An Introduction to Ayurveda
© Dr. Vasant Lad , The Ayurvedic Institute , 1996
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word, derived from two roots: ayur, which
means life, and veda, knowledge. Knowledge arranged systematically
with logic becomes science. During the due course of time, Ayurveda
became the science of life. It has its root in ancient vedic literature
and encompasses our entire life, the body, mind and spirit.
Purusha/Prakruti
According to Ayurveda, every human being is a creation of the
cosmos, the pure cosmic consciousness, as two energies: male energy,
called Purusha and female energy, Prakruti. Purusha is choiceless
passive awareness, while Prakruti is choiceful active consciousness.
Prakruti is the divine creative will. Purusha doesn't take part
in creation, but Prakruti does the divine dance of creation called
leela. In creation, Prakruti is first evolved or manifested as
supreme intelligence, called mahat. Mahat is the buddhi principal
(individual intellect) which further manifests as self identity,
called ahamkara, which is ego. Ahamkara is influenced by three
basic universal qualities: satva, rajas and tamas. Satva is responsible
for clarity of perception. Rajas causes movement, sensations,
feelings and emotions. Tamas is the tendency towards inertia,
darkness, heaviness, and is responsible for periods of confusion
and deep sleep.
Manifestation of Creation
From the essence of satva the five senses are created: the ears
to hear, skin to perceive touch, eyes to see, the tongue to taste,
and the nose, to smell. The essence of rajas is manifested as
the five motor organs: speech, hands, feet, genitals and the organs
of excretion. The mind is derived from satva, while rajas is manifested
as prana, the life force. The tamasic quality is also responsible
for the creation of tan matra, the subtle elements, and from whom
the five basic elements are manifested. They are space, air, fire,
water and earth. It is from pure consciousness that space is manifested.
Space
Expansion of consciousness is space and space is all enclosive.
We need space to live, and our bodily cells contain spaces. The
synaptic, cellular and visceral spaces give freedom to the tissues
to perform their normal physiological functions. (A change in
tissue space, however, may lead to pathological conditions.) The
space in between two conjunctive nerve cells aids communication,
while the space in the mind encompasses love and compassion.
Air
The movement of consciousness determines the direction along which
change of position in space takes place. This course of action
causes subtle activities and movements within space. According
to the Ayurvedic perspective, this is the air principle. There
is a cosmic magnetic field responsible for the movement of the
earth, wind and water. Its representative in the body is the biological
air, responsible for movement of afferent and efferent, sensory
and motor-neuron impulses. When someone touches the skin, that
tactile skin sensation is carried to the brain by the principal
of movement, which is the sensory impulse. Then there is a reaction
to the impulse, which is the motor response, which is carried
from the brain to the periphery. This is a very important function
of air. Our breathing is due to the movement of the diaphragm.
Movements of the intestines and subtle cell movements are also
governed by the biological principal of air. The movement of thought,
desire and will are also governed by the air principal.
Fire
Where there is movement, there is friction, which creates heat,
so the third manifestation of consciousness is fire, the principal
of heat. There are many different representations of fire in the
body. The solar plexus is the seat of fire, and this fire principle
regulates body temperature. Fire is also responsible for digestion,
absorption and assimilation. It is present in the eyes, therefore
we perceive light, and the luster in the eyes is a result of the
fire principal. There is a fire in the brain as the grey matter,
which governs understanding, comprehension and appreciation. Fire
is necessary for transformation, comprehension, appreciation,
recognition and total understanding. In our small universe, the
sun is a burning ball of consciousness and the sun gives us light
and heat. In the body, the representative of the sun is the biological
fire: the solar plexus which gives us heat, digestion, and liver
function.
Water
Because of the heat of the fire, consciousness melts into water.
According to chemistry, water is H2O, but according to Ayurveda
water is liquefaction of consciousness. Water exists in the body
in many different forms, such as: plasma, cytoplasm, serum, saliva,
nasal secretion, orbital secretion and cerebrospinal fluid. Excess
water, which we eliminate in the form of urine and sweat is water.
