Tag: dosha

Discover your Nature: Finding Balance at Tri

Ayurveda — the ancient practice of cultivating true wellness through balance — has a long history in Sri Lanka. Tri’s co-founder Lara grew up in India, and Ayurveda has been part of her life ever since — even informing the process of personal practice optimization through Quantum Yoga.

We have spoken to Lara to get the low-down on Ayurveda, and how we can incorporate Ayurvedic principles into our everyday lives…

“Ayurveda is based on the idea of inner balance; realizing that everyone has different needs, and therefore there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health. A person’s prakriti or nature is defined by the inner distribution of the three doshas, or body-mind constitutions. One’s prakriti informs every aspect of our being, from skin type to activity levels and response to times of stress. In order to be free from dis-ease, healthy and happy, one needs to live in harmony with one’s nature.

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Image credit: Recess City

Slim, with dry skin, variable appetite and thirst, creative tendencies, a love of activity, good short-term memory, fast speech, brittle nails and a speedy pulse? That would reflect vata dosha dominance. Athletic build, with a love of cooler climates and spicy food, fast metabolism, competitive nature, passionate with a need to exercise for emotional balance? Sounds like a high pitta dosha. Tendency to hold weight, oily skin, dislikes humidity, loves heavy food, easy-going attitude and great at retaining memories? Here kapha dosha is dominant.

As humans, we are drawn to the things that reinforce our nature, but this results in greater imbalance and disharmony. Therefore, Ayurveda teaches us to moderate these desires and strive towards balance. I have a pitta-dominant nature, meaning I am fiery, active, athletic, forceful and at times hot-headed, and typically I enjoy coffee, spicy foods, passionate artistic expression and challenging workouts. However, I understand that I would find greater harmony through cooling, soothing and balancing my pitta nature.

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Image credit: Recess City

This knowledge inspired the creation of Quantum Yoga: an awareness that our yoga practice can either exacerbate or balance our prakriti. We use Ayurveda to assess each practitioner’s prakriti (personal dosha distribution) before offering sequences tailored not only to their ability level, but also their inner nature. Vata-regulation emphasises grounding, strengthening and stabilizing; pitta-regulation hones a more soothing, cooling and balancing approach; kapha-regulation energises, invigorates and stimulates.

We have also carried this over to inform many aspects of life at Tri, from our delicious Ayurvedic juices and smoothies at breakfast, to recommended activities and excursions, and choice of spa treatments and massage oil blends.

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Image credit: Recess City

We help our guests to find true inner balance — whether that means yoga and healing therapies, or boat rides and beetroot martinis at sunset — so they can return home feeling healthy, happy and inspired.”

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurvedic medicine is based on the principle that health and wellbeing depend on a balance between the mind, body, and spirit. 

Ayurveda, the name of this ancient health medical system combines the Sanskrit words ayur – meaning ‘life’ – and veda – translating as ‘science’ or ‘knowledge’. Holistic, healing and nourishing, it is one of the world’s oldest systems of wellness, targeting the cause of any ill health rather than simply treating the symptoms.

Ayurvedic practitioners look at interconnectedness of people with their health and the world around them, considering the prakriti – or body’s constitution and your dosha – the life forces.  The aim is always to restore the balance of the three doshas – Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

Ayurvedic physicians prescribe bespoke treatments which might involve herbal therapies, exercises or a special diet. Digestion – or agni – is the fire that gives your metabolism its life energy, or ojas. It is believed to be the most important function for health, growth and wellbeing. Since diet – paka – is an important factor in Ayurveda, our menu is local, seasonal and as organic as can be and many of the herbs, fruit and vegetables used in our cuisine are grown on our grounds – nutritious eating is at the heart of Tri’s philosophy.

What are the three doshas?

Vata – a body type that reflects the elements of space and air; meaning ‘wind’, it is the energy that powers all biological activities. Typical signs of a Vata imbalance may include anxiety, dryness of the skin and constipation.

Pitta – a body type that reflects the elements of fire and water; this fiery quality means ‘that which cooks’ and its antidote a soothing alkaline diet and calming, meditative activities. It can mean a great enthusiastic drive for life, but this can also tip into anger.

Kapha – a body type that reflects the elements of eater and earth and translates from Sanskrit as ‘that which sticks’. Clues to this prevalence are overeating and a sedentary lifestyle.

What’s special about an Ayurvedic massage?

A full traditional Ayurvedic body massage uses a therapeutic herbal oil. Shirobhyanga is the classic rejuvenation therapy of dripping warm oil on your third eye with the aim of rebalancing you. Special attention given to acupressure points to help encourage the release of blockages and lymphatic drainage – relaxing, de-stressing and at the same time revitalising.

At Tri, Ayurvedic therapies happen in treatment rooms next to our yogashala which floats in a bamboo grove above the library. In this haven of tranquility, there is also a steam room and a chill-out area.

 

Quantum Yoga

Quantum Yoga – created by Lara Baumann Drummond – is a dynamic flowing exercise suited to your individual needs and designed based on an effective and safe grouping and sequencing system. It’s a yoga path that resonates with your personal requirements at all times and balances your inner nature, with the aim of bringing you into a state of greater harmony with the environment. Also it’s a spiritual system that adopts the holistic approach to health from the ancient Indian healing science of Ayurveda, while embracing the modern insights of Quantum Physics to maximise one’s power of conscious manifestation.

Lara Baumann teaches the Quantum Method of Yoga to all levels of students both publicly and privately worldwide. Her powerful relationship with yoga and a strong interest in Eastern philosophy is the result of an upbringing in India and Japan, which led her to complete an MA in Religious Studies at SOAS, University of London. As an apprentice, she has studied with Sri K Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, as well as BKS Iyengar in Pune. In May 2005, Lara took the Jivamukti 200-hour Yoga Alliance teacher training, and in July 2009 she completed the 500-hour certificate with Tripsichore. Her main teachers are Edward Clark, Danny Paradise and Clive Sheridan.

Lara’s objective is to guide people in developing an optimal, powerful, healing and sacred practice that leads to health, happiness and enlightenment. In January 2009 Mandala Publishing released Lara’s book a DVD and “Quantum Yoga, Creating Your Ideal Practice from an Ocean of Possibilities”. Mandala has now published the new expanded edition of this successful book with the new subtitle “Quantum Yoga, The Holistic Approach to Creating Your Ideal Practice”. Lara has published three Quantum Yoga double audio-CDs of the basic sequences that regulate each Ayurvedic dosha (body-mind constitution).