An Ancient Sanskrit Sutra: The Ayurvedic Concept of
Health:
"Sama dosa samagnis ca
Sama dhatumalakriyah
Prasannatmendriyamanah
Svasastha ityabhidiyate"
From Susruta Samhita Sutrasthanam 15.38, an ancient Ayurvedic text from around 500 A.D.
"He, being established in Self, who has balanced doshas (the governing principles of physiology)
Balanced agni (healthy appetite and digestion)
Properly formed dhatus (tissues), proper elimination of malas (wastes)
Proper functioning kriyas (bodily processes)
And whose manah (mind), atman (soul), and indriya (senses) are full of bliss
is known as a healthy person."
Ayurveda:
Ayurveda, practiced in India for the past 5,000 years, is a comprehensive system of holistic healing that focuses on harmony of body, mind and consciousness. With prefix ayur meaning life and root veda meaning science or knowledge, the term is literally translated as the "Science of Life." Ayurveda seeks to understand and correct imbalances and to restore the innate intelligence and harmony of the person. It gives us the insight to understand ourselves and to create balance within and around us.
At the root of this healing art is the concept of prakruti, an individual’s unique constitution determined at the moment of conception, which is fixed for the duration of one’s life. One’s prakruti is the specific combination of three basic types of energy or functional principles which are present in everybody and everything. There are no single words in English to describe these types of energy, so we use the Sanskrit words vata, pitta and kapha. The proportion in which these energies express themselves in one’s physiology and personality is one’s prakruti. It is the blueprint that reflects one’s innate tendencies.
Prakruti - Genetic Constitution of the Individual:
Determining an individual’s prakruti is the first essential step an Ayurvedic practitioner must take; this is the cornerstone for understanding the client and for all subsequent recommendations for restoring well being.
All three energies are present in varying degrees in everyone, but one or two usually predominate.
Vata - A predominantly vata person is blessed with a quick clear mind, mental flexibility, intuition, creativity and enthusiasm. They have excellent imaginations and excel at coming up with new ideas. Physically, vatas are slender, have prominent features, and cool, dry skin.
Pitta - The pitta type of personality is articulate, passionate, insightful, alert and intelligent. They love knowledge and have a great capacity for organization and leadership, leaning towards noble professions. They tend to have a medium athletic build, with warm oily skin.
Kapha - kapha individuals are characterized by a strong, healthy, well developed body with soft, cool, moist skin. They tend to be loving, compassionate, affectionate, tolerant and forgiving in nature. They are stable and faithful and move slowly and gracefully.
Vata, Pitta, and Kapha - The Three Constitutions of an Individual:
Each of these three energies is formed from the combination of two elements. The five elements Ayurveda discusses are ether, air, fire, water and earth. Vata is formed from the combination of ether and air, pitta from fire and water, and kapha from water and earth. The five elements govern the physical structure of the body, while the three doshas govern the functional aspect of the body.
Vata is responsible for all movement, the physical movement of body parts, mental movement of the mind in the form of thoughts, feelings and emotions, and the process of respiration.
Pitta is responsible for digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. It also digests thoughts and feelings and transforms them into understanding, comprehension and perception.
Kapha functions to provide the body with structure, stability, support and strength. It aids in the retention of memory, lubrication of joints, and repair of body parts.
Each of these doshas has its home site in the gastrointestinal tract: vata in the colon, pitta in the small intestine and kapha in the stomach. In addition, vata is located in the pelvic cavity, bones, skin, ears, and thighs. Pitta is also found in the stomach, sweat glands, blood, skin, and eyes. Kapha also resides in the chest, lungs, joints, and spinal fluid.
Vikruti - Imbalance in the Body:
When these energies go out of balance, then disorder results. Health is order, disease is disorder. Vikruti is the present altered state of the energies which must be addressed. The purpose of all Ayurvedic treatment is to balance one’s prakruti and vikruti so the energies are in harmony. Five factors that cause aggravation are: diet, lifestyle, emotions, exercise (including too much, too little, or the wrong kind), and external influences of the seasons, weather, or trauma. However, diet is the principal cause of most disorders, and therefore, one of the primary methods of remedying a condition.
