Athena Beauty Spa & Training Centre

Athena Beauty Spa & Training Centre

Introduction to Ayurveda

The Five Elements & The Doshas
Ayurveda believes that everything in nature including humans is made up of a combination of 5 "great" elements.

The five elements are;
Space Air Fire Water Earth

These five universal elements combine in pairs to form three subtle energies known as Doshas.

The 3 'Doshas' are as follows;
• Vata is a combination of Air & Space
• Pitta is a combination of Fire & Water
• Kapha is a combination of Water & Earth

We need all three doshas within the human body, every cell has to contain these energies/doshas to remain alive. Ayurveda says that good health is maintained by the balancing of all three Doshas (Vata, Pitta & Kapha). Each individual dosha controls certain physiological functions in the body;

Vata dosha controls movement in the body
Pitta dosha controls metabolism and transformation in the body
Kapha dosha controls structure in the body

The body has Vata or motion, which allows the body to breathe, circulate blood, pass food through the digestive tract and send nerve impulses to and from the brain.

The body has Pitta or metabolism which processes food, air and water through the body.

The body has Kapha or structure which holds the cells together and forms, muscle, fat, bone, tendons and ligament.

When doshas go out balance the body functions are disrupted and imbalance or disease results. So keeping the doshas in balance is the key to good health.
Some of the factors that balance the doshas are diet, yoga, meditation, holistic ayurvedic therapies, good digestion and eliminations.
Our individual constitution/body type is influenced by ones genetically inherited physical and emotional qualities.
So as mentioned above Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas are the biological forces/energies that govern all bodily movement, manage digestion and hold the body together. While all three are present within everyone, typically one dosha can dominate and through external forces these doshas can easily become imbalanced.

Your Body Type

According to ayurveda our body type/individual constitution is inherited at birth

Prakruti: in ayurveda means your individual constitution. It is determined at the moment of conception and relates to your genetically inherited physical and emotional qualities.

Vikruti: this is your current state of health or ill health (what symptoms etc you have been having lately)

One or two doshas will be more dominant in you; this is your individual constitution/body type (your mind-body type). We all have all three doshas within us at different levels. Your body type/individual constitution determines your physical appearance and your mental and emotional characteristics.

So foods and habits may suit one person but may not suit another. This is because they have different body types. By following the right diet and lifestyle for your dosha type, you can achieve optimum health and harmony in your physical health, mind, emotions and spirit.

Below are the primary characteristics of the 3 body types

Vata Type Person
Light, thin build – lightest of all three body types
Quick to learn new information, also quick to forget
Performs activity quickly – talks and walks quickly
Generally has dry skin and dry hair
Irregular hunger and digestion
Irregular daily routine
Tendency to worry and become anxious
Tendency towards constipation
Tendency towards cold hands and feet
Uncomfortable in the cold
Highly imaginative
Often becomes excitable and enthusiastic
Has short bursts of energy - Tires easily, tendency to over exert
Mental and physical energy comes in bursts
changing moods
Insomnia and restlessness
Ability to acquire money quickly and spend it just as quickly
Difficulty in sustaining relationships
High Sex Drive

Typical health problems include;
Weight loss
Ear disorders
Anxiety
Insomnia – sleep disorders
All kinds of pain
Irregular heart rhythms
Lower back pain
Constipation, abdominal gas,
Depression
Asthma
General dryness of the body, skin etc
Most neurological disorders are related to Vata imbalance

=================

Pitta Type Person
Medium physique
Enterprising character, enjoys challenges
Medium strength and endurance
Sharp intellect
Assertive and self confident
Good management and leadership
Sharp hunger and thirst - strong digestion
Perspires a lot
Precise, articulate speech
Tendency towards temper tantrums, impatience, and anger
Cannot skip meals – strong appetite
Irritability under stress
Uncomfortable in sun or hot weather - heat makes them very tired
Capable of sharp, sarcastic, cutting speech
Usually fine and straight – tends to be blond, light brown or red hair
Tendency towards early greying
Fair or ruddy skin, often freckled (or reddish undertones)
Romantic & passionate (more endurance sexually than Vata and less then Kapha)
Likes spending money

Typical health problems include;
Rashes or inflammations of the skin
Acne, boils, skin cancer,
Ulcers, heartburn, acid stomach
Bleeding disorders
Infections
Hyper thyroid

=================

Kapha Type Person
Solid sturdy build - physically strong
Has the most energy of all constitutions - steady, enduring but not explosive
Excellent health, strong resistance to disease
Slow to grasp new information, but very good long term memory
Slow moving and graceful
Stable and reliable
Slow speech
Tendency to gain weight
Slow digestion, mild hunger
Soft hair and skin - tends to have soft calm eyes and a low soft voice
Easy going relaxed personality
Slow to anger - tolerant
Affectionate, loving, faithful & forgiving
Compassionate & nonjudgmental nature
Gentle and undemanding
Cool, smooth, thick, pale often
Tendency to be possessive
Oily, soft skin
Complacent
Kaphas don’t like cold damp weather
Sexually - Kaphas are the slowest to be aroused, but have the most endurance

Typical health problems include:
Prone to sluggish digestion - indigestion
Colds and congestion
Excess sleep, tiredness
Hypo-thyroidism
High cholesterol
Obesity

What’s your body type (Individual constitution)?
Click here for more information ….

Ayurvedic Spa