Water is necessary for nutrition and to maintain the water/electrolyte
balance in the body. Without water, the cells cannot live.
Earth
The next manifestation of consciousness is the earth element.
Because of the heat of the fire and water, there is crystallization.
According to Ayurveda, earth molecules are nothing but crystallization
of consciousness. In the human body, all solid structures, hard,
firm and compact tissues are derived from the earth element (e.g.
bones, cartilage, nails, hair, teeth and skin). Even in a single
cell, the cell membrane is earth, cellular vacuoles are space,
cytoplasm is water, nucleic acid and all chemical components of
the cell are fire, and movement of the cell is air. All of these
five elements are present in every human cell. According to Ayurveda,
man is a creation of universal consciousness. What is present
in the cosmos, the macrocosm, the same thing is present in the
body, the microcosm. Man is a miniature of nature.
Mental Constitution
Vedic philosophy classifies human temperaments into three basic
qualities: satvic, rajasic and tamasic. These individual differences
in psychological and moral dispositions and their reactions to
socio-cultural and physical environments are described in all
the classic texts of Ayurveda. Satvic qualities imply essence,
reality, consciousness, purity and clarity of perception which
are responsible for goodness and happiness. All movements and
activities are due to rajas. It leads to the life of sensual enjoyment,
pleasure and pain, effort and restlessness. Tamas is darkness,
inertia, heaviness and materialistic attitudes. There is a constant
interplay of these three gunas (qualities) in the individual consciousness,
but the relative predominance of either satva, rajas, or tamas
is responsible for individual psychological constitution.
Satvic Mental Constitutions
The people in whom satvic qualities predominate are religious,
loving, compassionate and pure minded. Following truth and righteousness,
they have good manners, behavior and conduct. They do not get
easily upset or angry. Although they work hard mentally, they
do not get mental fatigue, so they need only several hours of
sleep each night. They look fresh, alert, aware, full of luster,
wisdom, joy and happiness. They are creative, humble and respectful
of their teachers. Worshipping God and humanity, they love all.
They care for people, animals, trees, and are respectful of all
life and existence. They have balanced intuition and intelligence.
Rajasic Mental Constitutions
The people in whom rajasic qualities predominate are egoistic,
ambitious, aggressive, proud, competitive, and have a tendency
to control others. They like power, prestige, position, and are
perfectionists. They are hard working people, but are lacking
in proper planning and direction. They are ungrounded, active
and restless. Emotionally, they are angry, jealous, ambitious,
and have few moments of joy due to success. They have a fear of
failure, are subject to stress, and soon lose their mental energy.
They require about eight hours of sleep. They are loving, calm
and patient only as long as their self interests are served. They
are good, loving, friendly and faithful only to those who are
helpful to them. They are not honest to their inner consciousness.
Their activities are self- centered and egotistical.
Tamasic Mental Constitutions
The people in whom tamasic qualities predominate are less intelligent.
They tend towards depression, laziness, and excess sleep, even
during the day. A little mental work tires them easily. They like
jobs of less responsibility, and they love to eat, drink, sleep
and have sex. They are greedy, possessive, attached, irritable,
and do not care for others. They may harm others through their
own self interest. It is difficult for them to focus their minds
during meditation.
Vata, Pitta and Kapha: the Three Doshas
The structural aspect of the body is made up of five elements,
but the functional aspect of the body is governed by three biological
humors. Ether and air together constitute vata; fire and water,
pitta; and water and earth, kapha. Vata, pitta and kapha are the
three biological humors that are the three biological components
of the organism. They govern psycho-biological changes in the
body and physio-pathological changes too. Vata-pitta-kapha are
present in every cell, tissue and organ. In every person they
differ in permutations and combinations.
