"What makes me really happy?" "How can I shape my life so that it brings me lasting satisfaction, health and success?"
We ask ourselves these questions more than once - especially at times of crisis and crossroads in our lives - and consult psychologists, life coaches and advice literature to help us find solutions. In my opinion, we find the best answers to our current life questions in the ancient wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda: these are united in the field of Ayurvedic psychology and provide the key to the secret of a happy life.
Manage your body and transform your mind
With this guiding principle, the Ayurveda scholar Charaka shows us the right path to a fulfilled life. If we recognise our individual constitution (Prakriti) with its unchangeable personality traits on a physical and psychomental level, we can manage these with balancing measures in such a way that with loving self-acceptance and a little self-discipline we receive everything we need to be happy in this world. Spiritual bliss, on the other hand, arises from the strength of our mind (Manas), which we can only achieve by transforming our thoughts and feelings.
Ayurveda for body and mind
The starting point of physical self-management is the balance of the three doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which give us a unique constitution on which our health and happiness depend. All Ayurvedic therapies serve to avert disturbances and accumulations of the individual dosha structure, as these are the cause of all physical and mental illnesses. But the measure of happiness is type, because each of us is different and has different needs and expressions of self-fulfillment:
Vata types are by nature rather delicate, sensitive and spiritually open people. Due to their high affinity to the elements of air and ether, they are characterized by a creative, agile and often musically or artistically gifted personality, which tends towards inner restlessness, nervousness, fears, doubts and the feeling of "inner emptiness" when imbalances occur. It is therefore particularly important for the health, stability and joie de vivre of a Vata type to give life a firm structure with warm, regular meals, stable relationships and calm yoga cycles. At the same time, Vata also needs a certain amount of chaos and unpredictable spontaneous actions for creative self-expression.
Pitta types are by nature very dynamic, determined and perfectionistic people. Their pronounced fire element not only gives them physical warmth and a hot temper, but also a high level of intelligence and creative drive. Pitta types constantly need new goals and challenges in order to feel fulfilled and powerful inside. On the other hand, it is also important to pay attention to cooling foods and drinks as well as a physical work-out followed by a relaxation program so that Pitta does not burn itself out in excessive fire and fuel its emotional irritability, impatience and tendency to burnout.
Kapha types are naturally calm, content and comfort-oriented personalities. With their pronounced water and earth element, they are like a rock in the surf and are not easily disturbed by anything. On the other hand, they also tend to repress anything unpleasant and seem to successfully ignore their problems by compensating for them with too much food, alcohol or constant TV viewing. In order to break through the Kapha defensive shell, in addition to the necessary patience (everything takes a little longer with Kapha), hot spices, dynamic yoga flows and confrontational communication are also necessary.
