Ayurveda, the ancient science of life, health and longevity; Ayur—what? Vishnu Dass explores the basics of this rediscovered healing system

New Life Journal, Feb-March, 2002 by Vishnu Dass

The ancient science of Ayurveda is one of the oldest systems of health care in the world. Often called the mother of all healing, it originated in India over 5000 years ago and was taught for thousands of years from accomplished masters to their disciples. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means the "science of life." Life is the integration of body, mind, and consciousness. The purpose of Ayurveda is to heal, to maintain a high quality of life, and to in-crease the longevity of the individual. It is a holistic clinical science as well as an art of daily living that has evolved from practical, philosophical, and spiritual insight.

Ayurveda places great emphasis on prevention and encourages the maintenance of health through right thinking, proper diet and lifestyle, as well as the use of herbs and other therapies. Ayurveda is a science of self-understanding. By understanding our own unique constitution, we can begin to understand how we interact with our environ-ment and thus make choices that will lead us toward greater health. Ayurveda defines disease as the natural end result of living out of harmony with our constitution. Since we are all unique individuals, the path to optimal health is different for each person depending upon his or her constitution.

The individual's constitution or prakruti is determined at the time of conception as a particular pattern of energy (and genetic code). Many factors, both internal and external, can disturb this balance and bring about changes in the constitution that may lead to disorders and disease. Some of these factors include emotional and physical stresses, improper food combinations and choices, seasonal and weather changes, physical trauma, and work and family relationships. Once we understand how these factors affect us on a constitutional level, we can take appropriate actions to minimize or nullify their effects and eliminate the causes of imbalance.

The science of understanding our constitution is the science of tridosha. Tridosha defines the three fundamental doshas or principles that govern the function of our bodies on the physical, mental and emotional levels. These three energies are known as vata, pitta, and kapha. Each individual has a unique balance of all three of these ener-gies. Body, mind, and consciousness work together in maintaining harmony. They are different aspects of our being. To learn how to balance them requires an understanding of how vata, pitta, and kapha work together.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, the whole cosmos is an interplay of the energies of the five great elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Vata, pitta, and kapha are combinations of these five elements that manifest as patterns present in all creation. Vata, mainly composed of Space and Air, is the principle of movement. Pitta, principally made up of Fire and Water, is the fire component that transforms food into energy. Kapha, mainly a combination of Water and Earth, is the cementing, constructing matter of the body.

Vata is very much like the wind; it is light, cool, dry and mobile. People with a vata nature experience more of these quali-ties. Their bodies tend to be light, their bones thin and their skin and hair dry. They of-ten move and speak quickly. When out of balance, they may lose weight, become con-stipated, and have weakness in their immune and nervous systems. These qualities are also reflected in their personality. They tend to be talkative, enthusiastic, creative, flexible, and energetic. Yet, when out of balance, they may become easily con-fused and overwhelmed, have difficulty focusing and mak-ing deci-sions, and have trouble sleeping.

Pitta tends to be hot, sharp, and penetrating. This dosha is also somewhat volatile and oily. People with a pitta nature reflect these qualities. They tend to feel warm, have somewhat oily skin, penetrating eyes, and sharp features. They tend to have moderate weight and good musculature. When out of balance, they tend toward diarrhea, infections, skin rashes, and weakness in the liver, spleen and blood. They tend to be highly focused, competitive, capable, courageous, ener-getic, and clear communicators who get right to the point. They can however become overly intense and speak with a sharp tongue.

Kapha is the en-ergy that forms the body's structure and provides the co-hesion that holds the cells together. Kapha supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin, and maintains immunity. Kapha tends to be cool, moist, stable, and heavy. In the body, these qualities manifest as dense, heavy bones, lustrous, supple skin, low metabo-lism and large, stocky frames. In addition, those with a kapha nature tend to feel cool. When out of balance, kapha individuals are prone to gaining weight and tend to accumulate mucous. The heavy, stable nature of kapha reflects in a stable per-sonality, which is not prone to quick fluctuations. Kapha people don't like change, are generally conservative, preferring to keep things just the way they are. When kapha is out of balance, depression and lethargy may result.