Ayurveda Psychology: Yogic Mind/Body Medicine

Ayurveda’s guiding principle is that the mind exerts the deepest influence on the body, and in order to be free of sickness we must bring first bring our mental awareness into balance, and then extend that balance to the body. Modern science has seen the same to be true as the influence of stress is often the main cause of most of our chronic physical ailments.

Part 1: Ayurvedic Psychology -

This class examines the psychological aspects of Ayurveda, which is probably the most important but least understood aspect of this great science. We will embark upon a great inner adventure and discover the nature of the natural forces working within our mind from the Ayurvedic perspective and their relationship to the body, mind and spirit.

Topics:

1) Vedic Cosmology - Human soul as pure awareness, not limited to the mind
2) Duality, Maya, Shiva, Shakti, Trinity
3) Yoga as a science of self-realization, our true nature beyond time and space.
4) Significance of past lives (karma) on current psychology & Epigentics
5) Ayurvedic Psychological Types – Vata Pitta Kapha
6) Unfolding our higher evolutionary potential through Prana, Tejas and  Ojas
7) Balancing the mind through the three Gunas therapy – Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva
8) Developing Pure Sattva (clarity) in the mind

Part 2: Yoga and Ayurveda Psychology  -

Yoga psychology understands that the there is nothing more difficult to control than the mind. Human life is primarily a struggle to still the mind.  If we can do this, we have accomplished the most difficult thing in the entire universe. Inability to control the mind causes sorrow and is behind all our physical and mental suffering and psychological disorders. In this section we will become acquainted with the different aspects of the mind, as described in Ayurvedic psychology.

1) Getting to know the mind and corresponding elements
2) The Energetics of Consciousness - the five levels of the Mind
- Moksha - Higher Mind not limited by Time and Space  
- Chitta - Conditioned Consciousness
- Budhi- Intelligent and Conscious mind
- Manas - The Outer Mind: Field of Senses and Emotions
- Ahamkara - Ego and Self – The quest for Identity – Who am I?

Part 3: Yoga and Ayurveda Psychological Healing Therapies

Although many of us are concerned with what we are feeding our body, we often overlook how we feed our minds. The mind needs proper nourishment and detoxifying just as much as the body to function properly otherwise it becomes distorted. In this section we will focus on the various Yogic therapies to heal the psychological imbalances of the mind, as well as for spiritual development.

1) Harmonizing Vata, Pitta and Kapha in the mind
2) Nutrition for the Mind: Intake of the appropriate impressions for our doshic constitution
3) Eliminating toxins from the mind
4) Subtle therapies – Colors, Gems and Aromatherapy
5) Mantra therapy
6) Spiritual Therapies – Bhakti Yoga
7) Dharmic Living – Yama and Niyama
8) Meditation – transformation of Consciousness
9) Chakras and the evolution of Consciousness
10) Pranayama - Yogic breath-work to balance the mind
11) Self Marma therapy - Gently stimulating the junction points connecting thousands of vibrational channels, or nadis, in the body where concentrated life force energy is located.