Thousands of years ago in India, a medical system called ayurveda was revealed to the people in the sacred scripture Vedas.

According to ayurveda, everything in the universe, including ourselves, is a manifestation of the elements of space (air, fire, water and earth) and these are responsible for everything we hear, touch, see, taste and smell.

These elements are said to live within us in varying proportions and are classified into three groups called dochas. The docha called vata is space and air, pitta is fire and water and kapha is water and earth.

When these dochas become out of balance with each other, ayurvedic teachings say this can cause problems with our health.

Orna Canavan has recently moved to Hove after training as an ayurvedic therapist and has now launched her own practice in Cowper Street. Ayurveda can help with all kinds of problems, including premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, depression, anxiety and constipation.

Through a consultation, Orna determines whether you are a vata, pitta or kapha person. A vata person is likely to be creative, a pitta person is likely to be well-organised and a kapha person is loyal and caring.

A consultation will discuss your complaints, medical history, family and working life, lifestyle and digestion.

Orna will consider your digestion in depth. She explains food which is undigested and causes toxins can cause problems in any part of the body. How the problems manifest themselves depends on how much of a vata, pitta or kapha person you are.

For example, pitta people can suffer more problems with diarrhoea, vata people are susceptible to constipation and kapha people are prone to obesity.

With the information gathered, Orna prescribes a diet and lifestyle to create balance.

For a pitta imbalance, for example, she may suggest you cut out foods which ayurveda associates with heat, such as beef, root vegetables, tomatoes and citrus fruit, and eat more white fish, milk, broccoli, asparagus and rice. The diet is followed for 45 days.

A shirodhara is considered one of the most powerful of all the ancient ayurvedic treatments. It involves the therapist gently and methodically pouring warm herbal oil over the forehead and third eye, which is in the centre of the forehead. It aims to relax, co-ordinate and calm the mind, body and spirit.

"It works on a spiritual level and maintains psychological well-being," says Orna. "It's really good for any disorder of the mind. It can deepen one's intuition."

Orna will also give advice on habits to avoid and activities to include in your daily routine. A marma (places throughout the body where nerves, blood vessels, muscles, ligaments, joints and bones unite) massage can accompany the diet.

The full-body massage, using therapeutic oil, stimulates marma points and encourages the movement of vata to enable the body to come back into harmony, detoxify and function normally.

Orna says: "The massage is balancing and detoxifying on quite a deep level. Some people can feel emotional for a couple of hours."

Prices start from £30 for a diet and lifestyle consultation to £105 for the consultation, massage and shirodhara.

Gift vouchers are available. Call 01273 722895 or 07884 448856 or log on to ocanavan@yahoo.co.uk