Welcome to the Beginner’s Guide to Ayurveda! At the beginning of the course you will be introduced to essential Ayurvedic concepts and principles, and as you move on through the lessons you will build on these concepts until you can see clearly how they are all connected. Enjoy!
In this lesson we are going to take a brief look at the underlying principals of Ayurveda. Starting with its philosophical viewpoint, then looking at the building blocks of creation, then the three main energies directing the universe and finally an introduction to the Ayurvedic perspective on constitutions.
An introduction to the five elements; ether, air, fire, water and earth, their qualities and their place in Ayurveda.
In this lesson we explore the three different types of energy that pervade the universe, called the gunas. According to Samkhya philosophy (the foundation of Ayurvedic and yogic wisdom), everything in creation is composed of three gunas called sattva, rajas and tamas.
Take a look at vata, pitta and kapha – what are they and how are they created? Discover how the doshas are the three primary life forces responsible for all functions in body and mind and how together they make up our individual constitutions.
An introduction to the twenty qualities, which are core to our descriptions of the doshas and tastes for example, but also in helping to understand our relationship with the world around us.
A summary of the first lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
In this lesson we move onto a discussion of our constitution in more detail. We will get to know vata, pitta and kapha a little better and will hopefully be able to recognise aspects of them in ourselves. Each of us is made up of all five elements and all three doshas in varying proportions.
Take a look at causes and signs of vata, pitta and kapha aggravation before completing a questionnaire to assess the balance of your doshas.
A summary of the second lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
This lesson introduces the concept of the digestive fire, known as agni, which is a central theme in Ayurveda. We are going to start with how Ayurveda classifies the different types of agni, the stages of digestion and their relationships to the doshas and then we will look at how best to keep your digestive fires burning!
Take a look at how to care for your agni, how to optimise your digestion, which spices help stoke your digestive fire and some delicious agni friendly recipes!
A summary of the third lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
Now we are going to take a look at how our agni can be affected adversely by our diet and lifestyle and cause the accumulation of ama – toxins in the gut. We will have a look at the role of toxicity or ama in the development of health problems.
We will now look at how to prevent accumulation of ama and, if necessary, clear ama from your system with an emphasis on dietary guidelines and herbal remedies.
A summary of the fourth lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
In this lesson we are going to look at how the food we eat is converted not only into the tissues that make up the structure of the body known as the dhatus, but it is also into our energy, vitality, immunity, fertility, longevity and joie de vivre which in Ayurveda we call ojas. We are also going to look at the channels, which are called the srotas, that carry the nutrients to and the waste products away from the tissues and so maintain a healthy flow throughout the body.
In this lesson we are going to look at the channels, which are called the srotas, that carry the nutrients to and the waste products away from the tissues and so maintain a healthy flow throughout the body.
A summary of the fifth lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
In this lesson we take a look at how understanding the effect each of the six tastes has on mind and body and the balance of our doshas, means that food and herbs can be chosen according to the needs of each individual person, so they can be a more effective and valuable tool for the prevention and treatment of imbalance and disease.
In this section we look at taste and our emotions, the relationship between the doshas and taste, the functions and effects of taste and the energies of taste.
A summary of the sixth lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
This is probably the part of the course you have been waiting for, balancing the doshas! Learn how to take the first step towards balancing your doshas – where do you start?
This part of the lesson is specifically about vata imbalances with general advice, massage tips, diet, herbs and recipes to keep vata in balance.
This part of the lesson is specifically about pitta imbalances with general advice, massage tips, diet, herbs and recipes to keep pitta in balance.
This part of the lesson is specifically about kapha imbalances with general advice, massage tips, diet, herbs and recipes to keep kapha in balance.
This part of the lesson is has general advice, massage tips, diet, herbs and recipes to keep all three doshas in balance.
A summary of the seventh lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
In this lesson we are going to look at what is involved in Ayurvedic detoxification, when are the best times to do a detox and what we hope to achieve before moving on to the three phases of the detoxification process. Once you have digested this lesson we hope that you will confident enough to practice some simple detox measures at home when you need to.
In this lesson we take a look at how you carry out detoxification, the three stages of preparation, detoxification and post-detoxification rejuvenation, plus delicious detoxification recipes.
A summary of the eighth lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
In this final lesson of the course we are going to bring together everything that we have studied in this course so far and then – the most important part – help you to put these principles into action to improve your health and wellbeing!
In this lesson we take a look at maintaining your ojas, how they are depleted and how you can enhance them. We look at agni and ojas, and the place of rejuvenating foods, rasayana herbs and meditation in maintaining good ojas.
The final summary of the ninth and last lesson, followed by a short multiple choice quiz.
Congratulations! You have completed the Beginners Guide to Ayurveda…but what next?