The sperm is the male seed, and the ovum is the female egg. They
also contain vata-pitta-kapha (VPK). Bodily vata-pitta-kapha changes
according to diet, life style and emotions. The sperm gets influenced
by the father's lifestyle, diet and emotions, and the ovum by
the mother's. At the time of fertilization, when a single sperm
enters a single ovum, individual constitution is determined.
According to Ayurveda, there are seven body types: mono-types
(vata, pitta or kapha predominant), dual types (vata-pitta, pitta-kapha
or, kapha-vata), and equal types, (vata, pitta and kapha in equal
proportions). Every individual has a unique combination of these
three doshas. To understand individuality is the foundation of
healing according to Ayurveda, "The Science of Life".
Vata Qualities
Vata, pitta and kapha are distinctly present in every individual
and express in each human being differently according to the predominance
of the different qualities (gunas). For example vata is dry, light,
cold, mobile, active, clear, astringent, and it is dispersing.
All of these qualities can manifest in an individual. For example,
if a person has excess vata in his or her constitution, because
of the dry quality, he or she will have dry hair, dry skin, dry
colon and a tendency towards constipation. Because of the light
quality, which is opposite of heavy, the vata person will have
a light body frame, light muscles, and light fat, and so will
be thin and underweight, or "skinny-minny". Because
of the cold quality, the vata person will have cold hands, cold
feet and poor circulation. They hate the cold season and love
summer. Because of the mobile quality, vata people are very active.
They like jogging and jumping and don't like sitting in one place.
Vata is subtle, and this subtle quality is responsible for the
emotions of fear, anxiety, insecurity and nervousness. Vata is
clear, therefore vata people can be clairvoyant; they have clear
understanding and perception. They understand things immediately,
but forget things immediately. Vata is astringent, which is a
drying and choking quality of taste, therefore the vata person,
while eating feels a drying choking sensation in the throat. These
qualities are all expressed in a vata individual to some degree.
Pitta Qualities
Pitta is a biological combination of fire and water elements.
It has hot, sharp, light, liquid, sour, oily and spreading qualities.
Pitta has a strong smell, like a fleshy smell, and has a sour
or bitter taste. If an individual has excess pitta in the body,
these qualities will be manifested. Because of the hot quality,
the pitta person has a strong appetite and warm skin. The body
temperature is a little higher than the vata person. The pitta
person can perspire at a fifty degree temperature, but the vata
person cannot perspire even at a much higher temperature. This
difference is very important. Pitta is hot, therefore the pitta
person has a strong appetite. If hungry, he has to eat otherwise
he will become irritable and hypoglycemic.
The second quality of pitta is sharp, therefore the pitta person
has a sharp nose, teeth, eyes, mind and while talking uses sharp
words. They also have very sharp memory. Because of the oily quality,
they have soft warm oily skin, straight oily hair, and the feces
are oily and liquid. Because of the hot, sharp, and oily qualities,
pitta people have a tendency to grey prematurely, a sign of early
maturity. Pitta girls get earlier menstruation and reach puberty
earlier. They can even start their menstruation at the age of
ten. Pitta is light, which is the opposite of both heaviness and
darkness. Because of this light quality, pitta people are moderate
in body frame, and they do not like bright light. They like to
read before they go to bed, and sometimes the pitta person sleeps
with a book on the chest. Because of too much heat in the body,
the pitta person tends to loose his hair in the full bloom of
youth. The pitta person can get a receding hair line, or a big,
beautiful, bald head.
The next quality of pitta is strong smell. When the pitta person
perspires, under the arm pit there is a typical sulphur smell,
and if he doesn't wash his socks, they will have a strong smell.
That's why a pitta person loves perfumes. Pitta people are lovers
of knowledge and have a great capacity of organization and leadership.
They are often wise, brilliant people, but can have a controlling,
dominating personality. Pitta people have a tendency towards comparison,
competition, ambition, and they have a quality of aggressiveness,
so naturally they criticize. If there is no one to criticize,
pitta people will criticize themselves. They are perfectionists.
