Ayurveda means science or knowledge of life in the Sanskrit language and is considered one of the great contributions of ancient India and Southeast Asia to all of humanity. It is closely allied with Chinese Medicine and the medical system of ancient Greece and has influenced ancient healing methods of many cultures. As a philosophy, Ayurveda describes how the entire world of creation works from the universe to the tiniest cells.
Many people are now familiar with the term "dosha", or have read of "Vata, Pitta, Kapha" and even know what their bodily makeup is. But few are aware that there is much more to Ayurveda than knowing what doshas predominate in their nature. The doshas that make up your innate body constitution is called your Prakriti (primordial nature), but the term "dosha" means "that which can be vitiated", or go out of balance. So while your nature may be predominatly Pitta (with perhaps Vata as the next dominance and Kapha least dominant), which dosha is out of balance in your body or mind? How can you return to a balanced state without nasty side effects?
While you may need the help of a certified Ayurvedic practitioner or Ayurvedic Physician (in India. one can receive a medical degree in Ayurveda) to determine your exact imbalances, there are some things you can do right now even without knowing what your Prakriti is or what dosha or doshas are out of balance. These recommendations are meant to address the root of most problems and don't merely treat symptoms.
Some things are no-brainers that even Western physicians agree will do wonders for your health - the elimination of processed foods from your diet, quitting smoking, avoiding excesses of any food or behavior will bring you a long way to reducing obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other ills of the typical American lifestyle. Others are quite simple but may not make sense to you at first such as avoiding cold fluids and cold foods (which can "put out" your digestive fire), eating your meals at the "right" times, and rising and sleeping at the "proper" times.
Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are not only descriptions of the arrangement of the five elements (ether, air, fire, water, and earth) in the body but describe the hours of the day and the periods of a human life. Kapha times are roughly from 6 - 10 am and pm and are times when the body can build its structure but also times when the body may become sluggish and heavy. Pitta times are roughly from 10 - 2 am and pm and are good times for assimilation but can also create wakefulness when you need to be sleeping. Vata times are roughly from 2 - 6 am and pm and are good times for study or waking. So the general Ayurvedic recommendations for your daily schedule are to rise before Kapha increases and makes you lethargic (in Vata time, before sunrise, early!), exercise and eat your breakfast while your body can easily build its tissues; have your lunch be your biggest meal during Pitta time, the time when your digestive fire is strongest (around noon) - if you feel sluggish after your lunch, take a 20 minute walk to keep your energy moving and you will wake up. Vata time is good for study if you're a student, good for thinking your important thoughts because your mind will tend to be more active (if you lived in an ashram you might wake up around 3 am to meditate, practice Yoga, and listen to your teacher) . Have a smaller dinner (not too early, not too late), and try to go to bed before 10 pm (no later than 11) so that you don't get that "second wind" that often happens during Pitta time.
Notice that there are no recommendations for snacks or grazing between meals. Try to eat enough for breakfast so you don't get hungry before lunch; eat enough at lunch to last til dinner, and eat enough at dinner to last until the next morning. At the same time, be sure not to overeat; one third of your stomach should be filled with solid food, one third is reserved for liquids, and one third should remain unfilled so the churning action of the digestive process will help you fully transform your meal into healthy tissues which will support your every action and make your mind clear and calm. If you misjudge how much to eat, if you get very hungry eat some fruit to satisfy you and provide enough energy to get you to the next meal.
There are also specific recommendations for the seasons, for the stage of your life (both also described in terms of Kapha, Pitta, and Vata), for the periods between the seasons, and of course for whatever ails you. There is a delicate dance we perform throughout our lives and how we perform that dance can throw us off course or bring us back to bliss. The more we can learn about how the rhythms of nature can structure our lives to create harmony the better we are able to dance beautifully until it's time to gracefully leave the stage.
Namaste!
