An ancient practice of medicine, over 5,000 years old, Ayurveda connects the imbalances in the body to explain one pattern or dysfunction, rather than taking each ailment one by one and treating the body as if it were just parts. Just as Yoga translates to “Union” and the practice is mainly in the spiritual realm, Ayurveda translates to “the Science of Life” and mainly deals the the health and disease of the body.
Ayurveda defines disease as the imbalance of the doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), or energetic forces of the body and mind. The body understands qualities, like light, soft, rough, hot, sharp. The body does not necessarily differentiate between two things of the exact same quality, for example, chips and popcorn are both light and rough. If the rough quality is out of balance in your body, then it makes sense to decrease the input of rough foods and environmental factors.
Every process in the body can be explained by the greater forces of nature that exist in the macrocosm of which we are the microcosm.
The Five Great Elements
Earth – the solid state of matter; stability, rigidity
Water – the liquid state of matter; lacking stability
Fire – one that is capable of converting solid to liquid to gas; transformation, a form without substance
Air – the gaseous state of matter; mobility, lacking form
Space (“ether”) – the field in which it all takes place; no physical existence, the distance that separates matter
Each dosha carries with it specific qualities:
Vata – dry, light, cold, subtle, rough, mobile, clear
Pitta – oily, sharp, hot, light, spreading, liquid
Kapha – heavy, dull, cold, oily, slimy, soft, dense, sticky, moist, stable
Your primary dosha (everyone has all three doshas) will be the first one to go out of balance, so it is critical to keep this dosha in check. The first step then is to know your prakruti (constitution) versus your vikruti (current state of health). Vata imbalance is the most common and represents 80-90% of all disease. Some symptoms of vata aggravation are: insomnia, anxiety, monkey mind, fear, nervousness, muscle spasm, gas and bloating. There are many tests you can take online to find out your prakruti, but the most accurate way is to have an Ayurvedic physician or practitioner learn about your life and assess the tongue and pulse.
Ayurveda defines disease as the imbalance of the doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), or energetic forces of the body and mind. The body understands qualities, like light, soft, rough, hot, sharp. The body does not necessarily differentiate between two things of the exact same quality, for example, chips and popcorn are both light and rough. If the rough quality is out of balance in your body, then it makes sense to decrease the input of rough foods and environmental factors.
Every process in the body can be explained by the greater forces of nature that exist in the macrocosm of which we are the microcosm.
The Five Great Elements
Earth – the solid state of matter; stability, rigidity
Water – the liquid state of matter; lacking stability
Fire – one that is capable of converting solid to liquid to gas; transformation, a form without substance
Air – the gaseous state of matter; mobility, lacking form
Space (“ether”) – the field in which it all takes place; no physical existence, the distance that separates matter
Each dosha carries with it specific qualities:
Vata – dry, light, cold, subtle, rough, mobile, clear
Pitta – oily, sharp, hot, light, spreading, liquid
Kapha – heavy, dull, cold, oily, slimy, soft, dense, sticky, moist, stable
Your primary dosha (everyone has all three doshas) will be the first one to go out of balance, so it is critical to keep this dosha in check. The first step then is to know your prakruti (constitution) versus your vikruti (current state of health). Vata imbalance is the most common and represents 80-90% of all disease. Some symptoms of vata aggravation are: insomnia, anxiety, monkey mind, fear, nervousness, muscle spasm, gas and bloating. There are many tests you can take online to find out your prakruti, but the most accurate way is to have an Ayurvedic physician or practitioner learn about your life and assess the tongue and pulse.
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