Ayurveda (pronounced aye-yur-vay-dah) is a 5,000 year-old system of health and healing from India.  Literally translated, Ayurveda means “science of life”.  Yoga and Ayurveda are closely intertwined ‘sister sciences’ belonging to the great Vedic stream of wisdom.

Ayurveda looks at health from a holistic viewpoint, with emphasis on diet and lifestyle to promote self-healing.  Beyond these basic tenets, Ayurveda honors Self-knowledge as the final cure for all disease and aims at providing optimal health and longevity for each individual so that they may ultimately contribute to the upliftment of the world.

Similar to other eastern or indigenous health systems, Ayurveda discerns that each individual is made up of a specific combination of elemental qualities: air, ether, fire, water and earth.  These are categorized into 3 distinct biological principles, or doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

We contain all of these elements in our make-up and experience our highest degree of health when these elements are in equilibrium.  We are typically mostly one or a combination of two types rather than a perfect balance of all three.  This constitutional make-up or our prakriti, is set in place from our birth.

However, the elements that guide the continuous physiological changes occurring throughout life change with our external environment – daily, seasonally and through the years.  To counterbalance these deviations (vikriti) from our natural state of harmony, we must take conscious care of our internal selves through self-awareness; in its most basic everyday form, we practice this through proper eating, exercise, and daily rhythm.

Ayurvedic practices achieve health through offering this balance to the individual.  Ayurveda sees dis-ease as an accumulation of undigested toxins (both physical and mental) that create imbalance in the body.  Ayurveda treats disease by bringing balance into the body through diet and lifestyle and holistic practices that honor the mind-body connection and are tailored to each individual’s needs.

In developing a personalized yoga and lifestyle program for an individual, I use basic Ayurvedic analysis and recommendations to inform the unique program being created.  This analysis can help us to see more deeply into the root cause of and uncover potential solutions for challenging issues that may have remained hidden or unresolved for many years.

You can deepen your knowledge of Ayurveda with an individual consultation or through the Yoga Off the Mat program or by joining one of the upcoming courses found here.

 

 

I first met Gianna when I attended a talk she gave in the community. I was considering following an Ayurvedic diet to help balance stress and anxiety problems. Gianna was discussing the combination of Ayurveda, Yoga and antioxidants to support and facilitate health and wellness and an embrace of the mind-body connection to healing.

I was immediately impressed with Gianna’s knowledge and experience with all 3 subjects, but mostly I was drawn to what an open, grounded, enthusiastic, and genuine person she is. She is professional, yet warm and caring. I felt like I could trust her and I had a feeling that she could help me take an active role in my health and healing and to develop a personal practice to facilitate that.

I feel like my sessions with Gianna are such a gift. I now have a fully developed yoga and meditation practice that has supported my getting off all medications previously prescribed for stress and anxiety.

-Tambra S.