Newsletter No.20
I have incorporated Ayurveda into my daily life since 2018, after resonating with way this ancient system helps us understand our health and wellbeing. In this week’s newsletter, Steph Wollenberg explores how the Ayurveda teaches us to listen deeply and rediscover the elemental wisdom that has been guiding our bodies all along.
Paul Bellaart
The phrase ‘ancient wisdom’ carries a depth to it that its current counterpart, ‘modern science’, lacks. Say the words out loud, and you can just hear it. Ancient wisdom feels intuitive or ingrained: a deep-rooted knowing within us and the world we live in. Yet modern science feels somehow external, surface-level or set apart.
In today’s demanding world, it’s easier and more convenient to live life from our surface, something I see as a yoga instructor and Ayurvedic practitioner. During class I remind students to move beyond the aesthetics of the perfect pose and tune into the subtle sensation of their living, breathing bodily experience, be it their emotions, energy or mental state.
The response is interesting. For some, the process of tapping into and acknowledging their inner landscape can feel unfamiliar, perhaps uncomfortable, and it’s not hard to see why. We live fast, distracted lives that demand us to think, not feel. We’re conditioned to normalise symptoms, take a pill, prioritise progress over rest and move so far ahead of ourselves that we end up losing our way back. When we’re asked, “But how are you, really?” we no longer know.
In order to truly know ourselves, stay in our best balanced state and take control of our health, we must pause, listen in and unearth our inherent bodily wisdom. That’s where Ayurveda comes in. ‘Ayurveda’ translates as ‘the science of life’, but it’s also the science of strong intuition and the incredible ability to read oneself. This ancient healing tradition, discovered and practised in India over 5,000 years ago, gives us such a clear picture of who we are – our strengths and talents, weaknesses and imbalances, physical and emotional – that it empowers us to make choices that truly serve us, setting us in flow.
Ayurveda is based around the concept of the five universal elements: air, ether (space), fire, water and earth, and their ability to govern the world around us and within us. Categorised into three typologies, or “doshas”: Vata, Pitta and Kapha, each is composed of two elements. Vata air and ether, Pitta fire and water, and Kapha earth and water.
We all contain a varying ratio of these elements that make up our individual blueprint; that’s why one treatment, lifestyle or diet never works for all. I’m Vata-Pitta, for instance, meaning I have more air and space but also some fire, but it may be that you are Pitta-Kapha, Kapha-Vata, or a balanced mix of all three. To understand your specific elemental makeup, I recommend taking a free online dosha quiz or working with an Ayurvedic practitioner.
So, how do air, ether, fire, earth and water tell us more about who we are, and how can we use them to understand ourselves and prevent imbalances? Each of the five elements carries with it a specific quality (guna), and these qualities appear in the body as either a physical or emotional trait. Let’s take Vata first. The qualities of Vata are what you’d expect from air and space: mobile, rough, light, dry, cold, subtle and clear – think a gusty, cold wind. ‘Mobile’ might show up as a busy, imaginative mind or love of movement. ‘Light’ a lighter frame, ‘subtle’ a spiritual sensitivity, ‘cold’ as poor circulation. Vata types are creative fast-thinkers, highly sensitive and drawn to movement, but irregularity easily throws them out of sync.
Pitta’s qualities are equally as fascinating but somewhat different. The fire and water elements are sharp, oily, fermented, penetrating, spreading, hot and liquid. If you’re a Pitta type, you may have a sharp mind that’s quick to understand, sharp facial features or digestion. You may have oily skin or the natural ability to charm. Your gaze may be penetrating, or your approach intense. You may run hotter than most and sweat a little more. And you may enjoy gaining recognition by spreading your name. These qualities make Pitta types natural CEOs or speakers, but their excess heat can create more anger, irritability, headaches or skin rashes.
Kapha is the softest dosha. Earth and water qualities – heavy, cold, oily, unctuous, stable, sticky, soft and slow – give them compassion and grounding. ‘Heavy’ might mean a heavier build or tendency towards heavy emotions. ‘Sticky’ could show up as attachment to people or possessions, or an ability to bring friends together. ‘Stable’ means they’re grounded in themselves and easily hold space for others. ‘Slow’ might mean a slower heart rate, processing speed, or walking pace. Kapha types make wonderful carers or nurses – sweet, patient and loving, though their heaviness can trigger low mood or lethargy.
To achieve our most natural state of balance is to stay as close to our birth constitution (Prakriti) as we can. Your birth constitution is the composition of elements within your parents at the very moment of your conception, and it never changes throughout your life. However, the ratio of elements within us (Vikriti) can change depending on our age, lifestyle, diet, or even the season.
So how exactly do these factors shift our balance? Everything we experience or digest through our sense organs carries with it a quality. Raw food is cold and rough, sunlight is hot and dry, and music can be sharp or smooth. That means our diet and lifestyle have a huge impact on the balance of the elements we carry and have the ability to either keep us steady or throw us right out of it. In Ayurveda, a simple principle holds strong: ’Like increases like; opposites balance.’
With that in mind, if you’re a Vata type and you eat a diet of cold, dry raw foods, overexert yourself with too much movement, expose yourself to cold or wind, or spend too much time in isolation, you start to build an excess of air and space, causing a whole host of imbalances like gas, insomnia, loneliness or dry skin. Similarly, if you’re Pitta and you spend time sunbathing in the hot, sharp midday heat or eat hot, oily, spicy foods, then fiery symptoms will appear, like anger, acne or acid reflux. It’s the same with Kapha. Too many similar qualities, like heavy, sweet food, lack of movement or exposure to cold, can also create Kapha imbalances like depression, excess mucus or weight gain.
Bringing in opposites works wonders in the prevention and treatment of imbalances. Vata needs spiced, warm, heavier foods, a consistent routine, plenty of moist oils like sesame or ghee, grounding exercise like yoga or Pilates and plenty of layers to stay warm. Pitta needs cooling activities like nature walks or meditation, cool room-temperature foods with a focus on the bitter tastes and plenty of time to de-stress. And Kapha needs stimulation for both mind and body with more intense exercise, lighter, astringent foods and new hobbies or interests to keep them energised.
There is so much more I can say, but my advice is this: get to know your Ayurvedic constitution, and you will unearth so much about yourself, from what career path to take to what foods to eat and exercise regime to follow. You will no longer need to rely so frequently on a doctor to tell you what’s wrong, because you’ll just naturally know, and that’s our ancient wisdom rising right to the fore.
We hope you have enjoyed our newsletter. Cam & Kate x