Understanding Ayurveda
To understand Ayurveda, one must understand the concept of the three doshas. The three doshas are known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each of these doshas are composed of a grouping of elements from the five elements of nature.
Each individual has a combination of a certain amount of each doshas in their physical and mental functioning. Some individuals may exhibit one or two of these doshas predominantly, but even so, each person has a certain amount of each.
The individual constitution is known as prakruti, and there are seven types, which are made up of percentages of each dosha.
Now, your prakruti is with you your whole life, but the energy behind the doshas can become out of balance and cause the ayurvedic definition of disease. This is known as vikruti and it is the nature at which the doshas are out of balance. The doshas can become out of balance by several factors combined, including the environment, diet, state of mind and more.
The doshas manifest physically in different ways and affect different systems. Each dosha is made up 5 sub-doshas. Each of these sub dosha has a specific function within the various systems which make up the human body. To get an idea of which systems a specific dosha would affect, you would look at the qualities of the system. For example, digestion is similar to combustion, in that matter is converted from one state to another while releasing energy. Fire is the energy behind combustion. Pita, containing the Fire element is responsible for digestive processes.
The doshas can also be used to represent the everyday world. From what you eat to your environment, your daily routines and how you relax can be categorized into Vata, Pita and Kapha.
There is a idea that too much of anything is not a good thing. Same holds true with the doshas. When we are overexposed to certain things, a dosha can become vitiating. For example, Vata, containing Air and Ether elements is very dry. There are environments which are high in the mountains, cold and very dry. This would be considered a Vata environment. Vata is known hard (mountains), Cold (temperature) and Dry (lack of moisture). People who are predominately Vata would have problems acclimating to such environments, and could be prone to Vata type imbalances like dry skin.
The imbalance is known as vikruiti and can be predominately one dosha or a combination of the three in different degrees.
It is important to learn which of these are out of balance to understand the proper way of creating a program for balance. Some factors which cause imbalance, such as the environment, may not be easy to change. You may live in an area that shows the qualities of a particular dosha in excess and can’t easily move out of the area. In these situations, it is important to look a ways to mitigate the effects, and this is where exercise, diet and personal environment can help.
Many people make the mistake of just going by the prakruti in making decisions on diet and lifestyle, and this can present a problem. Depending on how the doshas are out of balance, a prakruti based diet could actually serve to further exasperate the problem. It is important to address the vikruti in any ayurvedic regimen, which is why it is important to seek the advice of an Ayurvedic practitioner with formal education in this situation, and as Ayurveda grows in the west, they are becoming more available through a simple Google search. Like any alternative practice, it is important to look at the educational credentials of the person you go to see. Your health and longevity is important.
Your Ayurvedic practitioner can be a guide to understanding your nature and the factors which may cause imbalance in you. Learning this can go far in choosing the everyday environments, diets and exercise.
