What Is Ayurveda? A Detailed Beginner’s Guide to Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine

Who hasn’t felt burned out, exhausted, imbalanced, or devoid of self-care at one point or another? In today’s fast-paced world, stress and fatigue can creep into daily life, causing disease in the mind and body.

However, using ayurveda, an ancient system of traditional medicine, in tandem with conventional healthcare, may help you shift your habits and routines to regain a sense of balance. In fact, nearly 250 million American adults use ayurvedic medicine to enhance their health and wellness, per the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).

Read on to learn more about ayurveda and how you might incorporate it into your wellness routine.

Definition of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a traditional medical system from India that comes from the Sanskrit words “ayur” (life) and “veda” (knowledge). Translated, it means “knowledge of life,” per Johns Hopkins Medicine.

“It’s considered to be the oldest, most continuously practiced system of medicine in the world,” says Larissa Hall Carlson, an ayurvedic practitioner and ayurvedic yoga specialist in Manchester, Vermont. The basis of ayurveda is “focused on living in harmony with the rhythms of nature,” she says. Among other principles, this involves eating with the seasons, sleeping with the sun and moon cycle, and timing meals with your circadian rhythm.

While lifestyle and self-care practices are part of ayurveda so, too, are the use of herbs and spices, oral hygiene, mental wellness, and massage, among others. “Ayurveda is a full and complete system of medicine that focuses on the prevention of disease and maintenance of health,” says Hall Carlson. “Being a full [traditionally understood and used] system, ayurveda works with the etiology and pathology of disease [according to ayurvedic beliefs and understandings] to treat diseases.”

The ayurvedic medicine system dates back 3,000 years, according to Britannica, when Brahma, an ancient god of Hinduism, provided the principles to Dhanvantari, who was a physician to the gods.

Its origin is thought to come from ancient systems of Indian (Hindu) philosophy, per a review: vaisheshika, the belief that all physical things are a combination of the atoms of earth, water, fire, and air; nyaya, a school of logic; as well as samkhya, a duality of body and eternal spirit.

While ayurveda is considered the oldest healing system, it’s growing in popularity and is used around the world, per Britannica. In India, ayurveda is considered a whole system of medicine to be used for the prevention and treatment of disease, and it's often used as the primary form of healthcare. In the United States, ayurveda can be used in conjunction with conventional biomedicine to support an individual’s healthcare journey, says Hall Carlson.

“Ayurveda has a lot to do with how to live your life in harmony with nature,” says certified ayurvedic practitioner John Douillard, a doctor of chiropractic and the founder of LifeSpa in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Douillard calls it “the original circadian medicine,” meaning that through ayurveda, you may “align your body clock with nature’s circadian rhythm.” For example, you may eat a larger lunch and smaller dinner, allowing proper digestion to take place before and while you sleep.

Ayurveda is a complex system with many facets, but in short, here are the basic tenants and how they might apply to overall health and wellness.

The Ayurvedic Elements

In traditional ayurvedic medicine, there is a belief that the entire universe is made up of the five elements, per the review noted above:

• Air
• Water
• Space or ether
• Earth
• Fire

The Ayurvedic Humors (Aka Doshas)

A combination of these ayurvedic elements make up what are known as the three humors, also called constitutions or energies, of the body. Constitution varies by individual, and per ayurvedic philosophy, it may influence how well your body functions during specific times of the year, according to Douillard:

• Vata dosha (air and space) is associated with the cold, dry winter.
• Pitta dosha (fire) is associated with summer.
• Kapha dosha (earth and water) is associated with wet, rainy, muddy spring and fall.

“Each of us have [components of] all three [doshas], but we have our own unique makeup: [The primary energy] is considered the dominant dosha,” says Carlson. Ideally, for the best health, you have a balance of all three, but an imbalance is believed to lead to ill health and disease. Through ayurvedic medicine, you can better understand your constitution and may then make conscious changes to improve the balance of your doshas, thus potentially improving your overall health.

For example, if vata is your dominant dosha, you may naturally feel colder, which might increase anxiety levels and lead to poor sleep, explains Douillard. Someone with a dominant pitta dosha may often feel hot and be more competitive and driven, but they may also be vulnerable to inflammation. Someone with a dominant kapha dosha tends to be easygoing, calm, and approachable but is potentially more prone to congestion and weight gain.

You might have an equally strong combination of two or three doshas, which means you could be dual or tri-doshic. A certified ayurvedic practitioner can help you identify your individual constitution to formulate an ayurvedic wellness routine catered to you.

While there are many possible benefits of practicing ayurvedic medicine, it’s important to keep in mind that though it has been around for thousands of years, there are few clinical trials published in Western journals to show its efficacy, per the NCCIH. Still, the following are potential health perks of the ayurvedic approach.

