What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the oldest medical system still intact and used today. It originated in India and incorporated many different natural ways of healing the body. The purpose of Ayurveda is to allow the body to heal itself so that you may have long life without illness and discomfort and ultimately connect with your higher source. The belief is that with a diseased body you would be drawn away from connecting with your higher source, leaving you to tend to this physical body only. Today we are lucky to have this science used throughout the world.
The importance of understanding Ayurveda is that it looks at each of us as different and unique. While there are common denominators between us there is also a very distinct difference and Ayurveda takes that into consideration when treating the body of disease. The base of Ayurveda is looking at the body through 5 basic elements. These elements are ether, air, fire, water and earth. We are all made of these elements and show characteristics depending on our unique combination of these elements. In fact, you can look at someone and see the elements just by their physic, hair, skin, and personality, how they get sick and where their discomfort is in the body. In later articles we will look at these elements and their physical characteristics within the body but for now we need to know that these elements are within all of us differently. Also, these elements do not stay the same within the body at all times. They fluctuate and move depending on the time of day, season, climate in which you live, foods you eat, and lifestyle habits that you have. These elements connect us with everything around us because these elements make up all that you see around you and experience through the 5 senses (sight, touch, taste, hear, smell). Lets have a closer look at the elements, their qualities and how our senses use them.
Ether: Ether is the subtlest of all elements and cannot be seen. But through hearing we know that there is ether for it is through ether that sound is transmitted. Without ether we would not be able to hear. Some qualities of ether are that it is unstable (it moves), cold and dry. Ether is space and can carry thought.
Air: Air cannot be seen, but it can easily be felt through the wind. Air is a vital element for us because it literally gives us life. Without breath we would not exist. Air is also a subtle element because it cannot be seen but as already mentioned is very important to our existence. Qualities of air include that it is unstable (it moves), cold and dry just like ether.
Fire: Fire is also subtle but a bit more gross (meaning you can see it) than either ether or air. Fire can be seen, felt and touched. Though touch is still a bit subtle you know when you touch fire because it can burn you. The big fire (the sun) regulates our existence of when we go to sleep and when we wake up. And the fire inside of us (digestion) regulates our internal metabolism and ultimately our health. Other qualities of fire are that it is unstable (moves), hot and dry
Water: Water is gross (you can see it); you can touch it, taste it and smell it. Water is important for life because you cannot live without water. We are made up of 75% water and it’s required to keep the body healthy and flexible. If this planet did not have water we would not be able to live on it. The qualities of water include that it is moist, cold and unstable.
Earth: Earth is the grossest element of all. It can be seen, touched, smelt, heard and tasted. Earth is within everything that you physically see. Earth within our bodies is our physical body (bones, skin, hair, fluids). Without earth our physical body could not exist. The qualities of earth include that it is moist, cold and stable (it does not move).
These 5 basic elements run throughout us as physical beings and everything we see.
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