A proper understanding of the connections between yoga and Ayurveda is essential for the effective treatment of illness. Classical texts on yoga such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika describe several asanas (body postures) and enumerate their benefits based on Ayurvedic principles. Ayurvedic practitioners developed yoga as a form of physical exercise that would support the recovery of diseased internal organs and help alleviate structural imbalances. By applying Ayurveda’s concept of the doshas and its understanding of disease and body qualities and functions to a daily physical routine, these practitioners extended Ayurveda’s healing powers to the asanas.
Most yoga practitioner restrict themselves by stating that an asana can help restore balance among the three doshas or address certain diseases that are explained in Ayurveda. Ayurveda mentions that all forms of therapy can be classified under two broad categories: Those that nourish the body, brmhaṇa, and those that remove imbalances from the body, langhana. Most methods of therapy suggested in Ayurveda fall under langhana, including both palliative and eliminative methods, because, in both, we are primarily reducing some body quality that is aggravated or present in excess.
One reason that most Ayurvedic treatments start with the reduction or removal of imbalances is that a balanced state of being is a natural consequence of these therapies. Another reason is that treatment is basically dependent on the status of agni, or digestive fire. The central role of agni in maintaining balanced health is acknowledged in both yoga and Ayurveda. The primary purpose of all treatment and an important goal of practicing asanas is to keep the agni functioning well.
Though both body positioning and breathing are integral to the practice of asanas, breathing is of greater importance in addressing many disorders of the body such as hypertension or diabetes, as well as in managing psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, we need to choose a body position in which the person is able to breathe freely, emphasizing the appropriate component of the breathing cycle.
For instance, inhalation helps to increase agni and activates metabolism, similar to the effect of fanning flames. As a natural process of elimination, exhalation helps remove toxins and waste that dull the agni, enabling agni to function more efficiently. In many functional disorders, it is important to ensure that exhalation is performed correctly, even if inhalation is the component of breathing to be emphasized.
For brmhaṇa, the nourishing aspect of Ayurvedic therapy, to be effective, the agni has to be functioning properly. Otherwise, even if we consume nourishing foods and herbs, they will not be of use to our body, because agni is what allows our body tissues to assimilate nutrients. In many disease states, langhana is usually required first to remove the blockages in digestive energy. Only then will brmhaṇa be possible at all. This is why Ayurvedic texts suggest that even in a situation where brmhaṇa is necessary, it may be good to start with mild langhana first. However the converse of this principle does not apply: brmhaṇa is not to be done for a person who requires langhana.
Classical yoga texts explain the connection between the various types of pranayama (breathing exercises) and the three doshas and various other body qualities and functions. Specific types of pranayama can be used in decreasing the qualities of particular doshas when they are out of balance. Also, these texts relate breathing to the qualities of heat and cold in the body. They classify the types of pranayama as heating and cooling and also suggest that inhalation through the right nostril is heating, while inhalation through the left nostril is cooling. These specific connections between breathing and body qualities are one of the most important reasons that breath is more important to the management of health than asanas.
Whatever style of yoga we adopt, a clear understanding of the relationship between body and mind and their relationship with breathing and food is essential in order to apply yoga and Ayurveda effectively in the treatment of illness.
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.