Pitta people tend to get pittagenic inflammatory diseases, while
vata predominant people tend to get neurological, muscular and
rheumatic problems.
Kapha Qualities
The next dosha is kapha. Subjects having more kapha in their body,
will have heavy, slow, cool, oily, liquid, dense, thick, static
and cloudy qualities. These are the important qualities of kapha,
and kapha is sweet and salty. Because of the heavy quality, kapha
people have heavy bones, muscles and fat. They will have a tendency
to put on weight. A kapha person may even do a water fast and
will put on weight. Kapha is slow, therefore a kapha person has
slow metabolism and digestion. The kapha person can work without
food, while it is very difficult for a pitta person to concentrate
without food. Kapha is cool hence kapha people have cool, clammy
skin. The skin is cool, but within the G.I. tract the digestive
fire is high therefore they have a strong appetite.
Kapha people have other qualities, thick wavy hair, and big,
attractive eyes. They have slow but prolonged, steady memory.
Kapha people are forgiving, loving and compassionate. Because
of the slow quality, kapha people walk slowly and talk slowly.
They don't like jogging and jumping. They love eating, sitting
and doing nothing.
Because of the cloudy quality, their mind is heavy and foggy
and after a full meal they feel lethargic and sleepy. Unless they
have a cup of coffee or strong stimulant in the morning they cannot
move. Finally, the kapha person has a sweet tooth and loves candy,
cookies and chocolate.
Prakruti, Individual Constitution
Individual constitution is determined at conception by the particular
combination of the three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. Every
human being is a unique entity with its own individual constitution.
The constitution, the psycho-somatic temperament of a person,
is primarily genetic in origin. The male seed, sperm, and female
egg, ovum, carry within them the constitution of both the parents.
At the time of conjugation, the dominant factor of prakruti in
the sperm (predominance of vata, pitta or kapha) can either neutralize
a weaker or exaggerate the similar attributes of the prakruti
of the ovum. For example, a sperm of strong vata constitution
can inhibit some of the characteristics in the ovum of kapha constitution.
The dry, light, rough, mobile qualities of vata will suppress
the oily, heavy, smooth, and stable qualities of kapha. Vata and
kapha are both cold, so the cold quality will be exaggerated in
the prakruti of the foetus and the baby will be sensitive to the
cold. The baby in this case will inherit a vata-kapha constitution.
If both parents, i.e. the sperm and ovum, are of vata constitution,
the offspring will inherit a vata predominant constitution. The
constitution of the parents and therefore of the foetus is influenced
by diet, lifestyle, country, climate, age and emotions.
Samprapti, the Disease Process
According to Ayurveda, health is a state of balance between the
body, mind and consciousness. Within the body, Ayurveda recognizes
the three doshas, or bodily humors vata, pitta and kapha; seven
dhatus, or tissues, plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nerve, and
reproductive; three malas, or wastes; feces, urine and sweat;
and agni, the energy of metabolism. Disease is a condition of
disharmony in any of these factors. The root cause of imbalance,
or disease, is an aggravation of dosha, vata-pitta-kapha, caused
by a wide variety of internal and external factors. According
to the attributes of these different etiological factors the bodily
humors become aggravated and start to accumulate at their respective
sites. Vata tends to accumulate in the colon, pitta in the intestines
and kapha in the stomach. If the provocation continues, the accumulated
dosha reaches a state of overflowing the original site and spreads
throughout the body. The aggravated dosha then enters and creates
a lesion in a specific weak tissue where pathological changes
are manifested in the organ or system.
Causes of Disease
There are many factors that affect the doshas. Disease can result
from imbalanced emotions. If a person has deep seated unresolved
anger, fear, anxiety, grief or sadness, that also effects the
doshas. Ayurveda classifies seven major causative factors in disease:
hereditary, congenital, internal, external trauma, seasonal, natural
tendencies or habits and supernatural factors. Disease can also
result from misuse, overuse and under-use of the senses: hearing,
touch, sight, taste, and smell. The disease itself can be described
by the number of doshas involved, the specific tissues effected,
the quality or combination of qualities that aggravated the dosha,
whether the disease is primary or secondary, strength, and the
length of time of the disease.
