Ayurveda: The magic of living wisely

Translated simply as ‘knowledge of life’, Ayurveda (a Sanskrit term: Ayur = life, Veda = knowledge) is an ancient Indian holistic philosophy that shows how to live a healthy, wholesome and more fulfilled life by balancing your mind, body and spirit.

At the core of Ayurveda is you, the individual, and your unique set of physical, mental and spiritual characteristics – known as dosha in Ayurvedic practice.

By taking your dominant dosha(s), Ayurveda offers insights into which foods, herbs, and lifestyle activities will enhance the quality of your life, and which ones won’t; leaving you empowered to make choices that will protect your physical health, your mental balance, and your spiritual wellbeing. If you want to find out more about your dosha(s), why not read our dosha introduction & try our dosha quiz?

What are the origins of Ayurveda?

Ayurveda has been practised in India for probably the last 3,000 years – and Ayurveda’s wisdom has now spread all over the planet; to this day it remains one of the world’s most powerful mind-body-spirit health systems.

At the heart of Ayurveda’s priceless teaching is a profound respect for nature and a humble appreciation for the magic of life – Ayurveda helps us see how our health is connected to everyone and everything around us: our family, our work, our society, and our planet. 

What are the benefits of Ayurveda?

Ayurveda has many life-enhancing benefits. Because it is a holistic way of life, Ayurveda focuses on bringing balance to your physical, mental and spiritual health as you move through the seasons, the different stages of your life, and the changing times of day.

Ayurveda traditions include using herbal wisdom and therapies to help treat and manage chronic conditions, as well as using dietary and lifestyle suggestions to both help prevent illness and optimise vitality. Yoga and meditation are also often prescribed in Ayurveda for relieving stress and rejuvenating the mind, body and spirit.

How can you bring the magic of Ayurveda into your life?

Ayurveda is an anytime, anywhere, anyone sort of wisdom; a universal way of living wisely that can be easily adopted no matter what stage of life you’re at.

With a little Pukka love and wisdom, the magic of Ayurveda will flow in your life: as well as drinking Pukka teas­ – masterfully blended to bring you all the goodness of Mother Nature – you could follow our simple Ayurveda living hints and tips. We’ve also created some easy-to-make and nutritious Ayurveda recipes for you to try.

If you’d like to discover Ayurveda in more detail, A Pukka Life by our Master Herbsmith and Ayurveda practitioner, Sebastian Pole, is well worth the read.