History of Ayurveda: Doshas, essential Herbs and Effects.

Ayurveda is the oldest way to cure the body and mind using natural products. According to resources, it started in India and dates back 5000 years. Ayurveda is also mentioned in the ancient stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

• But what is  the History of Ayurveda ?
• Where did it come from?
• And does it work?

Don’t worry! This blog will tell you everything simply—just like a story. Ready to go on a magical health journey with us? Let’s begin.

What is Ayurveda?

Before you read about the" History of Ayurveda," you need to know what Ayurveda is. Ayurveda gets its name from two Sanskrit words — 'Ayur' means life, and 'Veda' means knowledge or wisdom. It only uses natural remedies and herbal medicines to heal patients. Thus, it can be said that natural resources should be used for treatment.

History behind Ayurveda:

A long time ago in India, there was a wise doctor named Maharishi Charaka. People call him the Father of Ayurveda. He wrote a big book called Charaka Samhita, which talks about the body, sickness, and how to feel better using nature.

Here are some simple points to help you understand more about Ayurveda.

• Ayurveda is an ancient way to help people get better using natural things like plants, herbs, and food.
• It is written about in a holy book called the Atharva Veda.
• This book has many ideas about sickness and how to get well using natural things.
• About 5,000 years ago, smart people called Rishis studied nature and found ways to heal people.
• Later, between the 6th century BC and the 7th century AD, Ayurveda became more detailed and organized.
• Ayurveda is connected to the Vedas, some of India's oldest books.
• The Atharva Veda also talks about how to live a healthy and balanced life.
• Ayurveda teaches us to use nature to stay healthy, happy, and strong.

Thus, the above points show how ancient Ayurveda was.

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Transfer of Ayurveda from Gods to Sages:

According to Hindu stories, God Brahma is known for creating Ayu, a long-time practice of Ayurveda. Ayu is all about keeping your body healthy and curing sickness.

Afterward, God Brahma gave this knowledge to his sons, Daksha and Prajapati. Then, the knowledge was given to the twin gods, Ashwini Kumaras. He was known as the healer of the gods, often called the Deva Vaidya.

After that, the Ashwini Kumaras gave this knowledge to God Indra, the king of gods. Indra had three students:

• Acharya Divodasa Dhanvantari
• Acharya Bharadwaja
• Acharya Kashyapa

Indra ji taught them about Ayurveda. Then, these three taught it to others. One of Bharadwaja’s students was Agnivesha. He wrote the first big book on internal medicine in Ayurveda. Later, his student Acharya Charaka improved it even more. That’s why Charaka is one of history's most famous Ayurvedic doctors.

This happened so that people could stay healthy, avoid sickness, and learn to live better lives.

There are many ancient sacred books that provide knowledge of Ayurveda written by many rishis and munis (wise sages) with years of studies and practices.

One such great sage was Rishi Bharadwaja, who lived around 700 BC. He did fantastic work in sharing Ayurvedic knowledge with the world.

Main Principles of Ayurveda

Everything is Made of Five Elements

Ayurveda says the whole world—including our body—is made of 5 elements:

• Earth (solid things like bones)
• Water (blood, fluids)
• Fire (digestion and heat in our body)
• Air (movement like breathing)
• Space (empty parts inside the body)

By mixing all these elements, three energies are formed known as Doshas.

The Three Doshas (Body Types)

Ayurveda says each person has a mix of these three doshas:

Vata – Made of air and space

• Light, quick, and dry
• It helps with breathing, talking, and moving

Pitta – Made of fire and water

• Hot, sharp, and strong
• It helps with digestion, hunger, and thinking

Kapha – Made of earth and water

• Heavy, slow, and cool
• Gives strength, calmness, and support to the body

Every person is born with their own unique blend of these doshas.

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How Ayurveda Works

Ayurveda works by keeping the doshas in balance. When they are balanced, you are healthy. If these doshas get out of balance, you might start to feel unwell or low on energy.

