Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the ancient Indian system of natural and holistic medicine. When translated from Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “the science of life” (the Sanskrit root ayur means “longevity” or “life” and veda means “science”).

While allopathic medicine tends to focus on the management of disease, Ayurveda provides us with the knowledge of how to prevent disease and how to eliminate its root cause if it does occur.

Core Principles

The knowledge of Ayurveda was passed on orally through a lineage of sages in India until it was collated into text more than five thousand years ago. The oldest known texts on Ayurveda are the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and the Ashtanga Hrudaya. These texts detail the affect that the five elements found in the cosmic system - earth, water, air, fire, space – have on our individual system, and expound on the importance of keeping these elements balanced for a healthy and happy life.

According to Ayurveda, each person will be influenced by certain elements more than others. This is because of their prakriti, or natural constitution. Ayurveda categorizes the different constitutions into three different doshas:

• Vata dosha, in which the air and space elements dominate
• Pitta dosha, in which the fire element dominates
• Kapha dosha, in which the earth and water elements dominate

The dosha affects not just the shape of one’s body but also bodily tendencies (like food preferences and digestion), and the temperament of one’s mind and emotions. For example, the earth element in people with Kapha dosha is evident in their solid, sturdy body type, their tendency for slower digestion, their strong memory, and their emotional steadiness. Most people’s prakriti is made up of a combination of two doshas. For example, people who are “Pitta Kapha” will have the tendencies of both Pitta dosha and Kapha dosha, with Pitta dominating. By understanding the qualities of our natural constitution we are better able to do what is needed to keep ourselves in balance.

Ayurvedic Lifestyle

Ayurveda places great importance on one’s pathya, or lifestyle (eating habits and daily routine). Ayurveda also provides guidance on how to adjust our lifestyle based on the change of seasons.

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Learn to Care For The Environment - From Within

Yesterday, the World Environment Day‬‬ was celebrated across the world. Only the ones who are unpolluted from within can take care of the environment. If someone’s mind is polluted with anger, aversion, hatred or greed, how can that person clean the environment? A greedy person won't be concerned about the welfare of the environment. He will be busy doing his work.

Today, pollution in the environment is caused due to greed. See, if a person is angry all the time, his vision becomes clouded and he never finds anything right outside. When the vision is distorted, the outcome of whatever work he undertakes will be similar. The person who is full of anger, his actions are followed by regret. This is for sure. You see within your own lives, whatever you have done anything in a state of anger, haven’t you regretted it later? It has to happen. This is because anger is not the right state of mind.

I am not saying that you should not get angry. But whenever anger comes, it should not stay for more than a minute in the mind. Then, it’s not pollution. But when anger stays for long in our mind, it creates pollution. You see, you eat a banana, after removing the peel if you leave the peel on the table, it does not create any pollution. But if that peel stays at the same place for two to three days, then it creates pollution.
When you eat a chocolate and you leave the wrapper at the same place for 4-5 days, it creates pollution. This accumulation of the garbage is pollution.

Sometimes anger is needed in life, it can get work done. But when it makes a place within us, then it creates pollution. It pollutes our vision. Our work starts getting affected and we are filled with regret. Then there is hatred, which is solidified anger.
A person who has hatred can never be sensitive towards the environment. The Nature and the environment are very delicate and sensitive. In order to grasp their delicate nature we need to have sensitivity within ourselves. The one who has this fluidity and simplicity within, can be sensitive towards the environment.

The environment is our first body out of the ‘Panchakosha’ (five bodies or sheaths). The environment is the first sheath. Then comes the body made of blood and bones. The second kosha is the Pranamaya kosha (breath). Third is Manomaya kosha (mind). Then comes the Vignaanamaya kosha (intellect), and fifth is the Anandamaya kosha (bliss).
I believe that the environment is our body. How is that? See, if the air is polluted then your body cannot live. If the air is poisonous, the how will you survive? Therefore, it is the first body.

We should clean up the pollution within our minds first. There are some people who say that The Art of Living has created pollution, it has become a fashion now. They say that The Art of Living should clean the environment. We said we will clean the pollution from the minds first. The one who says that The Art of Living has created pollution, their vision is polluted. Clear the vision and you will see that we have not created any pollution.