Ayurveda has a way of explaining in literal or energetic terms what is going on, and has approaches to better help, or even heal individuals.
It is a form of lifestyle medicine and treatments to take care of the body. There are Ayurvedic coaches, counselors, practitioners, and even doctors! In India, Ayurvedic doctors are college educated individuals who are able to treat patients and even perform minor surgeries.
Once considered a pseudoscience, the western-based scientific method is being used to test and understand Ayurvedic concepts and western science is even pulling from Ayurvedic concepts and treatments to advance allopathic medicine. Throughout my work, whether it is yoga, my doula work, or just speaking with others, I often incorporate Ayurvedic concepts such as the doshas into my teachings or explanations.
In Ayurveda there are 3 doshas, each made up with two elements: Kapha (earth and water), Pitta (fire and water), and Vata (air and ether). This is why we weave Ayurveda concepts into our yoga practice. Ayurveda has a way of explaining in literal or energetic terms what is going on, and has approaches to better help, or even heal individuals.
All of us and are made up of a unique combination of the three doshas. While we have our constitution from birth, there are external influences such as age, stages of life, our routine, even the atmosphere around us. When we are in harmony with ourselves and our surroundings, our doshas are more-well balanced than at times where there is disharmony. Ultimately, by incorporating Ayurvedic concepts into our lives, we can aim to be tridoshic. Some of this might sound a little-too-woo, but it can be very literal too! If you are living somewhere like Colorado where it is high and dry, you might find yourself needing more water and stability: the Kapha dosha. If you find yourself really constipated, you might find that you have too much earth in your body, so you want to incorporate the fire of pitta to get your bodily systems moving and grooving! Ayurveda and yoga are ultimately about understanding the self and improving your health; which is why I incorporate it into my work.
During pregnancy, our body has a buildup of Kapha energy, we have entered the kapha time of our lives. This is where we learn to go a little more with the flow, we start nesting and building a safe space for our family, and we take a little bit of time to physically and metaphorically slow down.
It is excellent to nurture this time as it can be so beautiful and short lived, but excess kapha can cause exhaustion, slow moving stools, increased nausea, and cause you to feel full often. Kapha is the heaviest of the doshas. So to balance it, we bring in lift, light, warmth, and so on. Once the baby is born, though, the Kapha leaves the body with the baby and placenta, and we become prone to Vata imbalances (to much air, too much ether). A Vata imbalance can be characterized by anxiety, sleep loss, feeling cold, cool, clammy, forgetfulness, missing meals… you get the picture.
Whether you want to give a nod to the terms of an Ayurvedic practice or not, the perinatal period is such a sensitive period in our lives, and we deserve to honor and nourish it as best as we can. Sometimes we feel fully capable of doing this on our own, but sometimes even just the presence of community is what we need!
ananda nourishment 