Vata - Unbalanced vata can result in hyperactivity, restlessness, anxiety, insecurity, fear, doubt, nervousness, insomnia, spaciness, dizziness or ungroundedness. Physical manifestations are constipation, bloating, abdominal distension, gases, dehydration and emaciation, to name a few.
Pitta - When pitta is disturbed, it manifests as anger, rage, irritability, frustration, impatience, jealousy, violence, and being critical or judgmental. Physically, pitta can cause diarrhea, nausea, acid indigestion, skin disturbances such as hives, rash, urticaria, increased perspiration, bleeding tendencies, inflammation, infection, and increased body heat.
Kapha - Disturbed kapha dosha is revealed through attachment, greed, depression and trouble letting go. It results in cold, congestion, weight gain, heaviness, shortness of breath, water retention, edema, and solidification of tumors, fibroids and lumps.
Healing Techniques - Balancing the Doshas while
Relieving the Signs of Imbalance and Root Cause:
Ayurvedic healing techniques entail a comprehensive personalized approach to balancing the doshas through diet and lifestyle that is tailored to each individual. Thus, what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Instead of emphasizing treatment of acute conditions, the strength of Western medicine, Ayurveda focuses on chronic disorders. By teaching the individual how to manage diet and lifestyle, it takes a preventive approach instead of waiting to deal with illness after it has already manifested. This may involve exercise, yoga, pranayama, meditation, dietary changes, fasting, oliation through massage, sweat baths, herbal nasal remedies, purgative therapies, herbal enemas and herbal tonics.
The beneficial effects of botanical substances or herbs has been vastly undervalued in the West despite their continuous use over the centuries in the East. Ayurveda has a rich heritage of hundreds of herbs that work in harmony with the body’s innate intelligence. Herbal formulas can specifically address an individual’s prakruti, vikruti, and symptamatology. They are natural substances that can be taken long-term without side-effects.
Ayurvedic methods of restoring health involve cleansing (shodhana), palliation (shamana) and
rejuvenation (rasayana).
Shodana (cleansing): There is a strong emphasis on detoxification which is rooted in the idea that toxins are the cause of most disorders and their early detection and elimination can prevent disorders from occurring. This method of cleansing involves therapies such as herbal enemas (basti), purgation (virechan), blood purification (rakta-moksha) and nasal administration of herbal oils (nasya).
Shamana (Palliation): Palliation balances and pacifies the doshas by incorporating herbs, fasting, yoga, breathing exercises (pranayama), and meditation. This works on a more spiritual dimension of healing.
Rasayana (Revitalization): Rejuvenation or tonification is where the body’s inherent ability to function is enhanced through special herbs, mineral preparations, and exercises resulting in increased vibrancy. Rasayana rejuvenates both body and mind and nourishes the spirit promoting both joy and tranquility.
Thus, Ayurveda is a modality that utilizes a number of techniques in order to remedy disorders and lead the individual towards increasing levels of well-being. The Ayurvedic practitioner must be a skillful guide who reduces toxins, balances the doshas, achieves harmony between body/mind/spirit and empowers the client to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Links to Ayurvedic Web Sites:
The Ayurvedic Institute:
http://www.ayurveda.com
11311 Menaul NE, Albuquerque NM 87112 USA. Ph: 505-291-9698
Directed by Dr. Vasant Lad, renowned Ayurvedic teacher and author (Ayurveda, the Science of Self-Healing etc.).
Courses, seminars, India programs, books, products, treatment, excellent overall resource center. The most complete Ayurveda program in the USA.
National Ayurvedic Medicine Association:
http://www.ayurveda-nama.org
Excellent national organization on Ayurveda for practitioners and for licensing issues with strong membership on the West Coast. Acknowledged by the Ayurvedic Institute (Dr. Vasant Lad) and the Las Vegas Institute of Ayurveda. Pioneering Ayurvedic educational principles and Ayurvedic standards.
