Ayurveda, the Science of Life, is the ancient Indian tradition of medicine and natural healing developed over 5000 years ago. It has continually evolved to account for the changing environment and the changing needs of humanity.

Ayurveda is based in the idea of finding and maintaining health through physical, mental and spiritual balance. Each person has a unique constitution that can become unbalanced by internal and external stressors, such as one’s emotional state, physical trauma or the weather.

Ayurveda seeks to bring people back into balance based on each individual’s constitution. The three “doshas” or body types are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Body type dictates a person’s dominant energy, which in turn is responsible for his or her metabolism and reaction to stress.

Vata energy is associated with movement, like the beating of the heart and the transport occurring inside the body’s cells. When Vata is in balance, it promotes flexibility and creativity. When Vata is out of balance, it increases anxiety and fear.

Pitta energy is the energy of metabolism and digestion. In balance, Pitta encourages comprehension and cognitive abilities. Out of balance, it magnifies feelings of jealousy, hatred and anger.

Kapha is the energy that binds together the body’s structure and form. Balanced Kapha stimulates calmness, love and forgiveness. Imbalance propagates greed and unhealthy attachment.

Ayurveda brings balance through lifestyle modification a particular diet and the practice of yoga based on an individual’s specific constitution. Vedic harnesses this ancient knowledge, filters it through the lens of western medicine, and uses it to find solutions that balance all body types.