There are many recognized hereditary pathologies. These can take
the form of tendencies or dispositions towards a specific problem
or manifest as actual abnormalities. A mother's lifestyle, diet,
habits, activities, emotions and relationships can also affect
the foetus.
Internal conditions such as ulcers or a damaged liver, may be
caused by overuse of taste, e.g. too much hot spicy food or alcohol.
External traumas are violent actions, such as automobile accidents,
gunshots. etc.
Seasonal causes usually are more indirect. A person has a tendency
to take his or her own primary dosha (vata, pitta or kapha) to
an imbalanced state. There are four seasons. Summer season, bright
light and too much heat, that is the pitta season. The autumn
season is cold, windy and dry, it is a vata season. The winter
season is cold, windy, snowing and raining, a kapha season. The
spring season is both kapha and pitta. Early spring is cooler,
with beautiful flowers and new leaves and is gorgeous and extremely
beautiful, so earlier spring is kapha, and later spring is pitta.
So these four seasons, have vata, pitta and kapha qualities. Apart
from the lifestyle, diet, and all these changes, the vata person
has a tendency for their vata to go out of balance. Vata people
have a tendency towards constipation, sciatica, arthritis and
rheumatism. Pitta people in the summer season aggravate their
pitta and may get hives, rash, acne, biliary disorders, diarrhea
or conjunctivitis. The kapha person, during spring season, has
a tendency to get colds, hay fever, cough, congestion, sneezing
and kapha type of sinus disorders.
Natural tendencies can also be a problem, such as overeating
and smoking. Supernatural causes are those such as sunburns, lightning,
and the influence of planetary bodies.
Clinical Barometers of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient clinical art of diagnosing the disease
process through questioning (inquiring about the past, present
and family history), observation (inspection), tactile experience
(palpation), percussion, and listening to the heart, lungs and
intestines (auscultation). In this art, Ayurveda talks much about
interpreting the pulse, tongue, eyes and nails in the clinical
examination, and also a specific examination of functional systems
separately.
Ayurveda describes the basic three types of pulses (vata, pitta
and kapha) and their characteristics. There are twelve different
radial pulses; six on the right side, three superficial and three
deep; and similarly, six on the left side. There is a relationship
between the superficial and deep pulses and the internal organs.
One can sensitively feel the strength, vitality, and normal physiological
tone of the respective organs separately under each finger.
An ancient art of tongue diagnosis also describes quite characteristic
patterns which can reveal the functional status of respective
internal organs merely by observing the surface of the tongue.
The tongue is the mirror of the viscera and reflects many pathological
conditions, some of which are shown in the following diagram.
Note: This diagram is used to look at one's own tongue in a mirror.
It is a mirror image.
A discoloration and/or sensitivity of a particular area of the
tongue indicates a disorder in the organ corresponding to that
area. A whitish tongue indicates a kapha derangement and mucus
accumulation; a red or yellow-green tongue indicates a pitta derangement;
and a black to brown coloration indicates a vata derangement.
A dehydrated tongue is symptomatic of a decrease in the rasa dhatu
(plasma), while a pale tongue indicates a decrease in the rakta
dhatu (red blood cells).
Ayurvedic physicians also do urine examinations as one of the
diagnostic tools to understand the doshic imbalance in the body.
The body fluids, such as blood (rakta) and lymph (rasa), serve
to carry wastes (malas) away from the tissues that produce them.
The urinary system removes water (kleda), salt (kshar) and nitrogenous
wastes (dhatu malas). The urinary system also helps to maintain
the normal concentration of water (apa dhatu) and electrolytes
within body fluids. It helps to regulate the volume of body fluid
and thus the urine helps to maintain the balance of the three
humors vata, pitta and kapha, and water (kleda).
