Ayurveda: Healing Through The Senses

Welcome to the course! In our first session, we'll take a look at what Ayurvedic medicine is, where it comes from and how it has developed over time; and we'll do a reflection exercise for you to clarify your intentions for taking the course.

In this session, we're going to take a look at some of the fundamental principles that form the basis of the Ayurvedic understanding of the world and our bodies. These are the 20 qualities and the five elements. We'll go through each of the elements in detail and we'll do some observation exercises for you to identify the presence of the elements in your environment and in your body.

The doshas are the biological forces that govern the functioning of the bodies and minds, and are what is usually paid the most attention to in Ayurveda. In this session we'll explore what the doshas are, how they work and why they are important.

In this session, we're going to look in more detail at the Vata dosha: the force of movement in the body. We'll look at how the vata dosha manifests in the personal constitution and at some of the symptoms that arise when vata is out of balance.

This session explores the pitta dosha in more detail. Pitta is the force of transformation in the body. We'll look at some of the characteristics of pitta in the personal constitution and at the symptoms that can occur when pitta is out of balance.

In this session we'll explore the kapha dosha: the force of stability in the body. We'll look at how kapha manifests in the personal constitution, and at the symptoms that occur with a kapha imbalance.

In this session, we'll be doing an exercise to help you to identify your personal constitution: your own unique balance of the doshas. You'll need to have a pen and a piece of paper with you to keep track of your answers to the questions.

Here, we look in more detail at some of the symptoms that can arise when the doshas are out of balance, and we'll do another exercise, this time for you to assess if you are currently experiencing any imbalances in your doshas.

We begin our journey into the senses by exploring the sense of taste. Ayurveda identifies that there are six tastes, an each taste has a different effect on the doshas and on the body. We'll look at each of the different tastes and how they affect the doshas, and we'll do a meditation on experiencing each of the tastes. For the meditation, you'll need a small amount of each food to taste. Some suggestions are: A small piece of sweet fruit, bread or cooked grain for the sweet taste. A piece of lime or lemon, or a teaspoon of yogurt for the sour taste. A pinch of salt for the salty taste. A pinch of dry spice such as ginger, black pepper or cumin for the pungent taste. A green leaf like lettuce or chard for the bitter taste. A small amount of cooked beans, a piece of pomegranate or a sip of black or green tea for the astringent taste.

The tastes contained in our food are important, but it's also important that we have the digestive strength to properly digest the food. In this session, we'll look at agni; the digestive fire. We'll look at the signs of a strong digestive fire and at the symptoms that occur when the burning of the fire is disturbed, and we'll explore which tastes are the best for re-balancing the digestive fire when it isn't burning optimally.

Ayurveda teaches us that how we eat is just as important, if not more important, than what we are eating. In this session we'll look at some of the guidelines for eating healthily, including the best environments for eating and healthy practices around eating the meal, and we'll touch upon the most effective way to begin making changes to your mealtimes.

In this session, we explore the sense of touch and the many benefits that oil massage has on the doshas. We'll look at how different oils and techniques affect the different doshas, and we'll explore some of the ways that massage and touch are used as treatments in Ayurveda. We'll also look at some of the benefits of daily self-massage, and guidance is given for you to begin this practice for yourself.

This session explores the effects of different colours and environments on the doshas. We'll look at the effects of different environments and places in nature, and on how the doshas are affected by individual colours. We'll do a colour meditation, and suggestions are given for ways to bring balancing sights and colours into your life and regular environments.

In this session, we'll explore treating the doshas through the sense of smell. We'll look at the effects of some easily accesible essential oils and some simple ways to bring these smells into your life, and we'll do a meditation on smell.

In this session, we explore the final sense, the sense of hearing. We'll look at how the different elements manifest in the voice of a person, and at how someone's speech can change when a dosha is out of balance, and we'll explore the power of chanting and mantra as a method of treating the doshas. We'll be doing a meditation on the bija mantras which correspond to the five elements.

Throughout the course, a lot of information and suggestions have been given for ways to treat the doshas, and to promote health and prevent imbalances. This final session explores some of the best approaches to making long-lasting and successful changes. We'll look at some of the challenges people of each constitution may have when making changes and implementing new things, and at the best approaches to make these changes successfully.