Ayurveda: India's Traditional Medical System

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is the traditional medical system of India. Dating back more than 5000 years, it is one of the world's oldest medical systems. It is a complete system of health that aims to prevent illness, restore balance, increase longevity and improve quality of life, through identifying and correcting unhealthy imbalances at the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Ayurveda does this through dietary, lifestyle and herbal recommendations that are specific to the individual for their current state of imbalance. 

is ayurveda right for me?

Our human bodies are complex and intelligent in nature. It is mind-boggling when we stop to think of how little we actually do on a regular basis to ensure their proper functioning. The more we expose our bodies to toxins- such as processed or unnatural foods, environmental pollution, chemical products, and even toxic media and thoughts- the less optimally our bodies will function. Just a like a car that is exposed to the wrong fuel, harsh elements or without regular maintenance, something will eventually start to break down.

Ayurveda teaches us how to eat, live and be in the world in a way that keeps our bodies functioning at optimal levels. It identifies our unique makeup and health patterns, and provides us with guidance specific to our system's expression of imbalance. 

In life, we are all responsible for our own actions and our own well-being. With Ayurveda, there is more work involved than simply popping a pill to feel better. However, Ayurveda can provide you with the lifelong knowledge and tools to be an active participant in your own self-healing. It is very empowering! 

Ayurvedic remedies and therapies are gentle and natural, and are meant to support the body's innate ability to heal itself. Herbal remedies tend to work more gradually than chemical products, with results that can become more noticable over time. 

what can i expect from an ayurvedic consultation?

All consultations are 60-120 minute appointments with a NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Practitioner (CAP), who will discuss your health and wellness concerns with you from an Ayurvedic perspective. The Ayurvedic perspective looks at your personal makeup (called prakruti) together with your current imbalances (called vikruti) and identifies ways that your body could be brought back into a balanced- or greatly improved- state of health and wellbeing. 

In the consultation, we will review your past health history, current conditions and symptoms, medication history and diet and lifestyle habits to understand your body's patterns. Your practitioner will use a combination of Ayurvedic assessment tools to determine this, such as questioning/interviewing, observation, pulse assessment and examination of the tongue and nails. Findings from the consultation are used to establish a very personalized diet, lifestyle and herbal protocol that puts you in control of your own health and well-being.