Ayurveda developed significantly during the Vedic period in India. The term "Ayurveda" translates to "knowledge of life" and uses lifestyle interventions, natural therapies and treatments such as internal purification, special diets, herbal remedies, massage, yoga and meditation to restore balance between body, mind and spirit.
In Ayurveda, body, mind and consciousness work together to maintain balance. They are seen as different facets of one's being. Learning to balance body, mind and consciousness requires an understanding of how vata, pitta and kapha work together (vata is the subtle energy of movement, pitta the energy of digestion and metabolism, and kapha the energy that forms the body structure).
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, the entire cosmos is an interaction of the energies of the five great elements. Space, air, fire, water and earth. Vata, pitta and kapha are combinations and permutations of these five elements that manifest as patterns present throughout creation.
