Man has sought ways to eradicate suffering and find pleasure since the dawn of time.

Yoga and Ayurveda, often referred to as sister sciences, have one common goal: “to unfold the full potential of individual life in enlightenment”. Both originate from ancient texts called the Vedas and offer recommendations for reaching the full potential of your body and mind, living in harmony with your environment and finding inner contentment.

At the core of both sciences lies a theory about a unified reality and a shared consciousness. According to this theory, underneath the physical manifestation of things, beyond the awareness of the self and the ego, there is cosmic consciousness: a place of oneness with the universe. Ayurveda and yoga believe that “sickness emerges when there is mistaken intellect and ignorance of the unified reality.” The goal of both is to prepare people for this knowledge, the result of which will be ultimate peace and wellbeing.

While Ayurveda gives specific recommendations to address health on the physical level, the goal of yoga is to help people master their mind, the chitta, and to achieve union between the mind, body and spirit. The literal translation of yoga is “union” or “to join together”. Ayurveda recognises that both mind and body are responsible for health and disease and acknowledges the important of yoga in settling the mind and preparing the spirit for self-realisation. The practice of yoga is also essential for balancing the three Doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha – and is part of the dincharya, the Ayurvedic daily routine. If you haven’t already found your Dosha type, you can take the test at the bottom of this page.

Ayurveda, however, is also important for the practice of yoga. Abhyanga (ayurvedic massage), an essential part of the Ayurvedic routine, helps remove toxins from the body and relaxes the muscles to prepare them for the practice of yoga. And through fasting rituals and detox, Ayurveda helps you remove digestive impurities, allowing you to further clean the various channels in the body through yoga.

Both yoga and Ayurveda aim to eliminate existing imbalances and stress in the body, so that full consciousness can be achieved. They complement each other perfectly: yoga helps to still the mind and turn your attention inward, while Ayurveda addresses your lifestyle and its direct effect on the physical wellbeing of the body. If you’re not well physically, you can’t focus on self-realisation. So the Ayurvedic principles can be said to provide the most fertile soil for the growth of spirit and consciousness, with the aim of ultimate liberation, health and enlightenment.

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