Ayurveda first caught my attention during my training in yoga-based therapeutic work—and if I’m being honest, I was ready to side-eye it a little.

The moment someone started talking about compositions of—earth, fire, water, air—the very Western part of me was like, “Okayyyyy… We started strong but you lost me at elements…..”

Fortunately for me I live in a constant state of conflict (Lol) and my inner hippie staged a quiet sit-in and refused to leave until it got more information.

Good thing it did.

Because once you move past the unfamiliar language, what’s underneath is actually incredibly grounded. What I thought might be interesting in theory—but not very practical—ended up giving real structure to patterns I was already seeing in actual people and in myself.

I was wrong. (if you ask my teenager she’d tell you it happens frequently).

During intake for these sessions, we’re always working to understand a client’s baseline—not just what’s showing up, but why. Looking at dosha gives us a wider lens. It helps connect the dots between lifestyle, stress, physical symptoms, and the way someone tends to move through the world.

Not as a label, but more of a map.

I’ve been hooked ever since and my clients appreciate the added perspective.

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So… what is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine that looks at health through patterns, not just symptoms.

Instead of asking:

“What’s wrong?”

It asks:

“What’s out of balance?”

It’s less about fixing a problem…
and more about understanding how your body tends to operate.

The simplest way to understand it

Ayurveda organizes the body into three main patterns (called doshas).

Think of them less like labels…
and more like tendencies.

Vata → The “Go-Go-Go” Energy

Vata is all about movement.

• Fast thinker
• Creative
• Easily overstimulated
• Tends toward anxiety or restlessness

Body-wise:

• Dry skin
• Cold hands/feet
• Irregular digestion
• Light sleeper

When Vata is balanced: inspired, adaptable, clear
When it’s off: scattered, overwhelmed, exhausted but wired

Pitta → The “Get-It-Done” Energy

Pitta is about transformation and intensity.

• Focused
• Driven
• Efficient
• Slightly (or not so slightly) competitive

Body-wise:

• Runs warm
• Strong digestion
• Can be prone to inflammation

When it’s balanced it’s: sharp, productive, confident
When it’s off: irritable, impatient, burned out

Kapha → The “Steady & Grounded” Energy

Kapha is about structure and stability.

• Calm
• Loyal
• Grounded
• Slow to change (but deeply consistent)

Body-wise:

• Strong build
• Tends toward fluid retention
• Slower metabolism

When balanced: stable, nurturing, resilient
When off: sluggish, heavy, stuck

Important note:

You are not just one thing.

Most people are a blend—and your state can shift based on:

• stress
• sleep
• seasons
• time of day
• life (…all of it)

So this isn’t about putting you within the concrete walls of a box.

It’s about noticing patterns.

Curious about your Dosha? Click here to take a little test to find out!

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What this looks like in real life…

Instead of:

“Why do I feel like this?”

You start to notice:

• “I’ve been moving nonstop → no wonder I feel scattered” (hello, Vata)
• “I’ve been pushing hard → I’m getting irritable” (hi, Pitta)
• “I haven’t been moving much → everything feels heavy” (Holla Kapha!)

I tend to be of the mindset that awareness creates choice.

Once you see the pattern…
you can respond differently.

And this is why I LOVE AYURVEDA.

It isn’t asking you to:

• wake up at 4am
• drink mysterious herbal tonics
• or become someone who owns 14 copper cups and crystals to ward off bad energy.

(It’s okay if you do. Just not required.)

It’s a lifestyle… and the goal is balance.

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Umm.. what does creating balance look like?

It’s really quite simple. The formula is essentially developing the skill of mindfulness. Cultivating an awareness of what you’re feeling and then implementing more of the opposite.

For example, if you feel:

• scattered → add grounding
• overheated → add cooling
• stuck → add movement

That’s it.

Simple.
Not always easy—but definitely simple.

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How This Informs Your Support

When we bring this into practices like:

• cupping
• massage
• breathwork
• therapeutic yoga practices
• oils
• music
• etc…

…it helps inform how we work with the body.

Not just:

“These are my symptoms. Let’s fix it. What technique do we use?”

But:

“What is out of balance? What tools do we have to bring the body and mind back into balance? What does this body need right now?”

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Final Thoughts: Make the Patterns Make Sense

At the end of the day, Ayurveda isn’t asking you to become someone new.

It’s asking you to pay attention differently to who you are today.

It helps you notice:

• what your body and mind tends to do under stress
• how you respond to pace, pressure, and environment (like seasons and times of day)
• and why certain patterns keep showing up no matter how many times you “fix” them

Once again… Awareness creates choice.

And that’s where real change starts.

Curious about your Dosha? Click here to find out yours. Leave a comment below with what you find out!

Ready to go deeper?

If you’re feeling:

• stuck in cycles that don’t fully resolve
• overwhelmed by conflicting wellness advice
• or just ready for a more personalized, grounded approach

This is exactly where Integrative Wellness Coaching comes in.

In these sessions, we look at:

• your baseline patterns (including dosha, lifestyle, and nervous system tendencies)
• how your body is currently responding to stress and environment
• and what actually makes sense for you moving forward

It’s an additional perspective to help you understand your body and respond accordingly.

My Approach

As a:

• Licensed Massage Therapist
• Advanced Certified Yoga Instructor
• Somatic Practitioner (Somatic Experiencing–informed)
• Meditation Specialist

…I bring together both Eastern frameworks and Western understanding to help you:

• regulate your nervous system
• understand your patterns
• and build sustainable, real-life practices that actually stick

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Let’s Work Together

If you’re ready to:
understand your body in a different way
create more consistency in how you feel
and be provided tools to help you forward with clarity instead of confusion

Book an Integrative Wellness Coaching session.