Ayurveda is a system of healing, a traditional form of medicine and holistic healthcare that dates back 1000’s of years. Literally translated as Science of Life - ‘Ayur’ meaning ‘Life’ and ‘Veda' meaning ‘Science’, it understands the connection between mind & body, but also our spirit and emotions, as well as our place and connection to nature and the world we live in.

In Ayurveda, we consider all elements of a persons life and then offer guidance on diet, lifestyle, herbal medicines, meditation, yoga, and living in alignment with nature and the seasons. This guidance, tailored to each individual, as Ayurveda understands every one is unique, is used as a way to treat & heal the body, but ultimately prevent imbalance and disease in the body in the first place.. 

Prevention is key in Ayurveda. This system of healthcare or in fact ‘a way of living’ is designed to create an internal environment of balance. All the practices support the different functions in the body such as digestion, nourishment, immunity, vitality and longevity. As you begin to adopt the practices, this beautiful science teaches you to recognise your unique symptoms when out of balance and gives you a tool kit of how to restore balance. Ayurveda is rich with daily rituals that nourish on deep levels. You learn to honour nature, slow down, connect with ourselves in a way that helps mitigate the stresses of a busy life. When we live in this way, we start eating food that suits our individual body. We move to a place of wanting to take care of our bodies, to nourish and nurture them, and create a deeper connection with ourselves, mother nature and everyone around us.

So often, I find that people feel that Ayurveda is not relevant for them, something foreign... even the word is difficult to pronounce! "Doesn’t it mean eating an Indian diet, or following a strict diet plan?" This couldn’t be further from the truth. Ayurveda is for everyone. In fact it offers simple, timeless philosophies that calm the mind, help us manage emotions, and provide a blueprint for a nourishing, whole food diet, and all the while fostering a life more in alignment with nature.

As the world gets faster and faster around us, and we get caught up in the busy-ness, the rush and the constant demands on our attention, Ayurveda is a calling to slow down. This is the best thing we can do for our wellbeing and long term health. Return to the ancient way of living, return to living in alignment with nature, the way that every other living creature and being does.

In a world of so many conflicting messages on diet & health, it’s hard to know what to follow, or what information is right for you. Ayurveda helps you develop your own intuition. It teaches you how to listen to your body, as the body knows what it needs to do to heal. It’s wonderful to be able to trust your gut and not feel overwhelmed and confused by the mass of contradictory information. What it is important to understand, is that everybody is unique and therefore not everything suits every person. Each person leads, and has lead, a very different life. This means a person’s upbringing, previous illnesses or injury, as well as emotions and physical and mental needs are different. This also changes constantly, so it really is a case of looking at each person on an individual level. One of the most important starting points on your journey with Ayurveda is creating time & space in your life to listen to the messages your body is giving you.

The modern world distracts us from our intuition, and also from the regular signs our body is giving us about how it is feeling. For example you maybe experiencing skin irritation, migraines or diarrhoea. This is actually internal heat in the body which needs cooling down. You can do this by eating cooling foods, and focusing on cooling activities. Or, for someone experiencing anxiety, insomnia or constipation, you need to ground and internally nourish & oil the body, so avoiding all dry, raw and cold food is what’s needed.