For clinical examination of urine, take a clean vessel and collect
the early morning urine in midstream. Observe the color. If the
color is blackish-brown, this indicates a vata disorder. If the
color is dark yellow, a pitta disorder. Also when there is constipation
or the body has less intake of water, the urine will be dark yellow.
If the urine is cloudy, there is a kapha disorder. Red color of
urine indicates a rakta (blood) disorder. Next there is the oil
drop test. With a dropper, place one drop of sesame oil into the
same sample of urine. If the drop spreads immediately, the physical
disorder is probably easy to cure. If the drop sinks to the middle
of the urine sample the illness is more difficult to cure. If
the drop sinks to the bottom, the illness may be very difficult
to cure. If the drop spreads on the surface in wave like movements,
this indicates a vata disorder. If the drop spreads on the surface
with multiple colors visible like a rainbow, this indicates a
pitta disorder. If the drop breaks up into pearl like droplets
on the surface of the urine, this indicates a kapha disorder.
Normal urine has a typical uremic smell. However, if the urine
has a foul odor this indicates ama dosha (toxins) in the system.
Acidic urine which creates a burning sensation indicates excess
pitta. A sweet smell to the urine indicates a diabetic condition.
In this condition, the individual may experience goose bumps on
the skin surface while passing urine. Gravel in the urine indicates
stones in the urinary tract.
Shodan, Cleansing
The purpose of shodan, is to remove excess doshas and ama from
the body. Shodan includes purvakarma (initial procedures), pradhanakarma
(the main procedures), and pashchatkarma (post-operative procedures).
Purvakarma procedures move the aggravated doshas and ama from
sites deeper in the body to locations in preparation for elimination.
Panchakarma (five actions), which belongs to pradhanakarma, then
removes these doshas and ama. It includes vaman (vomiting), virechan
(purgation), basti (medicinal enema), rakta-moksha (blood cleansing)
and nasya (nasal insufflation, administration).
Vaman is vomiting therapy for removing excess kapha impurities
out of the body. Virechan is for removing pitta by giving purgation
therapy. Basti is to remove excess vata from the body by enema
therapy. Nasya is administration of certain herbal powders, medicated
oils and medicated concoctions, and ghee into the nose for purification
of prana, mind and consciousness. Rakta-moksha includes blood
letting by application of leaches or removing blood or donating
blood to the blood bank, and using certain cleansing and blood
thinning herbs.
Ayurveda says toxins are produced when the aggravated dosha,
vata-pitta-kapha, effects the biological fire, agni, which in
turn effects digestion, metabolism and assimilation. So undigested,
un-absorbed, unassimilated food products remain in the body as
a morbid substance. Ama, then, is a toxic, morbid, raw, undigested,
unabsorbed, unassimilated, non-homogeneous, sticky substance in
the body that adheres to the tissues, clogs the channels and creates
toxicity in the body. It enters the blood and creates toxemia,
which is a root cause of disease. The root cause of ama is the
aggravated dosha attacking agni (fire) and producing low digestion
and metabolism. So Ayurveda says that one should remove these
aggravated doshas by panchakarma.
Shaman, Palliation
According to Ayurveda shaman, or palliation is the balancing and
pacification of bodily doshas (as opposed to elimination). Shaman
is of seven types: dipan, kindling the fire (agni); pachan, burning
the toxic ama; ksud-nigraha, fasting; trut-nigraha, observing
thirst, (not drinking water); vyayama, yoga stretching; atap-seva,
lying in the sunlight [Sometimes they make a fire during the daytime
or evening and that heat of the fire does cleansing of the astral
body, physical body, subtle body and causal body. Lying in the
sun, which is also used for kindling the fire in the solar plexus.];
marut-seva, sitting and doing pranayama, meditation.
Shaman is a very spiritual cleansing method of purification.
