Join me on my journey to balance with Ayurveda and Yoga. I bet you're not as nervous as I am!
Hello. Hi. My name is Aleks and here I go with this blog.
I want to start a documentation of my goals and journey through Yoga and Ayurveda, the practices that I now call my life and soul's purpose. Sounds obscure and dramatic, right? Well, I guess that's fitting for someone who has been known to be obscure and dramatic at times. ☺
People have heard of yoga, it's already been around in the West for decades, but what is Ayurveda exactly? You might have heard of it from your yoga teacher, or maybe even purchased an Ayurvedic herb or tea from your local health market (Ashwagandha, anyone?). It might seem like a new thing as it's become more mainstream as of late, but it's been around for a long time, thousands of years in fact. Ayurveda is a medical system that originated in India around 5,000 years ago (though many scholars agree it's much older) that honors the innate rhythms, cycles, and qualities of nature. It views everything, vegetable, animal and mineral, as a unique mixture of the five elements (earth, air, water, fire, ether). This of course includes people too!
By understanding how to identify various elemental combinations, we begin to better understand our own orientation on the planet. Having this information allows us to really live in true harmony with nature. By essentially living in a way that is akin to "choosing the path of least resistance", we begin to see a natural surrender of ego which innately leads to balanced, enlightened living. Ayurveda not only addresses disease in the body but in the mind as well and offers a multitude of treatment options including diet adjustments, herbal remedies, breath work, yoga asana, sound and color therapy, and even massage. It is known as the sister science of Yoga and has been called "the diet and lifestyle side" of Yoga; Ayurveda is a proactive healing system that allows a person to reach a state known as svastha. This is a Sanskrit word that is translated to mean "established in the self". It can be seen as a process of peeling back the layers to discover the deepest parts of oneself, even a way to truly access the Divine. When you combine Ayurveda and yoga, you have at your disposal a complete medical system that can help prevent and treat the symptoms and causes of every disease. What's more, I believe that the true beauty of Ayurveda lies in its adaptability to all cultures and lifestyles. You really can cater its principles to your own individual needs.
So, what prompted me to pursue the study of this science, and why the blog? Well, I guess the main reason is because I am still in a highly imbalanced state myself. And because I believe so strongly in this science, I want to document my path to health by using its concepts and hopefully also helping others along the way. I am studying to eventually become an Ayurvedic Doctor, and my ultimate dream is to open a wellness center of my own. I figured, what better way to show the power and beauty of Ayurveda than to demonstrate what it can do through myself, even if it means really putting myself out there? So, here I go...
What does "Jivari Journey" mean?
I initially got the idea from my boyfriend who happens to casually play the sitar (lucky me) and has quite a bit of knowledge how these instruments are meant to be tuned and played. For those unfamiliar with what a sitar is, it is a large, long-necked Indian lute (see photo above). The term "jivari", or "jawari" how it's sometimes spelled, is a really interesting concept in Indian classical music:
According to musician Toss Levy: " The name "Jawari" comes from the word "Jiwa" which literally means soul. In Indian music, jawari is used when describing the quality of a tone...Jawari is the process by which the instrument maker or repairer can shape the flat rounded bridge to produce the correct and required sound, not too shrill or too dull, but according to the musician's personal taste and the instruments' requirements."
I love this concept because it immediately resonated with me as an analogy. I see my own body and mind as an instrument, and due to my current state of imbalance, I see my beloved instruments as being out of tune. It is my ultimate goal to restore my ideal "buzzing" vibration, my innate jivari which will allow me to live a life of fullness, of happiness. One where I can hopefully help others find the same peace.
Join me as I deeply dive into the ancient truths of Ayurveda and Yoga! I will use their practices in my own daily life, and I will continue to share and report and how these sacred, ancient practices benefit and heal me. Maybe one of my readers will feel inspired to adopt new lifestyle practices in the realm of Yoga/Ayurveda too! I'm excited to share my love of these sciences through cooking and other various householder recipes, as well as share the sacred practices that I learn from my many teachers. I am certain it will be a bumpy ride and there's a lot of struggles I will go through because I know I have a long way to go, but I feel better knowing that I'm going through them in community and hope.
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