AYURVEDA BASICS:
Ayurveda is the science of life and well-being. The oldest documented body of holistic medical knowledge, it is a system of plant oils and herbs originating in India over 6000 years ago. Ayurvedic treatments satisfy every aspect of a person’s well being – physical, mental, and spiritual. In creating Ayurveda as a healing system, the rishis understood the world in terms of five great elements (air, fire, earth, ether, water) & simplified these elements into three vital energies, or doshas (vata, pitta, kapha). Each dosha is a combination of two elements. The three doshas are responsible for all the physiological and psychological processes in your body and mind. They are dynamic forces that determine growth and decay. Each of your physical characteristics, mental capacities, and emotional tendencies can be described in terms of the three doshas: VATA, PITTA, KAPHA. VATA is a combination of the air and ether elements, with air predominating. PITTA is primarily the fire element, with water as a secondary element. KAPHA is a combination of the water and earth elements, with water as the primary element.
When you can recognize the qualities of the doshas in your body and the doshic qualities in your daily life, you will be able to use Ayurveda to maintain them in a healthy balance for you. By learning to distinguish the imbalances, you can use Ayurveda to restore equilibrium to your doshas and restore the body to full health.
Air-the air element is gaseousness, and has airy qualities. Its light clear, dry and dispersing
Fire-Fire is the power of change and transformation. It has qualities of heat, dryness, and upward movement
Earth-Earth is substantial, with the qualities of heaviness, hardness, and only a little downward movement,
Ether- Ether is so subtle that we rarely think about it. It is equated to size or space
Water- Water is liquid, cool, and flows downward. It has no shape of its own.
Take Dosha quiz!
AYURVEDA FOR THE SKINCARE:
VATA skin is thin, dry, darkish, and cool, and VATA hair is thin, dark, and coarse.
PITTA skin is fair, soft, lustrous, and warm and tends to burn easily in the sun. The skin has freckles, many moles, and a tendency to rashes. Pitta hair is fine and soft, either fair or reddish.
KAPHA skin is thick, oily, pale, and cold. Kapha hair is plentiful, thick, wavy, lustrous, and full
There are so many great herbal combinations you can utilize to balance your skin dosha if it is out of balance. Bath & Body creams, oils, salts, and steaming are some great techniques. When you do implement aryveda into your skincare regime, one should keep this constant and be stringent on implementing it into your everyday schedule. Cleanse: Cleansing with pure, organic herbs, roots and flowers enables healthy and thorough purification without altering the skin’s natural pH. Nourish: Essential oils are food for your skin, penetrating deep below the surface to deliver powerful nutrients and address the signs of aging where they begin. Moisturize: Obtain optimal water levels in the skin and protect against environmental depletion with hydrating botanical formulas straight from nature.
You can make your own Ayurvedic skin remedies or buy them. We recommend Pratima, she is a great ayruvedic doctor specializing in skincare. Her products are unbelievable & effective. I have personally used them in a home spa night and bring them wherever I go. My skin since using has become softer, smoother, and I barely have any breakouts. The oils are perfect for oiling the body and there are great oils for the face correlating to your specific dosha. My favorite body oils are jasmine & the anti-stress oil. Pratima’s lavender mask & turmeric cream are the best for overall maintenance with cleansing, nourishing, and moisture. You can purchase a lot of wonderful ayrvdeic products she makes on her website.
You can take her skincare dosha quiz!
Finca Santa Marta 