People with insufficient strength to undergo panchakarma, who
are emotionally weak and not strong enough to face panchakarma
are good candidates for shaman. Any pitta disorder, vata disorder,
and chronic kapha disorder which effects the immune system of
an individual and affects the agni or fire of the individual,
is a very good subject for shaman. Shaman can be done in the healthy
person also, because shaman has both curative and preventative
aspects. Prevention is better than curing. If we prevent the future
ailment through shaman we can attain success in healing the soul.
The first method in shaman is dipan, kindling the fire. Kindling
the bodily fire is absolutely necessary in kapha and vata disorders,
where the person has low gastric fire. That can be accomplished
by using certain herbs like pippili, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper,
and chitrak. These different herbs are used in certain proportions
with honey internally, which does kindling of the fire. You can
do the fire ceremony, by burning certain special woods, making
an agnikunda, like a yagyakunda, or fireplace, arranging the woods
in a certain pyramidal, square fashion, putting camphor and cotton
at the center, and kindling the fire while chanting special mantras.
By doing these mantras, you can increase the internal fire. While
watching the external fire, you are meditating and chanting certain
mantras for agni, the internal fire. Concentrating at the solar
plexus, you can also kindle the agni, and that will burn the toxins
in the physical body, subtle body, and causal body. This kind
of ceremony is very effective for kapha and vata people, but for
pitta people it should be done with great caution.
Pachan, burning the toxins is done with certain herbs in certain
proportions, because kindling the gastric fire is necessary to
improve the digestive capacity. For pachan, Ayurveda uses trikatu,
chitrak, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander and fennel. All of
these herbal teas are used after meals to improve the digestive
capacity of agni. Pachan can be improved through concentration,
meditation and contemplation so that the person's digestive capacity
will improve and there will be proper assimilation and nutrition
of the bodily tissue.
Ksud-nigraha is fasting, or eating a mono-diet. In acute fever,
acute indigestion, acute dysentery and diarrhea, Ayurveda suggests
fasting. A person may only eat cooked apple with ghee or basmati
rice with mung dal and ghee, or just yogurt and rice, and in small
quantity. But in acute fever, acute diarrhea and dysentery it
is better not to eat anything for a couple of days, so that the
bodily fire will kindle and burn the internal toxins. For this,
observing a fast is very important.
Trut-nigraha, observing thirst (not drinking water) is very important
when water disorders take place, kapha disorders. For example,
kidney disorders like edema, or ascites where there is accumulated
water in the peritoneal cavity, or certain other kapha urinary
disorders where too much water is retained in the system, there
Ayurveda says not to give water. Observing thirst means not to
drink water. It is not a water fast, a water fast is different.
If you drink too much water, it will retain in the body. Trut-nigraha
means observing thirst, which is very effective in certain kapha
types of disorders.
The next important shaman is vyayam, exercise, yoga stretching.
Exercise is defined here as stretching of the muscles in a particular
direction with a goal so that you can reach the goal with effort
and in that effort you are creating physical stress. Physical
stress kindles the fire, like hiking in the mountains, walking,
jogging and jumping. Ayurveda says exercise has such a quality
that it improves circulation, accelerates the heart rate, enhances
the combustion of calories and also stimulates metabolism, regulates
body temperature and maintains body weight. Exercise makes your
senses alert and attentive and your mind becomes very sharp and
develops keen perception. These qualities of exercise are very
important, but again, exercise varies from person to person.
Ayurveda suggests certain exercises according to individual constitution.
The vata person should do certain yoga postures. The important
seat of vata in the body is the pelvic cavity, so any exercise
which will help the stretching of the pelvic muscles is good.
Therefore the forward bend, backward bend, spinal twist, cobra
pose, camel pose, shoulder stand and plow pose help to move the
vata in a particular direction and that helps to calm down vata.
The important seat of pitta is the solar plexus, so any exercise
that will stretch the muscles of the solar plexus will be very
effective for the pitta person. So the fish pose, boat pose, camel
pose as well as locust pose and bow pose will help to calm down
pitta.
