How is Ayurveda and Yoga Related?

Ayurveda and Yoga, are both considered as gifts to the modern world created by the ancient Indian sages and scholars as a means of treating illnesses and promoting a healthy mind and body. These are two concepts that can be practised separately but have the same goal and the same approach in healing. Hence, a deeper dive into the subject reveals how inseparably intertwined both are in terms of origin, practice and effectiveness. In other words, if Ayurveda is the medicine for the Yogic, then Yoga is the way forward in Ayurveda.

Here are some other interesting similarities and differences between Ayurveda and Yoga.

Physical Health First: Both Ayurveda and Yoga give emphasis on the importance of maintaining a healthy physical body in order to attain a balanced and harmonious mental and spiritual state. Both educate us that if the body is unwell or is suffering from diseases, it becomes unable to experience perfect balance or harmony within. Wellness can only be found when the mental, emotional and spiritual balance of the body is restored.

Identification of the Body Nature: As a first step towards healing and Wellness, Ayurvedic practitioners make a lifestyle sketch of the patient to understand the nature of the body and the number of toxins or unhealthy habits it has been exposed to. Post this preliminary sketch, introductory treatment routines also help Ayurvedic experts understand the body better based on its reactions to various treatments. Collectively, this process in Ayurveda is called the Identification of the Body Nature. This is the information that helps Ayurveda doctors prescribe the correct treatment processes and set lifestyle regimes that will bring the body to experiencing wellness at the earliest. In Yoga, the information on the Body Nature is crucial to identify the kind of asanas or yogic practices that will help the body the most. Based on a person’s biorhythms and circadian cycles, seasoned yoga instructors will be able to suggest the most effective asanas, meditations or cleansing techniques for the person.

Detoxification: Both in Ayurveda and Yoga, there has been much discussion about the need to detoxify the body naturally in regular intervals of time. In Ayurveda, the process is named Panchakarma and involves the five procedures of cleansing, namely Nasya, Anuvasanavasti, Niroohavasti, Virechana and Vamana. In Yoga the process of detoxification is called Shat Karma, meaning six actions of purifications and these are namely, Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Trataka, Nauli and Kapalbhati. Both processes aim at removing impurities or toxins from the body and curing some illnesses as well.

Medicinal vs Spiritual: One of the most obvious points of difference between the two practices is the medium of execution. While Ayurveda uses the resources from nature like the plants, flowers, roots, stone, fragrances, water etc. to provide treatments, Yoga uses only the body and its power to perform asanas, meditate and create certain sounds, to provide balance to mind and body. In other words, Ayurveda is more medicinal in its approach while Yoga is more spiritual.