AyurvedaThe Science of Life

Melanie Davis

Kaplan University

March 10, 2015

Welcome to Day 1

• Introductions • Name• Any knowledge of Ayurveda• Expectations of course

• Review Syllabus• Handouts• What is Ayurveda?• Western vs Ayurveda• Dosha’s and Yoga

What is Ayurveda? ayus = life veda = science

Science of Life

• Traditional Hindu system of medicine• Originated over 5000 yrs ago in India• Prevent and treat illness/disease • Balance mind, body, and consciousness • Proper drinking, diet, and lifestyle • herbal remedies, yoga, and meditation

• Prevent unnecessary suffering • Slow the degenerative process

• Patient centered system of healing• Focus is on the patient not the disease

Western vs Ayurvedic Medicine

Western Medicine focuses on the disease and treatment of the symptoms with drugs or other substances

Ayurvedic Medicine focuses on the root cause of the illness; shifting the mind and body back into balance

http://heymonicab.com/east-vs-west/

Dosha’s and Yoga

• Dosha • Vata (wind)• Pitta (fire)• Kapha (Earth)• Balanced and imbalanced • Eating for your Dosha

• Yoga for each Dosha • Breathing techniques• Poses to balance your dosha

Welcome to Day 2

• Review Dosha from Day 1• Take the Dosha test • Discuss each Dosha• Dosha Nurtirion• Reflections

Doshas• Our constitution

• Our fundamental being

• Our energies • In balance

• Happy and Healthy

• Out of balance

• Sickness and Disease

• Vata• Air and ether elements

• Pitta• Fire and water elements

• Kapha • Water and Earth elements

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition

Vata• Light, cool, dry and mobile• Bodies characteristics: light, bones

thin, and dry skin/hair• Move and speak quickly• In balance:

• Talkative, enthusiastic, creative, flexible and energetic

• Out of balance: • Confused, overwhelmed,

difficulty with focusing, decisions and sleep

• Bring balance:• Warmth, heaviness, moistness,

and stability• Cooked grains, warm milk with

spiceshttp://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition

Pitta

• Fire and water elements• Body characteristics: feel warm, oily

skin, sharp eyes and features • Highly focuses, competitive, capable,

courageous, and energetic• Great friend, fear enemy• Out of balance

• Diarrhea, infections, skin rashes, and liver, spleen, blood weakness

• Overly intense and have a sharp tongue

• Bring balance:• Coolness, heaviness, dryness• Cool spices are recommended• Raw veggies, cooked rice, beans

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition

Kapha• Water and Earth elements• Cool, moist, stable, and heavy• Body qualities:

• dense, heavy bones, supple skin, large stocky frames

• Most prone to diabetes • Handle stress well and stable

personality • Comfort seekers but too much to

lead to lack of motivation• Out of balance:

• gain weight, weakness in lungs/sinuses, heavy emotions

• Bring balance: • lightness, dryness, and warmth;

aroma and color therapy, detoxification, yoga and meditation

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition

Our constitution

“We must remember that we are all a combination of the three doshic energies.On the most fundamental level, Pitta is our metabolism, Kapha our structure and Vata the mobility that brings action and life into creation. Without all three energies, we simply could not exist.”

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/Tridosha_Science_Ayurveda#sthash.PAdY31Ks.dpuf

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition

Dosha Nutrition

• Vata: • More grains, oils, salt, and a little spice• Avoid too many salads, fruits, and beans• Tend to become anxious, constipated, and experience sleeplessness

• Pitta:• More raw veggies; foods that are mild In spice; Large salads are great! • Greater incidence of skin rashes, liver weakness and anger with spicy foods

• Kapha: • Lighter foods i.e., salads and vegetables; thrive on hot spicy foods• Avoid all sweets, dairy, and nuts and most grains like wheat and rice • Millet and quinoa can be a substitution

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition

Reflection

• What have you learned about your constitution? • What will you take away from todays session and incorporate into you

life to become more balance? • Do you consume the right foods for your Dosha or do you feel you

need to make changes?

“Nothing is right for everyone, everything is right for someone”(Dr. Marc Halpern

President of the CA College of Ayurveda)

• Final day together! • Review Dosha’s the the Dosha Quiz• Discuss findings with Dosha Nutrition

• Guest Yoga InstructorCelena

• Yoga introduction• Yoga practice • Wrap up

Welcome to Day 3

Dosha’s in review…

• Dosha’s are our energies • In balance prevents disease and illness• Bring back to balance through:• Proper nutrition for dominant Dosha• Yoga and meditation

• 3 energies• Vata (Air), Pitta (Fire), Kapha (Water)

• Anything else that stood out to you?

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition

Dosha nutrition…

• Vata: • More grains, oils, salt, and a little spice• Avoid too many salads, fruits, and beans• Tend to become anxious, constipated, and experience sleeplessness

• Pitta:• More raw veggies; foods that are mild In spice; Large salads are great! • Greater incidence of skin rashes, liver weakness and anger with spicy foods

• Kapha: • Lighter foods i.e., salads and vegetables; thrive on hot spicy foods• Avoid all sweets, dairy, and nuts and most grains like wheat and rice • Millet and quinoa can be a substitution

Yoga with Celena

Mother of 2 handsome boys (3.5 and 5 months)Practicing yoga for 5 years

200 hour Yoga trainer certified

Learned it and loved it! Decided to get certified

Practice daily

Additional teaching hours and certificationsLove to teach others how to ward off

Common complaints

Favorite poses: Inversions

Dancers’ PoseFlying Pigeon Pose

http://www.yogicameron.com/ayurveda-and-yoga-postures

Dosha Yoga

Each Dosha, when out of balance, will have its own posture/sequence of postures to create harmony in the body

• Vata: • Quiet the mind and body• Relaxing, settling poses

• Pitta:• Cool off the body from excessive heat• Calming, restorative poses

• Kapha: • Warm the body up• Active, invigorating poses

Guided Practice

• Calming, settling poses• Tree Pose• Child’s Pose• Cat and cow

• Cooling, restorative poses• Warrior• Half Moon

• Active, invigorating poses • Backbends• Standing poses ~ Warrior held for 20 breaths

In Conclusion…

• Ayurveda• Western medicine vs Ayurvedic medicine• Our Constitution • Our Dosha• Keep it in balance • Dosha Nourishment• Yoga for each Dosha

“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.”B.K.S. Iyengar

References

• Ayurveda and Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/ayurveda• Orlando Ayurveda. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http

://orlandoayurveda.com/ayurveda/• East vs. West - HeyMonicaB. (2010, March 9). Retrieved March 13, 2015,

from http://heymonicab.com/east-vs-west/• Principles of Ayurvedic Nutrition | CA College of Ayurveda. (n.d.). Retrieved

March 9, 2015, from http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/nutrition• Ayurveda and Yoga Postures. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://

www.yogicameron.com/ayurveda-and-yoga-postures