Introd to Ayurveda Yoga

Ayurveda and Yoga are often known as ‘sister’ practices or sciences which originated in India thousands of years ago. They are basically two sides of the same coin which is why when they are combined together. Ayurveda yoga can have a deep, healing impact on the practitioners.

Ayurveda Yoga is one such practice which helps in integrating the best parts of both Ayurveda and yoga asanas to boost your health and vitality. Using Ayurveda principles in your yoga practice will help in a deep experience which you can take with you after the yoga sessions as well.

Ayurveda Yoga basically uses the knowledge of doshas and how to balance them in order to provide a suitable yoga pose for the student. This is why Ayurveda yoga is quite powerful and effective and the chances of you feeling hurt or sore after the classes are almost nil.

Short History

Both Ayurveda and Yoga are being practiced in India for thousands of years and are based on the Vedas. Ayurveda is translated as “the science of life” and actually focuses on the balance between all the entities. A few historians also state that Patanjali, who is known to be the compiler of Yogic sutras was actually the creator of Charaka Samhita (Ayurveda’s foundational text) as well.

So, Ayurveda Yoga has been around for a while. It took some time for the West to adopt this yoga practice but now everyone is aware of the benefits of Ayurveda Yoga. People understand that this yoga form is good for individuals and is the proper way to bring balance to your life which is why there are classes all over the world teaching the principles of Ayurveda yoga.

Practice

Ayurveda Yoga determines your vikruti(imbalance) and then selects the right yoga poses for you to balance it. Once it is balanced, you are conveyed the right yoga practice to maintain your Prakriti. But before this can be done, your energy needs to be determined. There are essentially three types of energies/doshas which make up every life force. These are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha and the unique combination of these energies make up your prakruti.

Sometimes your energies can fluctuate a little due to weather conditions, diet, environment, etc. and might go out of balance. This state is known as vikruti. So, according to your dosha fluctuation, you choose the yoga practice to balance the energies.

People who usually suffer from data imbalance are prone to digestive issues, nervous system diseases, and so on. This is why students with Vata imbalance are often made to do yoga poses which are calming yet warming. Since they get agitated easily, they do well with mountain pose, inversions, spinal twists, breathing exercises, etc.

People with pitta imbalance often experience diseases related to skin, thyroid, spleen, liver, etc. As a result, they are advised to practice poses which are relaxing and cooling. So, the practitioners can usually practice forward bends, Camel poses etc. to release the heat and the tension from the body.

Finally, for individuals with Kapha imbalance, there are chances of lung and stomach illnesses. So, they need yoga poses which are warming and stimulating such as suryanamaskar, kapalbharati and so on.

Apart from the energies, the Ayurveda yoga classes also focus on the environment and the dietary practices before teaching yoga pose. So, each yoga class is designed for students with specific energy and lifestyles.

Course & Difficulty Level

Since Ayurveda Yoga doesn’t believe in a single-size-fits-all policy, it is not difficult to practice for both newbies and experienced, unlike Bikram Yoga. Each yoga class is tailored to suit the needs and lifestyle of the students in order to help with their health goals.

As a result, Ayurveda yoga classes aren’t tough and are designed in a way to nourish and soothe the mind and soul of the students. So, it actually doesn’t matter if you are flexible or strong, this yoga practice will cater to your body type and ensure a fulfilling experience for you.

Aasanas (Poses)

As we mentioned earlier, Ayurveda yoga suggests yoga asanas based on your doshas. One needs to understand their Prakriti and vikruti to be able to practice the right asanas for themselves. Here are a few yoga poses that you can practice depending on your imbalances.

Yoga Poses for balancing Vata imbalance

• Balasana
• Uttanasana
• Dhanurasana
• Supta Virasana
• Savasana
• Siddhasana
• Virasana
• Padmasana

Yoga Poses for balancing Pitta imbalance

• Dhanurasana
• Bhujangasana
• Ustrasana

Yoga Poses for balancing Kapha imbalance

• Sun Salutations
• Ustrasana
• Bhujangasana
• Adho Mukha Svanasana

The difference to other yoga styles

Ayurveda Yoga is completely different from other yoga styles because it understands your body and lifestyle before teaching you the appropriate yoga poses. In this yoga form, the focus is on the individual and the asanas are chosen individually to balance the student’s unique imbalances.

Most other yoga styles just have a list of yoga poses that need to be practiced by all the students. This can often lead the practitioner to feel tired or sore because it doesn’t suit their body and dosha. But with Ayurveda yoga, you don’t have to worry about feeling out of sorts anymore. In this yoga, you only practice asanas which will be helpful in balancing your imbalances.

As a result, you attain a higher level of wellness and health goals from this yoga type in comparison to all the other yoga styles.

Ayurveda Yoga impact on health

It is not a big secret but when you practice Ayurveda Yoga daily, then you combine the benefits of both Ayurveda and Yoga. This can be tremendously helpful and can have great benefits for your body, mind, and soul.

Here are a few ways in which Ayurveda Yoga can be advantageous in your life:

• It can help in eliminating your sleep issues
• Helps in reducing stress
• Can also be used for weight loss
• Balances your hormones naturally
• Reduces the chances of illnesses and diseases
• Helps in keeping your mind and body balanced
• Minimizes inflammation due to illnesses and health issues

The post Yoga 101: What is Ayurveda Yoga? appeared first on .