The important seat of kapha is the chest, therefore exercises
which will stretch the chest are very effective. Ayurveda says
that you can do the shoulder stand, plow pose, locust pose, cat
pose, cow pose and bow pose. These different poses improve the
circulation of kapha in the pulmonary cavity. Jogging is not good
for vata, it is good for kapha, but kapha people don't like jogging.
Swimming is good exercise for the pitta person. Swimming is also
good for the vata person. Mountain climbing and hiking are good
for kapha people, but they don't like hiking. So this is a very
interesting thing, that proper exercise is a wonderful art of
shaman.
Atap-seva, lying in the sun, is another ancient shaman. The sun
is the source of heat and light. The sun is the source of higher
consciousness. Pitta predominant people can lie in the sun and
apply certain oils (sun blockers) so that they will reduce their
exposure. The pitta person should not lie in the sun more than
half an hour. The vata person can lie in the sun for about an
hour. The kapha person can lie in the sun for more than an hour.
If the proper care is taken, lying in the sun and meditating upon
the solar plexus, is a wonderful shaman for kapha and vata. It
improves circulation, the absorption of vitamin D, and strengthens
the bones.
Today, however, lying in the sunlight is becoming very bad because
the ionosphere and ozone are damaged and the unwanted radiation
(ultraviolet rays) comes to the earth and that aggravates brajak-pitta
under the skin. The person that
has multiple moles should not lie in the sun. Lying in the moon
light is also an ancient art of shaman for reducing pitta.
Lastly, there is breathing. Respiration is partly conscious and
partly unconscious. One should do proper breathing through both
nostrils by doing alternate nostril pranayama. There are different
types of pranayama, the breathing exercise, and there is a totally
different science of breath one can study from an experienced
teacher. But if you sit quietly, inhale deeply through one nostril,
hold the breath into the lower abdomen, and slowly exhale through
the opposite nostril, repeating alternately, this kind of pranayama
helps to bring balance to prana, apana and udana (subtypes of
prana). Out of that balance, one can attain the highest state
of tranquility.
Shaman as a whole does bring balance between the body, mind and
consciousness and balance to the three bodily humors, vata-pitta-kapha.
It cleanses the physical body, subtle body and causal body. According
to Ayurveda, every soul is immortal, every soul is sacred, and
to understand the individual, to understand oneself, is the foundation
of life. Without this self knowing, life has no meaning. So by
understanding the basic principals of life, by understanding one's
own constitution as explained in the Ayurvedic literature, and
by understanding the exact nature and structure of doshic aggravation,
one can follow the proper guidelines of shodan, cleansing, and
shaman, palliation and pacification.
Rasayana, Rejuvenation
Rasayana has three sub categories: restoration of tissues through
herbs, minerals and exercises; re-virilization, which is restoring
vitality to the system; and longevity, slowing or stopping of
the aging process.
Satvajaya, Mental Hygiene and Spiritual Healing
The categories of satvajaya include: mantra, (sounds), yantra
(physical devices), tantra (directing energies in the body), meditation,
and gems, metals and crystals, specifically given for the imbalance
or disease.
Ayurveda and Relationships
According to Ayurveda, our life is a relationship; the relationship
between you and your spouse, girlfriend and boyfriend, and parents
and children. Equally important is the relationship with yourself,
your relationship between the body, mind and consciousness, and
the inner relationship between vata-pitta-kapha. These relationships
are life, and Ayurveda is a healing art which helps bring clarity
in relationships. Clarity in relationships brings compassion,
and compassion is love, therefore love is clarity. Without this
clarity, there is no insight. Ayurveda is an art of insight which
brings harmony, happiness, joy and bliss in our daily life, in
our relationships, and in our daily living. Ayurveda, can definitely
bring longevity to life. It can bring a quality of consciousness,
such that one can get insight to deal with one's inner life, one's
inner emotions, one's inner hurt, grief and sadness. Ayurveda
is a total healing art.
© Dr. Vasant Lad, The Ayurvedic Institute