May Foster Stress Resilience

Through the use of diet, lifestyle changes, exercise and movement, as well as yoga and breath work, ayurveda enhances your body’s resilience against stress. “The goal is to create an inner experience of composure and confidence that allows you to be able to handle stress like water rolling off your back,” says Douillard. “The ayurvedic lifestyle allows you to go through the day preventing stress in lieu of the alternative, which is breaking your body down and then recovering.” Ultimately, this mental and emotional work can take on a spiritual component for some, fostering inner peace and self awareness.

May Promote a General Sense of Well-Being

One popular and more well-researched ayurvedic herb in the United States is ashwagandha, a shrub that’s used as an adaptogen, which are plants that improve your body’s response to stress, anxiety, and fatigue, per Cleveland Clinic.

In one study, college students who took 700 milligrams of ashwagandha root for 30 days reported more energy, mental clarity, and better sleep compared with a placebo group, all of which resulted in a heightened sense of well-being.

Additionally, a systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that ashwagandha supplementation had generally positive effects on participants' physical performance variables that affected strength, power, and cardiorespiratory fitness, compared with controls.

Though it’s important to consult your doctor before taking any supplement, including ashwagandha, research has found that the extract is generally safe for healthy people. Additional potential benefits that are being explored include improvements in heart function, strength, and muscle recovery; enhanced sexual function; and even body weight management, notes the study.

May Enhance Overall Wellness

Ayurveda may help counteract today’s busy lifestyle in impactful ways. “[The system] prioritizes peacefulness, balance, and tranquility,” says Hall Carlson. Often, this includes reconnecting with nature through walks and hikes, sitting in the park, stargazing, and swimming in natural bodies of water.

Per research, exposure to nature has been shown to improve cognitive function, brain activity, mental health, blood pressure, and sleep. It’s posited that spending time in nature may indeed counteract the mental fatigue of modern life, as well as activate the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system and encourage more physical activity.

“Zooming out and connecting to the weather, sky, trees, and flowers and breathing fresh air is really needed in modern times,” she says.

Additionally, researchers evaluated the effects of several ayurvedic interventions delivered to participants via wellness retreat-style courses with a mind-body-spirit focus. Those enrolled reported improved psychosocial well-being during and after, compared with a vacation control group.

The basic underpinnings of ayurveda — being in balance and harmony with nature and the rhythms of nature — can be practiced by anyone, according to Hall Carlson. “The lion’s share of ayurveda practices will focus on prevention, self-care, and daily and seasonal living routines, which are all safe,” she says.

This includes eating more foods that are in season (if available to you), going to bed earlier and waking up closer to the sunrise (if your schedule allows), and properly timing meals to support your metabolism and digestion (like a larger lunch, followed by a smaller dinner and, ideally, no snacking before bed).

Another layer of ayurveda involves incorporating spices and herbal teas into your diet, which is generally safe when used in normal amounts in cooking and consuming, says Hall Carlson. In ayurvedic theory, you might use these to balance your doshas. For example, if you have a pitta (fire) dosha, you may use more warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in the winter and less of these in the summer to avoid overheating and potentially help decrease inflammation.

The next step may be the use of herbs and supplements, though these have concerns of their own because they may not be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Herbal preparations should only be used when recommended by a certified ayurvedic health counselor or practitioner, says Hall Carlson. These herbal formulations, such as triphala, ashwagandha, and pippali, are readily available to purchase in most health-food stores but can be potent and harmful to some people depending on underlying health conditions.

The NCCIH also warns that some ayurvedic medicines may contain potentially toxic levels of lead, mercury, or arsenic, leading to possible heavy metal poisoning. The use of heavy metals is based in ancient remedies that may use gold or mercury in preparations but are typically not used in the United States, notes Hall Carlson.

Still, be cautious when taking any ayurvedic product and be sure to discuss contraindications for your specific health concerns with a certified ayurvedic practitioner. Also, find out where herbs or supplements are sourced from and verify that they're third-party tested. This helps ensure that they’re not contaminated and contain what they claim to on the label. Again, take supplements under the watch of a qualified doctor or practitioner.

Finally, ayurveda is not intended to replace conventional medicine. While it's practiced in India as a full medical system, from prevention to treatment, it's considered a complementary and integrative medical approach in the United States. The NCCIH doesn’t recommend using it to put off treating a medical problem with biomedicine, instead advising that you talk to your doctor before using ayurvedic products.

Outside of the lifestyle practices (meal timing, deep breathing, gentle yoga), those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult their doctor before using any herb or supplement.

