“Ayurveda is a medicine of nature - honors nature - and the whole of life.” ~ Dr. David Frawley

 

WHAT IS AYURVEDA, REALLY?

It’s your birthright to know how to heal yourself and live a happy, rich, fulfilling, magnificently radiant life. That’s precisely what Ayurveda teaches us to do, and it’s been the key to vibrant health and longevity for thousands of years. Ayurveda is literally the art and science of health and longevity. It comes from ancient India where incredible wisdom was passed down from enlightened rishis to lineages of sages in an oral tradition. We can only imagine the divine transmissions of illuminated knowledge that occurred during that time thousands of years ago. Vedic wisdom is transcendent knowledge that describes all aspects of human life and extends deep into the realms of the entire cosmos. Ancient Rishis understood the planets, stars and galaxies. They understood the inner workings of plants and herbs and minerals and medicines. They understood the entire spectrum of human life from anatomy to highest consciousness. They explained how humans can live in harmony within the self, in society and with nature. Their vast knowledge provided a profound source of insight and practical methodologies for every conceivable aspect of life.

Eventually this precious, venerated knowledge was written into sacred texts or Vedas in the Sanskrit language. All Ayurvedic practitioners study three major Ayurvedic classic texts that arose from the Vedas: the Sushruta Samhita (600 BCE), Charaka Samhita (400-200 BCE) and the Ashtanga Hridayam written around the 7th century AD. It’s incredible, really that Ayurveda has been practiced continually for many thousands of years, is just as relevant today - and continues to thrive!

So, what can Ayurveda do for you? That’s the big question. We have so many choices in life, especially when it comes to diets, healthcare, medicines and self-care and it’s natural to want to know the benefits and pitfalls of any path you decide to follow. Ayurveda has given me a wealth of benefits. Through Ayurveda I’m more aware of my tendencies, habits and vices. I’m better able to apply Ayurvedic knowledge to recognize and correct imbalances and continually illuminate the path toward radiant health and wellbeing.

Ayurveda truly is lifestyle medicine that anyone can use in very easy, natural ways. In its simplest, most basic form, Ayurveda is natural folk medicine. It’s the kitchen medicine that your wise grandmother knew about. In its evolved form, Ayurveda is a complete, effective and highly sophisticated medical system.

Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of creating and maintaining balance in all areas of life. I like to think of it as the Goldilocks philosophy for life… not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Not too soft, not too hard, but just right. Not too slow, not too fast, but just right. But you must be very aware to discern what’s just right for you at any and every given moment… and that takes self-awareness.

So, there you have the magic word… Awareness.

Ayurveda requires awareness… most importantly self-awareness. A fundamental concept in Ayurveda is Svastha, which is a Sanskrit word referring to physical, mental, sensory and spiritual wellbeing. Sva is self and Stha is stable or established. It’s always a good idea to be well established within oneself, rather than being out of sorts or perpetuating imbalance. It is our inherent nature to live in harmony and create radiant health - and Ayurveda shows us how to do just that. So be aware, simplify and create Svastha. Easy!

There is nobody else like you. Ayurveda views each and every person as a unique and complex individual. We all have a unique fingerprint and an individual blueprint. You are the one and only you in the entire cosmos. You are original and complex and you should be celebrated. You are unique, dynamic and continually evolving. This is why Ayurveda is individual medicine, inherently designed to meet you precisely where you are at any given moment in time.

Ayurveda is lifestyle medicine. When you truly view your life - the entire spectrum of your life, it becomes crystal clear that you’re much more than what you eat or what you know or the things you like to do. You’re not just your relationships, your job or your likes and dislikes. Ayurveda explores every aspect of your life to illuminate areas in balance and to shed light on the parts that have become imbalanced and need some fine-tuning. An Ayurvedic practitioner will ask you a broad range of questions such as:

What time do you go to bed?

How well do you sleep?

Is it easy for you to wake up?

Do you prefer warm or cold?

Do you feel bloated frequently?

Do you have anger outbursts?

Are you more creative or analytical?

Do you remember or forget easily? 

Ayurveda teaches us to observe all facets of our life as a beautiful kaleidoscope of vital energies continually in motion. It’s up to us to be aware of the facets that are balanced and identify those that are out of sync and have the potential to cause us suffering and ill health. Life is always changing, and it’s important to maintain self-awareness throughout the journey. Ayurveda shows us how to make adjustments in our life to create and maintain harmony so we can enjoy vibrancy, fulfillment and radiance well into our elder years.

