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Ayurveda Glossary: 30 Terms Every First-Time Patient Should Know
30 essential Ayurvedic terms explained in plain language, so you can walk into your first consultation understanding what your physician is telling you.
Published August 2, 2026·Updated August 2, 2026·9 min read
Ayurvedic consultations use a lot of Sanskrit terminology that can make even a straightforward conversation with your physician feel confusing. This glossary covers the 30 terms that come up most often across this site and in a typical clinic consultation, organized by category so you can find what you need quickly.
Key Takeaways
The three doshas — Vata, Pitta, Kapha — are the foundation nearly every other term builds on.
Agni (digestive fire) and Ama (accumulated toxins) are the two concepts behind most Ayurvedic explanations of illness.
Bookmark this page — most patients find themselves referring back to it throughout their treatment program.
Foundational Concepts
Dosha — one of three biological energies (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) that determine individual constitution and function.
Prakriti — your natural, birth constitution; considered fixed for life.
Vikriti — your current state of doshic imbalance, which shifts with diet, stress, and season.
Agni — digestive fire; the body's capacity to metabolize food and experience, considered central to health.
Ama — accumulated toxins resulting from impaired digestion; a root cause of illness in Ayurvedic theory.
Dhatu — the seven bodily tissues (including Artava Dhatu, reproductive tissue, referenced in conditions like PCOS).
The Three Doshas
Vata — governs movement: circulation, nerve function, elimination. Linked to anxiety and joint pain when imbalanced.
Pitta — governs transformation: digestion, metabolism, body temperature. Linked to inflammation and irritability when imbalanced.
Kapha — governs structure: tissue, immunity, lubrication. Linked to sluggishness and congestion when imbalanced.
Panchakarma Procedures
Panchakarma — literally 'five actions'; a structured, physician-supervised sequence of cleansing procedures.
Purvakarma — the preparation phase before core Panchakarma procedures, including Snehana and Swedana.
Snehana — oleation (internal and external oil application) used to loosen toxins before elimination procedures.
Swedana — sudation (herbal steam therapy) used alongside Snehana to further mobilize toxins.
Vamana — therapeutic emesis; one of the five classical Panchakarma actions, used selectively.
Virechana — therapeutic purgation, used particularly for Pitta-related conditions.
Basti — medicated enema; considered the primary treatment for Vata disorders in classical Ayurveda.
Nasya — administration of medicated oil or powder through the nostrils, used for head and nervous system conditions.
Raktamokshana — therapeutic bloodletting; rarely used in modern practice, only in specific classical indications.
Common Therapies
Abhyanga — full-body warm oil massage using dosha-specific oil and rhythmic technique.
Shirodhara — continuous stream of warm oil poured over the forehead, used for stress and nervous system conditions.
Njavarakizhi — rhythmic massage using warm boluses of medicated rice, used for joint pain and tissue nourishment.
Kati Basti — warm medicated oil pooled over the lower back, the signature therapy for back pain.
Udvartana — herbal powder massage used to stimulate metabolism and reduce Kapha.
Pizhichil — a therapy combining continuous warm oil pouring with gentle massage, used for rejuvenation and Vata disorders.
Diagnosis and Lifestyle
Nadi Pariksha — pulse diagnosis, a core diagnostic method used by Ayurvedic physicians to assess dosha and imbalance.
Dinacharya — daily routine, considered a foundational practice for maintaining doshic balance.
Ritucharya — seasonal routine, adjusting diet and lifestyle recommendations by season.
Rasayana — rejuvenative therapy or formulations used to consolidate and sustain treatment benefits.
Viruddha Ahara — incompatible food combinations, considered to impair digestion and contribute to Ama.
Kayachikitsa — the branch of Ayurveda dealing with internal medicine.
Rasa Shastra — the branch of Ayurvedic pharmacology dealing with herbal-mineral formulations; requires careful regulated sourcing.
Sandhivata — the Ayurvedic term closest to osteoarthritis; joint pain from Vata imbalance.
Aamavata — joint pain with swelling and systemic involvement, closest to rheumatoid arthritis presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — a good physician will explain terms as they come up. This glossary is meant as a reference to make those conversations easier to follow, not a prerequisite.
Many concepts (like Agni or Ama) don't have a precise single-word English equivalent, so the original Sanskrit terms are generally retained even in English-language consultations and literature.
No — Abhyanga is a specific massage therapy, often used within a Panchakarma program, but Panchakarma refers to the broader five-action cleansing protocol as a whole.
Prakriti is your fixed, birth constitution; Vikriti is your current, shifting state of imbalance. Treatment is generally aimed at bringing Vikriti back in line with your natural Prakriti.
It covers the 30 terms most relevant to a first-time patient's experience — Ayurveda has a much larger technical vocabulary used in formal medical training, but this list should cover what comes up in a typical consultation and treatment program.