Ayurvedic medicine is not regulated in the United States by the federal government. “Each state has different abilities and levels of what practitioners are allowed to do,” says Hall Carlson. Many states do not allow for the treatment of disease through ayurveda so check the regulations where you live.

“Often, ayurveda is used in collaboration with [conventional] medicine. It’s very useful to approach diet, lifestyle, and self-care from an ayurvedic perspective and then use Western surgeries and medicines for treatment,” she adds.

Additionally, of course, not every ayurvedic lifestyle habit is right for everyone. “These are all broad strokes,” says Hall Carlson. “Based on someone’s own individual needs, including [taking into consideration their conventional] medical history, medications, and active conditions or diseases, they’ll need to fine-tune their [ayurvedic] habits.”

What’s more, these things may shift depending on the season, as well as your dosha. This is where an ayurvedic practitioner can help, particularly in helping you identify your correct dosha. Make sure you are working with one who is certified. The National Ayurvedic Medical Association offers a tool to locate a professional near you.

That said, here are some general and basic ayurvedic principles that may help you get started. These are not specific guidelines and can vary significantly based on each individual’s needs.

Self-Care Practices

Lifestyle-based ayurvedic practices and routines like rinsing your sinuses with a neti pot, using a tongue scraper, dry brushing or massaging oil into your skin, and oil pulling are a good place to explore the practices, suggests Hall Carlson.

Ayurvedic Diet

Eating more seasonal, fresh, local foods and avoiding processed foods may help enhance and regulate your digestion, says Douillard. For example, if you're following an ayurvedic diet, after breakfast, you may eat a larger lunch and a smaller, earlier dinner with minimal snacking to support the body’s natural rhythms of digestion. Hall Carlson recommends sitting down and eating slowly and mindfully, which may help relieve gas, bloating, and reflux caused by big, fatty meals eaten quickly in a distracted frame of mind.

Sleep Hygiene

If your schedule allows, ayurvedic philosophy recommends that you sleep more during winter when nights are longer and less in summer when nights are shorter. In line with nature, aim to wake up just before sunrise, “when birds and squirrels are running around,” says Hall Carlson, and go to bed around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. In general, the ayurvedic rule of thumb is to sleep when it’s dark and rise when it’s light, she notes.

Exercise

Do stronger exercise in the morning, like strength workouts or high-intensity interval training, and save restorative movement, like walking, gentle yoga, or tai chi, for the afternoon, says Hall Carlson. This may prevent you from getting too hyped up before bedtime, when it’s time to wind down for sleep.

Ayurveda consultations and services with a certified ayurvedic practitioner will differ in price depending on the area of the country, the provider's skill level, and the service you’re seeking, among other factors. Ayurveda is not typically covered by insurance, so talk to your practitioner about fees and ask if they have a sliding fee scale before you book your appointment.

Some elements of ayurveda — what Hall Carlson refers to as the basis of ayurvedic medicine — are lifestyle habits that can be adopted for free (such as changing your diet or sleeping habits) or for a reasonable cost (such as drinking an herbal tea, taking a yoga class, or booking an ayurvedic massage).

Best Websites

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

The NCCIH is a trustworthy, nonbiased resource for a range of complementary and integrative health approaches. Turn here to learn more on the state of the science on ayurveda, what research says, and how to safely consider integrating it into your current conventional care regimen.

National Ayurvedic Medical Association

The association represents professionals in ayurvedic practice. If you are looking for an ayurvedic practitioner, use its search tool to check your area for various types of practices, such as an ayurvedic health counselor, ayurvedic practitioner, ayurvedic doctor, or ayurvedic yoga therapist.

Best Resource for Scientific Research

PubMed.gov by National Library of Medicine

Recommended by the NCCIH as a resource to read more about randomized, controlled trials that involve components of ayurvedic medicine, this is the search engine to use to learn more about the science behind any ayurvedic topic or approach. This link will take you directly to entries involving ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine.

Best Books

'Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide'

Written by Susan Weis-Bohlen, a certified ayurvedic practitioner, this book is a solid introduction for anyone interested in learning more about ayurvedic medicine. With ample information on ayurveda, including how it may heal, and a way to ease into an ayurvedic lifestyle, you’ll find recipes, yoga poses, seasonal lifestyle tweaks, and ayurvedic remedies for common ailments.

'Ayurveda Cooking for Beginners'

What you eat and when is a cornerstone of ayurveda. Ayurvedic expert Laura Plumb's book takes you through the core concepts of building an ayurvedic kitchen, from what spices and teas to have on hand to what balancing foods to include in your diet, as well as ideas for delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that anyone can make.