Ayurveda believes that all discomfort and disease in the human mind and body is a result of an imbalance in one or more of the metabolic energies--Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
The human species has evolved over countless generations to be optimized to survive on Planet Earth. In other words, the human body was designed to eat the foods, drink the water and breathe the air found naturally on our planet. It also evolved in concert with the natural cycles of the Sun and the Moon.
Because of the vast societal changes catalyzed by the Industrial Revolution, our daily lives bear very little resemblance to those of our ancestors. Yet the evolutionary process has not caught up to adapt our bodies to our modern way of life. When we live in a way that’s not optimal for the human body, metabolic imbalances occur and then cause discomfort and disease.
Imbalances can be caused by many factors:
- Poor diet
- Poor air quality / environment
- Poor emotional health
- Lack of exercise
- Lack of sleep
- Lack of access to nature
Toxins that enter our bodies through food and our environment can be particularly harmful to our health. Ayurveda explains that toxins are substances that the human body is not able to process correctly. The most common sources of toxins are:
- Synthetic ingredients in everyday foods + medicines
- Pesticides
- Air pollution
- Chemicals in our water supply (i.e. fluoride)
Because the body can’t process toxins, they don’t get metabolized (i.e. turned into energy) or eliminated (i.e through the 3 main types of waste: feces, urine and sweat). When toxins aren’t metabolized or eliminated, they can clog various channels within your body:
- Blood vessels
- Respiratory tract
- Urinary tract
- Bile ducts
- Fallopian tubes
Symptoms of toxin accumulation can include:
- Fatigue, lethargy
- Fuzzy thinking
- Acne / skin inflammation
- Clogged channels (see above, i.e. blood vessels, respiratory tract, etc.)
- Aches and pains
- Bloating and gas
- White coating on the tongue
- Bad breath
With the tools of Ayurveda, you can take control of your health. Ayurveda gives us the power to understand ourselves on a deeper level and the power to achieve optimal health and keep diseases from occurring in the first place.