Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences that have been married together like husband and wife for thousands of years in order to heal the body/mind complex. They are two sides of the same coin that are bound together and used to attain the ultimate wealth of knowledge.
Generally, ayurveda deals more with the health and healing of the body preparing us for yoga which then purifies the mind and intellect. Their complementary attributes are to be embraced for the highest attainment of “Self Mastery”.
The ancient yogis or seers known as rishis were the original masters of all vedic sciences including yoga and ayurveda. They understood that good health is an essential asset on the path toward Moksha or Self-realization. If the body was neglected it could easily become an obstacle to spiritual practice and happiness.
Anyone who practices yoga would agree to how challenging it can be to do yoga postures if the body is not well or in good physical health. Similarly, one who practices pranayama or meditation would find it extremely difficult to practice if they were ill and fatigued.
Thus Ayurveda, the ancient art and science originating from India, keeps us healthy on our spiritual quest and the journey home. Yoga and ayurveda have a mutually supportive relationship because they offer many methods to prevent and heal diseases and disorders. In addition, ayurveda and yoga as sister sciences educate us about restoring balance to the body and mind by processes of purification and rejuvenation for optimum health.
Both systems share a philosophical foundation and thus have similarities in relation to mental attitude, dharma (righteous living), diet, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle. Traditionally, a student of yoga and ayurveda would first live close to a master in an ashram to do service and learn the scared teaching which were often taught orally – passed down for generations from the teacher to the student. The basic ayurvedic principles for health and longevity were considered an extremely important part and integrated as a foundation for a life of sadhana (spiritual practice).
Today, the teachings of yoga and ayurveda are easily available to all. Whether prepared or not one can embrace these practices if they are dedicated to their health, spiritual path and well-being. It is important however to learn these sacred, ancient healing practices from those who have been taught from traditional masters and schools that use traditional texts. Otherwise, the student does not receive the correct or full knowledge of what needs to be learned and practiced.
Nowadays we see that yoga is prevalent and being learned by many people from all over the world. What is often lacking is a deep foundational knowledge of ayurveda. Keeping this in mind, modern yoga practitioners would most certainly benefit from having a well educated ayurvedic practitioner, doctor or therapist teach traditional ayurveda to help them establish a healthy dinacharya (daily routine) and adjust their practice according to their constitution, dosha imbalance, stages of life, season, and so on. This is ultimately needed to prevent disease and promote longevity.
In all of our yoga and ayurveda trainings and courses which we offer, we infuse them with a traditional and practical means for reaching your goal. One of holistic health, happiness and well-being. Check out our ayurveda and yoga retreats as well as our Edmonton Yoga Training and Golden BC Yoga Training.