only a portion of the lifestyle. The other part consists of building a routine to suit your lifestyle and elemental needs. Creating simple daily rituals to help set us up for success and keep us grounded.
While each dosha has their own lifestyle and routines that pacify their needs, there are some general rules across the board. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day creates a stable sleep pattern for the body and allows to have deeper more beneficial rest. For me as a Vata, going to bed at 10:00pm and waking up at 6:00am is ideal since Vata’s energy is at it’s peak in the early morning…if you know me you would probably think the opposite though considering how stubborn I am when it comes to waking up (that’s the Kapha in me!)
Additionally practicing self-massage or Abhyanga in the morning, can benefit all three doshas. It is important to note that each dosha does require a different oil or medium in order to practice self-massage. However, the benefits are similar across the board, calming the central nervous system, increasing circulation, improving the skin and detoxifying the body are just a few! It is best to bathe after your massage in order to release the toxins and create healthy skin but it’s not detrimental to skip the shower if you’re in a rush. Finally taking some time to meditate, practice mindful breathing such as Pranayama, and moving in a way that supports your dosha should be added into your routine as necessary for your dosha.
Maintaining a simple morning routine full of self-care and eating around the same time each day is important for all three doshas as it keeps the rhythm of the natural body intact. Practicing meditation, yoga or another form of exercise that suits your dosha is ideal as it will level out the energy in the body allowing it to function properly. Of course, we aren’t perfect and we will all have those days where we eat something aggravating to our dosha or skip our workout, or sleep in and that’s ok! Much like yoga, Ayurveda is a practice and allowing ourselves room to explore and enjoy life is not a bad thing!
If you’re interested in learning more about Ayurveda and your particular body type, it is important to seek out a professional to help. While there are many resources out there that aid us in determining our true nature, it is difficult to discover this on our own. Often times we have a biased opinion about our body and behavior which can inhibit our ability to truthfully uncover the energies that are most prominent in the body.
By talking to an Ayurvedic practitioner, we can get a more accurate read on our body and what it needs. This is only helpful though if you are upfront and honest with your practitioner. Make sure that when you are seeking out Ayurvedic assistance, you check people’s credentials. Most Ayurvedic schools have a list of legitimate practitioners on their website, and if you have any questions about a persons background or education, ask. Make sure you are comfortable with your practitioner before you begin, take some time to talk to them and feel out if it is a good fit.
Once you have had an initial consult with your Ayurvedic practitioner, finding balance for your body is significantly easier. My practitioner emailed me tons of documents after our session and set up a morning routine and diet that suites my needs. Now that I know my true dosha, it will be easier for me to maintain balance and further understand my body. Luckily my practitioner is open to questions and support without me having to book another session unless of course, she feels another session is necessary for my health. However, now that I know my dosha and imbalances, the resources around me have become even more helpful in aiding me on my Ayurvedic journey.
Without the knowledge from my practitioner, I would still be practicing a lifestyle and diet that was more harmful to me than good. Online resources and books can be helpful in learning the basics of Ayurveda but are not always reliable. Simply put, if you want to take your Ayurvedic lifestyle seriously, you should invest in at least one consultation to determine your true nature.
As always,
love and light,
-Sarah
P.S Here is the list of supplements and oils my Ayurvedic Practitioner Recommended for me and why. Talk to your healthcare professional before you decided to take add the supplements into your daily routine!
Triphala is a natural gut cleanser that is pacifying for all three Doshas. It helps clear Ama, undigested food, from the body. I mix some into my warm lemon water every morning to promote healthy digestion!
Ashwagandha is a natural remedy that promotes a calm, steady mind. It’s great to reduce anxiety and calm an overworked Vata brain.
This oil is good for lubricating the sinuses and promoting focus. If you’re a Vata like me, then you know how dry our skin can be. I typically use the oil after I finishing using my netty pot.
Sesame oil is pacifying for Vata body types. I use a little bit of sesame oil on my face at night to remove my makeup. I also use the oil on my skin in the morning when I practice myself-massage.
