The Foundations of Ayurveda
Ayurveda - Correct.Restore.Thrive
Ayurveda is a complete medical system which recognizes that all wisdom and intelligence comes from God or absolute source (Paramatma). Health manifests by the grace of God, acting through the laws of Nature (Prakriti). Ayurveda assists nature by promoting harmony between the individual and nature by living a life of balance according to her laws.
No aspect of life is disconnected. Nature is our teacher. The laws of nature govern and order our existence. The goal of health will never be realized until the root cause of symptoms, illness, and diseases are addressed. In life, nothing exists in isolation. Likewise, we do not separate the body and its functions from the whole, including the physical body, mind, spirit, and the environment we live in. Much of what we experience, through the mind, body, and soul, are not tangible, but they greatly influence our physical existence. We therefore give equal attention to the tangible physical body as well as the intangilbe, as this is what promotes wholeness. Ayurveda offers us complete knowledge of how to live daily life in harmony with all that surrounds us. Ayurveda is a health-care system. It is also a complete approach to living life well.
The basic principles of Ayurveda never change as they derive from the laws seen in nature and nature is constant, unchanging, and true. It is because of our connection and commonalities with nature that many will find the principles of Ayurvedic health makes sense.
Ayurveda recognizes much of life cannot be studied objectively. Therefore, a more subjective and intuitive knowledge is gained in addition to objective means. Nature's functioning is observed and it's processes are recognized to be intimately connected to that which is going on inside the body.
The Concepts of Ayurveda
Ayurveda believes the five basic elements that are present in all of nature and within us, the pancha mahabhutas. They are ethers, air, fire, water, and earth. They are the basic building blocks in all that lives, controlling function and creation.
The pancha mahabhutas are expressed in the body as three basic humors known as tridoshas (vata, pitta, kapha). The quality and location of the doshas within the body affect the quality of the seven dhatus or tissues of the body as described in Ayurveda. These three govern creation, maintenance and destruction of bodily tissues as well as the assimilation and elimination. Each person is born with a unique combination of these doshas that decides their basic constitution called Prakriti. Understanding of each person's prakriti, along with vikriti (imbalances) and what are going on with the doshas in the body are used to decide ones personal diet and exercise pattern, supplements and medicinal herbs, cleansing and rebuilding therapies that is right for them. Balancing the doshas is amongst the chief methods Ayurveda employs for the maintenance and restoration of health.
Seasonal changes are considered in Ayurveda to effect health and impact the balance of the doshas within the body. When we recognize and respond to the changes, we better maintain homeostasis.
Panchakarma is a process used in Ayurveda that utilizes the body's natural healing intelligence. It is utilized where there is doshic imbalance, weak digestive capacity, and toxins blocking the body's ability to maintain good health. In this process, the body and dhatus are purified and healed from some of the most damaging illnesses and diseases.
Understanding Doshas
The disease process begins when there is an imbalance of the doshas, or the three energies Ayurveda has noted within the body. From the smallest nuisances of life that we accept as normal such as indigestion and fatigue to chronic illnesses such as autoimmune disorders and cancer, all come about through dosha imbalance. It is the aim in Ayurveda to balance the doshas and therefore stop the disease process.
The three doshas are very strong conceptural tools used to explain the pancha mahabhutas and how they combine to control the processes within the human body, mind, and spirit.
The three doshas are vata - governing all movement, pitta - controlling all transformation processes, and kapha - responsible for cohesion, growth, and liquefaction. Without any one of these processes taking place, there would be no human life. When the doshas are not in balance, illness and disease begins. Most of the physical ascribed to the nervous system by modern physiology can be identified with Vata.
The entire chemical process operating in the human body can be attributed to Pitta, including enzymes, hormones and the complete nutritional system. And the activities of the skeletal, the anabolic system, and the entire physical volume of an organism, can be considered as Kapha.
Vata is considered the seat of all the other doshas, responsible for all the processes of the body. Vata is therefore taken care of with great attention. When vata goes out of balance, the other doshas tend to get aggravated. Vata is always treated first. When vata calms, the other doshas tend to come back into balance naturally. Some things that aggravate vata are the things that have the same qualities of vata such as airy and light foods and weather because vata has the panchamahabhutas of air and ethers or space. Remember, like attracts like and the opposite brings balance. Warmth comforts cold vata. Pitta is already fiery, therefore cooler qualities keep pitta from getting too high as seen in acne and "hangry" symptoms. Kapha has qualities of being heavy and oily, so lighter foods with less oil will nourish kapha dosha. Read on to the Treatments of Ayurveda to find out how Ayurveda goes about looking at disease.