Ayurveda is the ancient Indian science of life that focuses on health by balancing the mind, body and spirit. Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit Ayuh that means life and Veda that means knowledge. It is the sister science of Yoga. Charaka was the author of the first Ayurvedic texts that date back some 5,000 years ago. He put into writing what had been an oral tradition of short verses called sutras that were like poetry.

Western medicine often describes health as the absence of disease, but Ayurveda sees health as a happy balance of the senses, consciousness and mind. For example, if you have cracking joints, that would be an imbalance in Ayurveda, but in Western medicine if you didn't have a pain, then you would be seen as healthy and if you did have a pain, you'd be given a pill to take. Ayurveda looks at the root of what is causing the cracking joints and seeks to add more oil to the diet or skin or whatever is needed. An Ayurvedic remedy may take longer to take effect, but it will be more comprehensive and bring a stronger sense of well being. In this example, if someone were given ghee for cracking joints, they might notice sounder sleep and less anxiety. Those would all be benefits of bringing a dosha like Vata into balance.

The Three Doshas and Nutrition

In Ayurveda there are three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These three descriptors of body type -- ectomorph (Vata) , mesomorph (Pitta) and endomorph (Kapha) also apply to the seasons. Spring is the Kapha season, Summer is Pitta and Fall and Winter when it is cold and dry are Vata. In Ayurveda there are five elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth and they are divided between the three doshas. Vata has the qualities of ether and air. Vata people, seasons and stages of life are dry, cold, clear, subtle, light, rough, fast, hard and mobile. Pitta has the qualities of fire and water. Pitta people and seasons and stages of life are hot, sharp, liquid, light, oily and fast. Kapha has the qualities of water and earth. Kapha people and seasons and stages of life are heavy, slow, cool, oily, smooth, slimy, dense, soft, static, sticky, cloudy and sweet.

One of the goals of Ayurveda is to restore the healthy balance of the three doshas in each individual. So if someone has too much fire, heat, redness, anger, sour smell or sharp tongue, they would be balanced with cool and sweet foods and cooling lifestyle choices. If someone is very obese and heavy and slow, they might need to have their digestive fire ignited with some fiery foods, spices and exercise. And if someone had too much dryness, anxiety, insomnia, rough skin and boney joints they could be balanced with foods that were oily, heavy, fatty, grounding, sweet and salty, as well as stabilizing yoga poses. Obviously too much salty food could steer you off a healthy course, but surprisingly, for some people, too much salad year-round can also have a bitter, negative impact.

The goal is to eat a balanced diet that will change from season to season. Nature provides us with the foods we need to eat as the seasons change. In the summer when it is hot and people can get overheated or angry, there are plenty of sweet fruits like cherries, peaches, melons, blueberries and mint to give us a cooler and sweeter temperament and taste. The same thing is true of each season. In general, if you eat locally grown fresh foods year round, your health, your mind, your body and your consciousness can become more joyful, especially when complemented with a healthy Ayurvedic lifestyle.

Lifestyle Choices and Health

Besides nutrition, there are lifestyle choices that we make that affect our health. Different doshas are predominant at different points in the day. From sunrise to about 10 am is the Kapha stage of the day. It's a good time to get things done for the day. From 10 am to around 2 pm is the Pitta stage of the day when the fire is high in the body (to go along with the sun) and it's a good time to eat the main meal of the day. The afternoons are the Vata time of day when we often have lots of ideas and could be planning the next day.

These three doshas repeat during the night hours. Kapha is active from sunset to around 10 pm, which is why it's good to go to bed before the Kapha time of day ends. If you wait until midnight to go to sleep, you often are up until 2 am. This part of the night is when subtle digestion happens, and if you're missing that, it could affect your health. Ayurveda teaches to get up just before sunrise, urinate, have a glass of warm water, move your bowls, cleanse, exercise, meditate and then start your work or study after breakfast.

Following some of these simple daily guidelines for living can have a profound effect. If you want to bring a specific dosha into balance, you can look at the time of day that it governs and see what you are doing during these hours. As food and lifestyle choices become healthy habits, our life purpose can become more clear so that fulfillment of positive desires becomes attainable. This sense of well-being, health and happiness that is the science of life goes far beyond the mere absence of disease.