The Connection Between Yoga and Ayurveda

Yoga and Ayurveda are two sides of the same coin. They originated in India thousands of years ago. Both of them are an indispensable part of the ancient Indian Vedic tradition. According to the Veda, Ayurveda aims at healing your mind and body whereas yoga aims at unleashing the hidden abilities within you. Both Ayurveda and yoga have been applied together for ages because they share the same principles.

What is Common Between Yoga and Ayurveda?

• Ayurveda and yoga have the same origin, India. Not only that, they originate from the same system of Vedic knowledge which also has its origin in India. Therefore, they have common principles and beliefs.
• The methods behind Ayurveda and yoga are the same. Both rely on natural means to achieve their ends. Both believe in using natural means to promote wellbeing and health. Ayurveda deals with identifying the constitution of the body and then making lifestyle changes and consuming certain holistic medicines to maintain a balance between the doshas (vatha, pitta and kapha) and the environment. Yoga involves the use of physical movement along with meditation to achieve oneness with the surrounding environment.
• Yoga and Ayurveda have the same goal. Both help you to become a healthy human being.Both are holistic practices that help to maintain a balance between the mind, body and spirit. Although the techniques used in yoga and Ayurveda are different, they aim at the same goal. They complement each other to become more effective.
• There are some yoga poses that impact the different doshas while others help in digestion. On the other hand, ayurvedic treatments such as hot oil massage help in performing yoga better. If you practice both yoga and Ayurveda, your well-being will be more fruitful.

How Can Yoga Help in Balancing the Doshas?

Ayurveda is an ancient practice that believes that your body has a unique constitution governed by individual physical and emotional make-up along with lifestyle habits such as food and time of sleep. These individual constitutions are called doshas. There are three kinds of doshas- vata (air and ether), pitta (fire and water) and kapha (earth and water).Yoga practices can be adjusted according to your doshas. You can adopt the following yoga poses according to your doshas:

• Vata: If you suffer from an imbalance of the vata dosha, you will experience insomnia, dryness and anxiety. The yoga postures recommended for vata dosha are spinal twists, inversions and mountain pose. You can also practice deep calm breathing to exercise stillness and self-care.
• Pitta: If you suffer from an imbalance of the pitta dosha, you will experience anger and inflammation. The yoga postures recommended for pitta dosha are relaxing postures that help you in releasing stress and anxiety. You can practice postures such as bow and camel and forward bends which helps you to slow down and become more patient.
• Kapha: If you suffer from an imbalance of the kapha dosha, you will experience congestion, dullness and procrastination. The yoga postures recommended for kapha dosha are stimulating exercises such as sun salutation and kapalabhati. The yoga postures will foster enthusiasm and focus.

The connection between yoga and Ayurveda is the vital energy known as prana. Ayurveda and yoga together help in self-improvement and self-restoration. They lead to the restoration of the soul, mind and body.