Yoga & Ayurveda notes

Philosophically, both yoga and Ayurveda are rooted in Samkhya, one of six schools of classical Indian thought. The foundation of this philosophy can be described as follows:

1. There exists a fundamental state of pure being that is beyond intellectual understanding and which all life consciously strives for. This is the state of enlightenment or self-liberation.
2. Suffering is a part of our lives because of our attachment to our ego or self-identity (ahamkara).
3. The path toward ending suffering is the path of dissolving or transcending the ego. In doing so, all fear, anger, and attachment are eradicated.
4. To achieve this goal, we must live a purely ethical life. (Ethical guidelines are listed as the yamas and niyamas in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.)
5. Any disturbance within the mind or body interferes with this path. Ayurveda is the science of keeping the biological forces in balance so that the mind and body may be healthy.


The Three Gunas : Fundamental Ayurvedic principle

3 gunas, or qualities of nature are used to describe emotional and spiritual characteristics.

SATTVIC : is light, clear, and stable. Sattva is the state of being which comes from purity of mind, and leads to an awareness of our connectedness to God, a state in which we manifest our most virtuous qualities.
- practice slowly with great awareness to become more sattvic. most nurtured in meditation and in the stillness of holding a pose, where we can find pure awareness.

RAJASIC : is active, agitated, or turbulent. Rajas arises when we are distracted from our truest essence, and manifests emotions such as fear, worry, anger, jealously, attachment, and depression.
- All movement is by nature rajasic (agitating) and heating to the body. The slower, the less agitating. The faster, the more heating. Principal of energy, and movement requires energy. Rajas serves the useful purpose of stimulating our bodies and minds.

TAMASIC : is heavy, dull, dark, and inert. Tamasic actions include violent or vindictive behavior, along with self-destructive behaviors such as addiction, depression, and suicide.


Fundamentals of Ayurveda

Universal life force manifests as 3 doshas* (energies) which are described in terms of the 5 elements: earth, air, fire, water, and ether (the subtle energy that connects all things)

* fluctuates according to environment, diet, seasons, climate, age, etc
* we are made up of a unique combination of these 3 forces, determined at the moment of conception, is our constitution, is our constitution (prakruti).
* 3 doshas defines our imbalance, vikruti
* to counter imbalance: use these basic principles: Like increases like, and opposites balance each other.

VATA (air, ether) wind: light dry, cooling, movement.
--- in excess—prone to diseases of the large intestines, like constipation and gas, along with diseases of the nervous system, immune system, and joints.

PITTA (fire, water) hot, light, not too dry/moist, can be moved by wind, but does not move on its own.
--- in excess, we are prone to diseases of the small intestines, like diarrhea, along with diseases of the liver, spleen, thyroid, blood, skin, and eyes.

KAPPA (water, earth) heavy, moist, cool, stable - like mud.
--- in excess, we are prone to diseases of the stomach and lungs, most notably mucous conditions, along with diseases of water metabolism, such as swelling.