Ayurveda
Ayurveda is the art of healthy living to create harmony in daily life. The concept that we are capable of taking charge of our own health and healing is a most important Ayurvedic principle. Harmony between mind, body and spirit is seen as fundamental to living well, and wilfully allowing yourself to deteriorate is seen as a crime against wisdom (‘prajnaparadha’). When we allow blockages to occur in our bodies or minds through poor diet or harmful thoughts and emotions, this stagnation (‘ama’) can cause ill health.
In Ayurveda, each person is seen as having their own unique natural beauty: comparison to others is seen as self-destructive. When a person is healthy, happy and at peace, their ‘ojas’ or inner bliss radiates. According to Ayurvedic principles, one of the simplest ways to achieve well-being is through breath or ‘prana’. Deep breathing is encouraged to relieve tension and promote good health and vitality. This has many health benefits including stimulation of the lymphatic system, an important part of our immune system.
