The bitter taste in Ayurveda is known in Sanskrit as tikta rasa. It is one of the shad rasa or 6 tastes in Ayurveda. Bitter is comprised of the elements of air (vayu) and ether (akasha). The bitter taste in Ayurveda increases Vata dosha and decreases Pitta and Kapha doshas. In terms of virya or […]
The Salty Taste in Ayurveda
Ayurveda classifies foods by their rasa or initial taste on the tongue. There are six tastes in Ayurveda, known as shad rasa. They are: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Salty taste is comprised of the water and fire elements. With regard to the doshas, the salty taste (lavana rasa) in Ayurveda decreases Vata […]
Sour Taste in Ayurveda
The amla rasa or sour taste in Ayurveda is one of the shad rasa or six tastes. Sour decreases Vata dosha and increases Pitta and Kapha doshas. Sour is comprised of the earth and fire elements. The sour taste in Ayurveda kindles the agni or the digestive fire by stimulating acid secretions and increasing circulation. […]
Sweet Taste in Ayurveda
One of the beautiful aspects of Ayurveda is the concept of shad rasa, or the six tastes. Ayurveda says that each food contains at least one of the six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. It is important for us to get all six tastes in our diet. Rasa is the first short-term […]
Prakruti and Vikruti in Ayurveda
Ayurveda teaches that each us of is born with a unique constitutional balance. This is known as our prakruti. Prakruti is determined by our parents’ nature, as well as the circumstances of our birth. Our mother’s emotional and physical state, the season, and location of our birthplace are all determining factors in our prakruti. Then […]
Pacifying Pitta in the Summer
In Ayurveda, there are 3 doshas or body types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Pitta is the energy of digestion, assimilation, and transformation. Pitta is comprised of fire and water. It is hot, sharp, oily, and penetrating. In the summer, Pitta can get overheated and out of balance more so than the other two doshas. There […]
Eightfold Examination in Ayurveda
When Ayurveda originated over 5,000 years ago in India, vadiyas (or Ayurvedic physicians) did not have access to the array of clinical tests, as we do in present day. Thus, the vaidyas used the classical method of eightfold examination in Ayurveda. This is known as ashta vidya pariksha in Sanskrit. Ayurveda aims to treat the […]
Ayurvedic Winter Remedies
The ancient Indian science of Ayurveda classifies the seasons according to their predominant dosha: Vata, Pitta, or Kapha. Vata season is fall. Pitta season is late spring and summer. Kapha season is winter and early spring. As it’s been an exceptionally harsh winter for most parts of the country, there are Ayurvedic winter remedies which […]
Ayurvedic Diet
A key component of an Ayurvedic lifestyle is following an Ayurvedic diet. An Ayurvedic diet consists of eating foods which are appropriate for your current doshic imbalance. In Ayurveda, we have three body types: Vata, Pitta, and Kpaha. These three types, or doshas, are composed of two elements each. Vata is made up of ether […]
The Importance of an Ayurvedic Daily Routine
The ancient healing science of Ayurveda provides multiple methods through which we can regain our health and restore balance to our lives. One method which is utilized to balance the doshas (body types) is the Ayurvedic daily routine. The Ayurvedic daily routine is transformative in assisting digestion, assimilation, and absorption. It brings the body and […]