Ayurveda means “knowledge of life.” It is an ancient system of healing, but at the same time also a philosophy of life. Its goal is not only to keep the body healthy, but to bring the whole human being – body, mind, and soul – into harmony.

Ayurveda means “knowledge of life.” It is an ancient system of healing, but at the same time also a philosophy of life. Its goal is not only to keep the body healthy, but to bring the whole human being – body, mind, and soul – into harmony.

All life is an expression of the five elements: ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. These act within the human being as three Doshas, formed from different combinations of the elements:

• Vata (ether + air)
  Principle of movement
  responsible for the nervous system, breathing, creativity, inspiration
• Pitta (fire + a little water)
  Principle of transformation
  responsible for digestion, metabolism, intellect, clarity
• Kapha (water + earth)
  Principle of stability
  responsible for structure, strength, endurance, serenity

Our individual mixture of these Doshas determines our constitution as unique as a fingerprint.

Health does not simply mean the absence of disease. In the classical texts it is said:

“Healthy is the one whose Doshas, digestive power, tissues, and excretions are in balance, and whose mind, senses, and soul (Sanskrit: atman) remain in a state of joy and peace.”

This makes it clear: the soul is an essential part of Ayurveda’s understanding of health. 

For Ayurveda, the soul is the inner essence, the unchanging Self. It is what animates the body and makes experiences of joy, clarity, and consciousness possible.

• Without the soul, there would be no life – the body would be only an empty shell.
• Ayurveda therefore views illness not only as a disturbance of the Doshas, but also as estrangement from one’s own soul.
• Healing means reconnecting – with oneself, with nature, with the origin of life.

Ayurveda emphasizes that it is a path of learning to perceive ourselves more deeply. When we pay attention to the subtle signals of the body and understand them as the language of the soul, we learn to live more consciously and authentically.

To harmonize body, mind, and soul, Ayurveda recommends:

• Conscious nutrition, adapted to one’s constitution and the season
• Herbs and oil applications to support the body and nervous system
• Cleansing therapies (Panchakarma) to release burdens and restore clarity
• Living more in rhythm with nature, e.g., orienting daily life around the cycles of day and year
• Daily rituals (Dinacharya) such as self-care, meditation, yoga, inner reflection
• Spirituality in everyday life through small rituals, mindfulness, gratitude

In our hectic world, Ayurveda reminds us that true well-being does not arise from fitness and nutrition alone. Health means connection with our body, with our emotions, and with our soul. Ayurveda offers us tools to nurture this connection and to return again and again to inner balance.