How to Start Your Ayurveda Journey in 5 Simple Steps
In this blog post, I’m sharing 5 simple steps to start your Ayurveda journey.
Firstly, what is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the traditional natural healing system of India going back over 5,000 years. It is also a philosophy.
The word ‘Ayurveda’ is made up of two Sanskrit words: ‘Ayu’ means life and ‘Veda’ means knowledge. Therefore Ayurveda is often translated as ‘Art of Living’ or the ‘Science of Life’.
One of the remarkable aspects of Ayurveda is its recognition that each individual is unique.
Ayurveda acknowledges the presence of three mind-body types, known as Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
By understanding your Dosha, you gain insights into your natural tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, and optimal lifestyle choices.
If you’re new to Ayurveda or even you have taken a Dosha quiz before this one will reveal something new – I promise 😊 Take this quiz and discover your Ayurvedic Dosha (mind-body type), uncover your strengths and weaknesses, and find out what might be holding you back from living your best life.
This personalised approach empowers you to make informed decisions about diet, exercise, lifestyle and daily routines, cultivating a harmonious balance in your life.
So here are 5 simple steps to start your Ayurveda journey.
Step 1: Discover & Understand Your Ayurvedic Dosha (natural constitution)
Each individual has all three Doshas, but usually one or more of the three Doshas is predominant. This becomes your ‘true nature’ or your natural constitution.
Your natural constitution is determined at conception and stays the same throughout your life.
You might have taken a Dosha quiz in the past whether it’s my Dosha quiz, or others you found on the internet, these quizzes usually determine your natural constitution.
It’s important to understand that when you take these quizzes you need to answer these questions from where you were growing up and not your current state.
To begin your Ayurvedic journey, you can take my free Dosha quiz and discover your dominant Dosha.
Understanding your Dosha helps you recognize your natural strengths and potential imbalances, allowing you to tailor your lifestyle and diet for optimal wellbeing.
Once you know your Dosha – your natural constitution, you can move to the next step – identifying current imbalances.
Step 2: Identify Your Current Imbalances
While your primary Dosha remains constant, imbalances can occur due to diet, stress, seasonal changes, and lifestyle choices.
These imbalances can lead to discomfort, disease, or emotional distress.
Signs of Dosha Imbalances:
Vata imbalance: Dry skin, constipation, anxiety, insomnia, scattered thoughts.
Pitta imbalance: Acid reflux, irritability, inflammation, excessive sweating.
Kapha imbalance: Fatigue, weight gain, congestion, resistance to change.
It’s important to note that you can have more than one Dosha imbalance.
To identify your imbalances, reflect on your recent physical and emotional experiences.
Have you felt more anxious, sluggish, or irritable than usual?
Signs & symptoms are your body’s way of communicating with you.
These clues help you determine which Dosha is currently out of balance so you can make targeted adjustments.
If you want to identify your specific Dosha imbalances and a full analysis, purchase your Personalised Ayurveda & Yoga Guide today.
Step 3: Understand Your Agni – Digestive Fire
In Ayurveda, Agni (digestive fire) is the key to overall health. When Agni is strong, digestion, metabolism, and energy levels remain optimal.
If Agni is weak or excessive, it can lead to toxins (Ama), poor digestion, and disease.
Here are four types of Agni according to Ayurveda:
Balanced Agni (Sama Agni): Efficient digestion, steady energy, and strong immunity.
Irregular Agni (Vishama Agni – Vata imbalance): Bloating, gas, inconsistent digestion, and sensitivity to foods.
Sharp Agni (Tikshna Agni – Pitta imbalance): Acid reflux, hunger spikes, inflammation, and irritability.
Weak Agni (Manda Agni – Kapha imbalance): Slow digestion, bloating, heaviness, and fatigue.
To optimize Agni, eat according to your Dosha, favor warm and freshly prepared meals, and avoid overeating or eating too late at night.
If you want to identify your specific Agni type and analysis of potential Ama (toxins), purchase your Personalised Ayurveda & Yoga Guide today.
Step 4: Rebalance Your Circadian Rhythm
Ayurveda is all about living in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Ayurveda breaks the day into six four-hour zones which is essentially the daily cycles of Dosha. You can read more about Ayurveda and the circadian rhythm in my previous blog.
Optimize Your Light Environment:
Light exposure also plays a crucial role in maintaining balance.
Modern lifestyles filled with artificial light and late-night screen use disrupt circadian rhythms, affecting sleep, metabolism, and mental clarity.
Morning Sunlight: Morning sunlight activates your brain’s signaling system, which triggers the release of hormones that support cortisol production, helping you feel more alert and energized.
Try to wake up before sunrise (you can check sunrise times in your area with apps like MyCircadian app). Even a few minutes of morning light exposure can signal your brain effectively, even on cloudy days.
During the Day: Try to get outside as much as you can during the day.
Limit Blue Light at Night: Reduce exposure to artificial blue light after sunset, as it disrupts melatonin production and increases cortisol levels, which can impact your sleep and overall health.
Tips to reduce blue light exposure at night:
- Use dim, below-eye-level lighting instead of bright overhead lights.
- Wear orange or red blue-light-blocking glasses in the evening.
- Dim your screen brightness and use software/apps that shift the screen color to amber or red.
Consistent Sleep Schedule: Go to bed (ideally by 10pm before evening Pitta time) and wake up (ideally just before sunrise) at the same time each day to reinforce your body’s natural rhythm.
By optimizing your light environment and living more in harmony with the natural rhythm, it can help balance your Dosha leading to better sleep, digestion, and emotional stability.
Step 5: Follow Diet & Lifestyle to Balance Your Dosha Imbalances
The final step is to tailor your diet and lifestyle to treat any Dosha imbalances.
As I mentioned at Step 2, you can have more than one Dosha imbalance. This is where nuance comes into play. Therefore it’s important to get a full analysis of your current imbalances from a qualified Ayurvedic Lifestyle Advisor like myself or practitioner.
You can also find general guidelines for diet, lifestyle & Yoga practice for balancing Vata, Pitta and Kapha by clicking my blog posts below:
How to Balance Vata Dosha with Diet, Lifestyle & Yoga Practice
How to Balance Pitta Dosha with Diet, Lifestyle & Yoga Practice
How to Balance Kapha Dosha with Diet, Lifestyle & Yoga Practice
If you want step-by-step how to restore your specific Dosha imbalances, purchase your Personalised Ayurveda & Yoga guide today.
If you’re new to Ayurveda or even you have taken a Dosha quiz before this one will reveal something new – I promise 😊 Take this quiz and discover your Ayurvedic Dosha (mind-body type), uncover your strengths and weaknesses, and find out what might be holding you back from living your best life.
Please feel free to forward this to a friend, colleague or family member who you feel could benefit.