|  Introduction
to Ayurveda and Yoga
Scott Blossom
Stemming from the same Vedic cultural and philosophical roots
of India, the sister sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda have evolved
side by side for millennia, mutually supporting each other
for the realization of health and spiritual growth. Ayurveda
is one of the most ancient systems of traditional medicine
still in practice today. It provides the medical and lifestyle
guidance to live in harmony with Nature, while Hatha Yoga
views this harmony as the foundation for spiritual practice.
Ayurveda views the physical body as being composed of five
primary elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether or empty
space. These elements are expressed in the physical body as
qualities of stability/support (earth); feeling/fluidity (water);
heat and metabolism (fire); respiration and circulation (air);
and space and lightness (ether). The proportion of these elements
within and around us profoundly influences how we experience
our physical, psychological, and spiritual selves. By understanding
the basic principles of Ayurveda, workshop participants will
develop an individualized approach to yoga asanas, pranayama,
and meditation, based on knowledge of the unique nature of
a person’s body-mind make-up.
| Scott
Blossom, LAc, is a certified yoga therapist
as well as a doctor of Chinese medicine. For the
past 12 years he has studied the relationship
between various concepts of healing and balance,
specifically yoga, Western physiological approaches,
and classical Eastern concepts. Scott has studied
yoga extensively with Erich Schiffmann, Dr. Robert
Svoboda, and Shandor Remete, among other teachers.
He is a faculty member at the Kripalu Center,
the Integrative Yoga Therapy Teacher Training
Program, and the Santa Barbara Yoga Center Teacher
Training. He is the founder and president of Healing
Opportunities, a nonprofit organization committed
to integrative medicine.
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