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COURSE

Experiencing The Doshas Of Ayurvedic Medicine

With Yuval Ron

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, the human body is composed of five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth. These five elements combine to form three fundamental physical-mental-emotional types, or doshas, that are present in everyone in varying amounts. The three doshas are the constituents that orchestrate a person’s mental and physiologic functions, including metabolism and mind/ body type. The three doshas are identified as vata, pitta, and kapha. In general, it is taught that vata governs movement, pitta governs transformation, and kapha governs structure. During our course, we will delve more deeply into understanding each of the doshas. In each lesson, we will be combining didactic information, chanting, and yoga in order to create a learning environment that is integral and holistic in nature. Each lesson will also include time for quiet meditation accompanied by our doshas balancing music, from the album "Vital Harmony."

Gain a deep understanding of the three doshas for a holistic mind-body-spirit balance.

10 Days

2.7k students

4.6 stars

16 min / day

English

About this course

Om Chanting

Dosha Balancing

Sound and Silence Alternation

Meet your Teacher

Yuval Ron

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Los Angeles

Yuval Ron is a world-renowned musician, composer, educator, peace activist, and record producer. Among his many honors, he composed the music for the Oscar-winning film, West Bank Story, was invited to perform for the Dalai Lama, and has collaborated with the Sufi leader Pir Zia Inayat Khan, master musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Zen Buddhist priest and visual artist Hirokazu Kosaka, choreographers Daniel Ezralow and Oguri, and neuroscientists Mark Robert Waldman and Andrew Goodman. He was awarded the Los Angeles Treasures Award and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Composers Forum, California Council for the Humanities, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a noted lecturer and has been invited to speak at numerous schools including: Yale, John Hopkins University, UCLA, MIT, Berklee College of Music, University of Chicago, and many others. Yuval has been on the faculty of Esalen Institute, is an affiliated artist with the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity, and a “Guiding Voice” for Seven Pillars – House of Wisdom. Yuval's book "Divine Attunement: Music as a path to Wisdom" won the Gold Medal Award for Best Spirituality Book at the Indie Book Awards 2015. Dr. Richard Gold is a licensed acupuncturist and holds a Doctorate in Psychology. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1972 with a degree in World Religions and a minor in pre-medicine. He graduated from the New England School of Acupuncture in 1978 and since then has devoted his professional career to the study, practice, researching, teaching, and publishing in the field of East Asian Medicine. Dr. Gold has pursued advanced studies in China (1981), Japan (1986) and Thailand (1988, 1989, 1992). Dr. Gold was one of the four founders of the Pacific College of Health and Science, a regionally and nationally accredited college of traditional Chinese Medicine with campuses in San Diego, Chicago and New York City. He served on board of the college for many years and continues to teach there. Dr. Gold was first introduced to meditation and yoga in 1970 during a month long meditation retreat and has pursued mental mindfulness and meditative awareness over the past 40+ years. In recent years, Dr. Gold has studied neuroscience and the evolving understanding of the effects of sound and meditation on the brain. Dr. Gold is a published author and lectures internationally. His publications include "Thai Massage: A Traditional Medical Technique" first published in 1998 and now in a second edition and “Seitai (Lymphatic) Shiatsu, Cupping and Gua Sha for a Healthy Immune System” published in 2019.

View Profile

10 Days

2.7k students

4.6 stars

16 min / day

English

Lesson 1

Invoking The Doshas With The Chanting Of The Sacred Aum

We will begin our journey with the chanting of the sacred Aum. In the West, we primarily spell Aum, O M. More accurately, we best spell Aum, A U M. With this spelling in mind, we can now utilize the chanting of the sacred AUM to invoke and to activate the three doshas. Consider the word AUM to have 3 syllables: an A, a U, and an M. Philosophically, AUM is considered to have 4 syllables, with the 4th syllable being Silence. For our purposes, after each chant, we will have a full breath of silence before we again chant a sound. For the Dosha Vata, the chant has a long AAAA, and a short U and M. For the Dosha Pitta, the chant has a short A, then a long UUUUUU, and then a short M. For the Dosha Kapha, the chant has a short A, a short U and then a long MMMMM. At the completion of the chanting, a period of meditation, accompanied by music from the album "Vital Harmony" will play in order to enhance the experience.

Lesson 2

Introduction To The Dosha: Vata

Getting to know and appreciate your primary dosha type is a key to knowing yourself. Today’s lesson begins with the chanting the Sacred Aum to invoke the qualities of vata. Introductory theory of vata is presented. Vata is all about the energy of movement. Vata energy combines qualities of space and air, also described as Wind. It's an energetic dosha linked with flexibility, creativity, and a free-flowing spirit. It's associated with bodily movements like breathing, peristalsis, muscle contraction, and heart function. The yoga asanas which are most suitable for balancing vata are those that are calming and grounding by nature. We will practice uttanasana (standing forward bend) which is excellent for vata types.

