An introduction to Ayurveda's personalized approach to mental health.

By Jaya Daptardar, BAMS, MHA
Veda Warrior Master Teacher & Ayurvedic Doctor

In 2020, mental health became a key concern for all of us. Whether you were someone already struggling with anxiety or depression or someone who was breezing through life, you probably spent more time than ever before questioning your life and your place in the world. As we move forward into a new year faced with ongoing uncertainty, at Veda Warrior we strongly believe that we must start seeking the best long-term mental health solutions that are optimized for our own unique experiences—not just one-size-fits all approaches that numb our pain. And that the ancient medical science of Ayurveda provides the most powerful, personalized mental health tools available to humanity. 

Ayurveda is the science of life: literally speaking, "Ayur" means life and "veda" means science in the ancient language of Sanskrit. It is a holistic system of medicine that originated in India over 5,000 years ago, stemming from the ancient Vedic culture. For millennia, it's been known as the "mother of healing." 

One of the most compelling things about Ayurveda is that it believes in personalized medicine, and places great emphasis on all three aspects of an individual: mind, body and spirit. It views perfect health as a state of perfect alignment and harmony between these three aspects. It also believes that the entire universe, including the human body, is made up for five forms of metaphysical energy, or the Five Elements, that are metaphorically known as Air, Space, Fire, Earth and Water. These elements pair up to form three energetic pillars that drive all movement in the cosmos (and the human body), known as Vata (Air + Space), Pitta (Fire + Water) and Kapha (Earth + Water). 

When our energy is out of balance, we experience health problems. The only real way to fix these health problems is to fix our energy.

The three mind-body archetypes of Ayurveda

Each of us has all three energetic pillars (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) active in our body, but the level of these energies within our individual mind-body-spirit complexes is unique to us. By finding out what your dominant energy (or stress type) is, you can begin unlocking a whole world of personalized knowledge that pertains specifically to you.  

Vata (Air + Space). Energy associated with movement, including respiration and circulation. The happy Vata mind is creative, fast-moving and vibrant. The stressed Vata mind feels fearful, anxious and overwhelmed.

Pitta (Fire + Water). Energy associated with metabolism, digestion and absorption. The happy Pitta mind is sharp, intelligent and driven. The stressed Pitta mind feels angry, irritable and frustrated. 

Kapha (Earth + Water). Energy associated with structure and lubrication, for example bones, muscle and water retention. The happy Kapha mind is calm, stable and loving. The stressed Kapha mind feels unmotivated, lethargic and depressed. 

Our holistic & personalized approach to mental health.

Understand your energy, develop a personalized game plan. At Veda Warrior, we work 1:1 with our customers to develop an entire toolkit of holistic solutions based on their unique needs. Our recommendations are rooted in Ayurvedic medicine's 360 degree approach to optimizing an individual's mind-body-spirit alignment, and include a variety of different tools. 

Herbs. Ayurvedic medicine relies predominantly on plant-based medicines and superfoods to heal. Our Veda Warrior mental health supplements are made with some of Ayurveda's most powerful mental health herbs, such as hemp, ashwagandha, turmeric and bacopa, resulting in a deeply calming blend of botanicals. 

Diet. In Ayurveda, food is a form of medicine. It also believes in "food for your mood," or the idea that what we eat directly affects our emotions. We work with our customers to design customized diet plans depending on their unique energy. The last thing you want is to feel more stressed simply due to the foods you are consuming! 

Movement. Exercise is also viewed as medicine in Ayurveda. Depending on an individual's energy, different forms of movement are most beneficial in order to harmonize our mind-body-spirit alignment. Whether you're a couch potato or a marathon runner, taking a mindful approach to how you move is important. 

Meditation. Meditation is one of the sister sciences of yoga and Ayurveda, and is a powerful tool that's been well known since ancient times. We offer free 1:1 meditation coaching to all of our customers in order to develop breathing exercises and meditation techniques that are optimized for you specifically. 

Routine. Our health is sum of all of our daily habits. Committing to a daily routine helps your mind, body and spirit feel calmer through the chaos, and we believe in working directly with individuals to develop the optimal routine for them—based on each person's unique lifestyle, goals and health concerns.

Veda Warrior combines herbs with 1:1 mental health coaching to provide a completely personalized and holistic approach to feeling calmer, clearer and more energized.

Get started with a free consultation. 

Let us help you understand how unique you are. Using a one-size-fits all approach to stay happy and healthy in 2021 is unlikely to help you create a sustainable, long-term solution for your mental health concerns. Get started by taking our free stress quiz to learn your Ayurvedic stress type or schedule a free 15-minute mental health consultation with me to talk about your mental health concerns.

At Veda Warrior. we strongly believe in taking a personalized approach to mental health, and we look forward to being part of your journey to discover the secrets of the ancient, time-tested art and science of joyful living through Ayurvedic medicine. 

Jaya Daptardar, Veda Warrior's in-house Master Teacher and Ayurvedic Doctor.