Ayurveda teaches us to be aware, understand the qualities of any imbalance, find out how the imbalance arose in the first place, and identify the root cause - so that we can make the proper adjustments to maintain a robust state of health.

Awareness is paramount. It’s important to learn to recognize signs and symptoms disharmony, not only in your body but in every area of your life.

The Ashtanga Hridayam and nearly all classic texts describe the importance of living in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Proper relationship with natural energies will cultivate good health. Disharmony in our relationships with nature, time, our senses and actions can become the root of disease. Life is a wonderful journey and we can choose to live harmoniously, bringing out the very best in ourselves and others and ultimately fulfill our soul’s purpose.

Ayurveda is a complete, holistic healing science designed bring all aspects of your life into balance and harmony for vibrant health and longevity. I like to consider Ayurveda as “common sense medicine” and you’ll soon discover that many of your natural tendencies have a resemblance to Ayurveda. You’re probably already practicing Ayurveda but just have not been aware of it!

We can all make big differences in our health and well-being by making simple, natural, easy to manage changes in our lives. There is something for everyone in Ayurveda.

Whether your needs are balancing emotions, losing weight, managing anxiety, healing disease, finding contentment, aging gracefully, or simply desiring to feel and look your best, Ayurveda has something to offer you.

To describe Ayurveda is to describe the miracle of life itself. Our entire being is designed to survive, to correct imbalance, to face obstacles, rebound from traumas and to thrive. The ancient art and science of Ayurveda provides a blueprint for maintaining health, harmony and happiness for a long and vital life… and these principles work as beautifully today as they did thousands of years ago.

Ayurveda is considered the oldest healing science in the world, originating in India thousands of years ago. The word Ayurveda is comprised of the Sanskrit words Ayus meaning all of life from birth to death, and Veda meaning knowledge or wisdom. So Ayurveda means “The Art Science of Life and Longevity.” When we look at our life, we must consider the entire spectrum… health, habits, exercise, age, diet, thoughts,

relationships, career, family, environment - and we must consider how these areas evolve and shift over our lifetime. For vibrant, radiant health and wellbeing, we must continually balance all aspects of our life and exist in harmony. This very importantly means living in harmony with the organic energies of nature such as the time of day, the seasons, the community where you live and all the environmental conditions around you.

Ayurveda touches all aspects of us and recognizes that each person is truly unique… there is no one in the entire universe like you! Everyone has a unique energy signature or energetic blueprint… a unique composition of physical, emotional and mental attributes. This blueprint is determined at birth and is an individual’s unique constitution, called prakruti, and remains the same over the span of life. We achieve optimal health and well-being by keeping this energetic blueprint balanced and in harmony with our unique nature. Achieving and maintaining optimal health for one person may require a much different set of conditions than for another person. There is never a “one size fits all.”

However, as we go through life, we are faced with all sorts of circumstances which throw our natural state out of balance. We know that certain foods, emotions, daily stressors, injuries, relationships, climate, toxins, and day to day wear and tear on our bodies can disturb our constitution. The state of imbalance at any given time is called vikruti. The goal of Ayurveda is to recognize your imbalances and help bring you back to a balanced state… in all areas of your life.

Ayurveda emphasizes maintaining equanimity and preventing disease through diet, lifestyle, spiritual balance, mental calm, and internal and external herbal therapies. By practicing an Ayurvedic lifestyle, you learn how to balance body, mind and consciousness in ways that are appropriate for your own unique constitution. Ayurveda is truly the “Mother of All Healing.’

Here are some of the most fundamental principles of Ayurveda:

Everything in the universe is interconnected

Every human being is made of the same elements that comprise the cosmos

Health will be good if body, mind and spirit are in harmony, and interactions with the environment are natural and balanced

Disease processes happen when physical, emotional or spiritual qualities are not in harmony with the patterns of nature

There is an Ayurvedic process to bring any and every aspect of our lives into natural balance and harmony

I'm here to support you and help you create a beautifully balanced life through the Ancient Wisdom of Ayurveda. It's important to me to help you bring Ayurveda into your daily life so that you can stay balanced, youthful, free of disease and live your very best life.

If you're curious about how Ayurveda can help you, please contact me.

https://www.deborahgarland.com/schedule-appointment
 

Thanks for being here! I'm looking forward to helping you look and feel vibrantly healthy, happy and
ETERNALLY RADIANT!