If you’ve spent any time reading about holistic or alternative approaches to health, then you may have run across terms like Ayurveda medicine or pitta Ayurveda. Unless you’re a holistic health professional, you may have some confusion about what these terms mean and how they could be relevant to you and your well being. So let’s break it down a little!
The History Of Ayurvedic Medicine
The concept of ayurveda may be new to some of us, but it’s one of the world’s oldest medical practices with tremendous potential benefits. It originated 5,000 years ago in India, and focuses on achieving health through a mind-body connection. Specifically, ayurvedic medicine teaches that what you think in your mind can affect how you feel in your body. In fact, 5,000 years ago, Indian sages were teaching that the mind has the ability to change and heal the body.
Ayurvedic Medicine In The Modern World
Ayurvedic medicine is not just an ancient practice, though. Today, 80% of India’s population are treated by ayurvedic doctors, and ayurvedic-inspired practices are more and more common in the Western world. Practices like yoga and massage have their roots in ayurveda.
The word ayurveda itself is Sanskrit, and it literally means life force. That’s what Ayurvedic medicine focuses on: balancing life forces. There are three life forces, or doshas in Ayurveda, and these are used to explain basic differences in personality types and define a person’s emotional, mental and physical tendencies.
Why You Should Know Your Type
The better you know yourself, the better you’re able to care for yourself! If you know that dairy upsets your stomach, you may avoid ice cream. If you know that chocolate puts you in a good mood, then you may indulge a little at the end of a tough day. In the same way, knowing your individual type may help you make the lifestyle choices that are best for you.
The Three Doshas
Ayurvedic practice acknowledges these three doshas:
Vata: Reflects the qualities of space and air.
Kapha: Reflects the qualities of water and earth.
Pitta: Reflects the qualities of fire and water.
Pitta is the dosha that we’ll be looking at in more depth today.
What Is Pitta Ayurveda?
Someone with a pitta life force is said to exhibit the qualities of fire and water. The qualities of pitta include oily, sharp, hot, light, moving, liquid, and acidic. A pitta individual will display physical and mental characteristics that reflect these qualities in both a balanced and imbalanced state.
Supporting Pitta Ayurveda
For someone who is a pitta type, the lifestyle choices they make can support a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Because of this, there are dos and don’ts to support pitta.
Don’t
Some things that may not promote a balanced pitta include:
-Taking stimulants (including coffee, caffeinated beverages, or alcohol)
-Smoking
-Stressful situations
-Eating an excess of spicy foods, oily or fried foods, or fermented foods
Do
Some practices that may support balancing pitta include:
- Avoiding artificial stimulants
- Engaging in calming activities
- Get enough sleep
- Pranayama (breathing exercises)
- Rasayana (using a personal mantra throughout the day or during meditation)
- Meditation
- Engaging in gentle exercise
- Eating cooling foods, such as fruits, dairy products, oats, or mint
- Utilizing herbal supplements
Herbal Supplements
Natural Healthy Concepts carries a variety of supplements meant to support pitta Ayurveda. Healthy
Pitta Balancing Formula from Banyan Botanicals is an organic supplement that may help to remove excess pitta from the body. Additionally, this formula may help to maintain pitta balance. It is made from certified organically grown herbs that are sustainably sourced and fairly traded.
If you prefer to avoid swallowing pills, Pitta Tea Cooling from Vpk Maharishi Ayurveda makes a soothing herbal pitta tea that may help to promote relaxation. This tea contains herbs like cardamom, licorice root, ginger, and cabbage rose to support the digestive system and lining in the stomach.
Is your dosha pitta, vata, or kapha? What ayurvedic practices do you utilize to support a healthy balance? Let us know in the comments below!
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Certified Nutritionist in Appleton, Wisconsin, Founder of Natural Healthy Concepts. Natural health and nutrition advocate. Enjoys gardening, biking, fitness, boating, animals (especially cats), and cooking.