To stay healthy, Ayurveda teaches us to:

• Eat the right food for our body
• Sleep well and on time
• Exercise, meditate, and stay calm
• Use natural herbs and oils
• Drink water and stay clean

Example

If someone eats too much spicy food, their Pitta (fire) may become too high, and they may get a stomach ache or feel angry. Ayurveda suggests cooling foods like milk or cucumber to calm the fire.

Ayurveda helps us:

• Know our body type (dosha)
• Make good choices every day
• Stay happy, healthy, and strong

Balancing the Doshas for Health and Happiness

In Ayurveda, we all have a special mix of three energies called Doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Some people have a higher amount of one Dosha, while others have a mix of two or all three.

When you have two main doshas, it's called Dual Dosha Prakriti, and it's quite common.

If you have equal amounts of all three doshas, it's called Tridosha Prakriti. This is rare and considered the best because it means you are naturally well-balanced.

But no matter which dosha type you are, the most important thing is to keep them in balance. If one dosha becomes too strong or too weak, it can make you feel sick or tired.

Ayurveda teaches that we can stay happy and healthy by eating the right food and following a good lifestyle (such as sleeping well, exercising, and staying calm).

Diet for Dosha Balance

Did you know that food has six tastes? Yes! Ayurveda says every meal should have all these six tastes:

• Sweet
• Sour
• Salty
• Pungent (like ginger or pepper)
• Bitter (like green leafy veggies)
• Astringent (like lentils or green tea)

These tastes are made from the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space—and affect our doshas differently.

For example:

• Sweet and cool foods calm Pitta (fire).
• Warm and spicy foods increase Pitta.
• Dry foods increase Vata (air).
• Heavy foods increase Kapha (water + earth).

So, eating the right mix of tastes helps to balance the doshas and keeps your body and mind strong, calm, and joyful.

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The Six Tastes in Ayurveda and How They Affect You

Ayurveda says that food has six tastes, and each one is made from different natural elements. These tastes can increase or decrease your body energies called Doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Let’s look at them one by one:

What Can You Do to Balance Your Dosha

Ayurveda has been used for centuries in India for well-being. It tells us that our body has three energies—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These are called Doshas. Every person has a different mix of these Doshas. When they are in balance, we feel happy and strong.

Given below is the lsit of doshas and how to balance them.

Vata Dosha (Air + Space)

When Vata is out of balance:

• You may feel scared or nervous.
• You may not sleep well.
• Your mouth and skin might get dry.
• You may face issues with hard stools.

To balance Vata:

• Try eating warm, soft foods with sweet, salty, or sour flavours.
• Don’t eat cold or dry foods like chips or raw veggies.
• Go to bed early.
• Do yoga and deep breathing.
• Rub warm sesame oil on your body before a bath.

Pitta Dosha (Fire + Water)

When Pitta is out of balance:

• You may feel angry or get skin rashes.
• You might feel a burning sensation in your stomach or eyes.
• You may sweat a lot or feel hot.

To balance Pitta:

• Eat cooling foods like melon, cucumber, and sweet fruits.
• Don’t eat spicy, sour, or fried food.
• Stay out of the hot sun.
• Go swimming, take deep breaths, and relax your mind.
• Massage with coconut oil.

Kapha Dosha (Water + Earth)

When Kapha is out of balance:

• You may feel lazy or tired.
• You may catch colds easily.
• You may gain weight quickly.

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To balance Kapha:

• Wake up early.
• Start your morning by drinking warm water mixed with a little honey.
• Eat light and hot food with spices like ginger and cinnamon.
• Do fun exercises like dancing or jogging.
• Use warming oils for massage.

Live Healthy with Ayurveda and Vedi

At Vedi, we use the wisdom of Ayurveda to help people stay healthy. When you know your Prakriti (your body type), you can choose the right food and habits to feel great daily!

Try Vedi’s natural Ayurvedic products and see the difference for yourself!