Lesson 3

Foods & Diet To Harmonize Vata

Our emphasis in this lesson will be on foods and diet. Vata-pacifying foods help balance vata in its aggravated or excessive state, which is much more common than its depleted or deficient state. First we will invoke the energy of vata with the chanting of the Sacred Aum three times. Next, there is a discussion of foods that should be utilized and also foods to avoid. A wonderful yoga asana to support vata is balasana (child’s pose). It is an excellent asana for compressing the pelvis and affecting vata (centered in the lower abdominal) region.

Lesson 4

The Psychological Dimensions Of Vata

To help set our intention and focus, let us chant the sacred AUM three times to invoke and balance the dosha of vata. Our session today will focus on the psychological dimensions of vata. Ayurvedic psychology addresses mental imbalances and how to treat them with holistic methods, so that individuals may return to their inborn state of mental equilibrium. Our yoga asana/posture for today’s lesson is known as supta virasana (reclining hero oose). This is an excellent asana for balancing vata and harmonizing emotional imbalances associated with vata imbalances.

Lesson 5

Introduction To The Dosha Pitta

We begin by chanting the sacred Aum 3 times to invoke the Dosha Pitta. The Pitta dosha is associated primarily with the element of fire and also includes qualities of water. The fire element is more dominant than water. Pitta influences the endocrine, metabolic, and digestive systems. Pitta is characterized by heat, moistness, liquidity, sharpness, and sourness. Key words to remember for balancing Pitta are cooling, calming, and moderation. The best yoga asanas for Pitta types are those that are calming and not overly heating. For today’s lesson, we will practice the ustrasana (camel pose) that is very beneficial for Pitta types.

Lesson 6

Foods & Diet To Harmonize Pitta

Let us begin by chanting the sacred mantra Aum three times to invoke and balance the energies of Pitta. Our emphasis in today’s lesson will be on diet and foods that serve Pitta types best. Key aspects to remember with Pitta types are cooling, calming foods that are eaten in moderation are the best path taken. A Pitta-balancing yoga routine should focus on asanas that stretch and tone the abdominal muscles, bending and twisting asanas to help pacify Pitta, and pranayamas or breathing exercises and meditation to promote relaxation. For today's lesson we will practice the dhanurasana (the bow pose).

Lesson 7

The Psychological Dimensions Of Pitta

Let us begin by chanting the sacred mantra Aum three times to invoke and balance the energies of Pitta. Our session today will focus on the psychological dimensions of Pitta. We will explore a brief introduction to Ayurvedic assessment. Individuals who are Pitta-dominant tend to be intellectual, focused, precise and direct. Those individuals with Pitta imbalances according to Ayurvedic psychology will be prone to anger, criticism, judgment, temper tantrums, and never-ending analysis. Our yoga practice to help balance Pitta will be bhujangasana (cobra pose). This is an excellent pose for Pitta types, providing a solar plexus extension. This pose is very beneficial for the upper gastric region.

Lesson 8

Introduction To The Dosha Kapha

We will begin by chanting the sacred Aum together three times in order to invoke the energies of Kapha. Kapha’s elemental makeup consists of water and earth. The common translation of kapha is “that which binds things” or “that which holds things together.” According to ayurveda, Kapha is the dosha responsible for the stability, lubrication, substance, structure, and support of our physical body. Kapha is the nourishing element of the body. One lesser-known aspect of Kapha is it’s association with the lymphatic system. Our yoga practice in today’s lesson is the standing forward bend (uttanasana).

Lesson 9

Foods & Diet To Harmonize Kapha

We will begin today’s lesson by chanting the sacred Aum 3 times to invoke and balance the Kapha Dosha. Bringing Kapha into balance facilitates a strong, sturdy frame with a bolstered immune system along with strong health, and vitality during the aging process. Vegetables are an important centerpiece of any effective Kapha-balancing diet. The only vegetables for kapha to reduce or avoid are those that are particularly heavy, dense, oily, or watery – like avocado, cucumber, olives. The yoga asana we will practice together to support Kapha is the revolved abdomen variation (jathara parivartanasana variation).

Lesson 10

The Psychological Dimensions Associated With The Kapha

We will begin today’s lesson by chanting the sacred Aum 3 times to invoke and balance the Kapha Dosha. When in balance, the Kapha dominant type of individual is healthy, supportive, mentally stable, and loyal. When Kapha is out of balance, individuals can exhibit a tendency of hoarding, becoming too attached to people, avoiding any change, and becoming inactive and excessively sedentary. They can become very stubborn and exhibit depressive behaviors. Our yoga asana for today's lesson is legs up the wall (viparita kirani).