At the
time of conception, the particular dosha dominating is
the prakruti of that individual. According to
individual�s prakruti, the person is prone to certain
types of disease. To cure those disorders, some hints
related to day to day life "dinacharya" and seasonal
behavior "Rutucharya"are described in ayurveda.
Panch Mahabhoot Siddhanta: The whole body
is considered to be made up of five basic elements such
as Prithvi (Earth), Aap (Water), Teja(Fire), Vayu (Air)
and Aakash (Cosmos). These five elements constitute the
body, which in turn is supported by three factors �
Doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha), dhatus (Rasa, Rakta,
Mansa, Meda, Asthi, Majja and Shukra) and Mala (Purisha,
Mutra, and sweda) . these factors are having equilibrium
in a healthy condition. When there is disturbance in
dosha-dhatu-mala equilibrium, the individual suffers
from disease. Hence they should be treated accordingly.
The treatment part includes Shodhan and Shaman. In
Shodhan, the doshas are expelled out of the body with
the help of panchakarmas and in Shaman, doshas are
suppressed in the body with the help of medication.
Shodhan includes five ways of cleansing named as
Pancha karma. It includes;
- Vaman: emesis,
- Virechan: purgation, Nasya:
- medicine administered through nostrils.
- Raktamokshan: letting out blood,
- Basti: medicated enema administered through
anus.
Prakruti can
also be described as The Unique Genetic Code of an
Individual:
Just like two fingerprints or two voice
modulation or two genetic codes can never be the
same, the Prakruti of two individuals can never be
the same. Though two persons are having same food,
following same lifestyle, their diseases cannot be
treated with the same medication since their
prakrutis are different and they need to be treated
according to their prakrutis. Ayurveda uses a system
of historical analysis and physical examination done
almost entirely by observation (with the exception
of pulse reading), to ascertain one's original
nature and current imbalances.
A diet and health plan are given to the individual
according to the needs to correct the imbalance. The
basis for all other concepts in Ayurveda is Sankhya
(the analytical study of the elements that comprise
the universe). Although the modern physicist would
delineate well over one hundred elements, Sankhya
states there are twenty-four, of which five are the
foundation of the gross world: Earth, Water, Fire,
Air and cosmos. These five elements, when joined in
different combinations, make up the three "doshas"
or "biological modes" which are the "Prakruti" or
nature of an individual and the nature of all
things.
The combination of air and cosmos constitutes
Vata or the Kinetic Biological Mode. Vata is
that which is electric in the body and causes all
movement in and out of the system (breathing,
urination, defecation, menstruation, etc.) The
combination of fire and water constitute Pitta or
the Transformative Biological Mode. Pitta is that
which mutates or transforms the outside elements of
the macrocosm into the inside elements of the body
(the microcosm). Pitta governs the digestion of
physical, mental, and emotional elements.
Finally, the combination of earth and water
constitutes Kapha or the Structive Biological
mode. Kapha is that which makes for both lubrication
(mucus, synovial fluid) and structure (bones,
muscles, fat, joints, etc). Generally speaking most
people are a combination of two modes. One is the
primary and the other is the secondary. But there
are those who are purely dominated by one mode, and
in rare cases, those who are a mixture of all three.
This elemental theory broken down into divisions of
modes identifies not only body types for humans, but
also for animals, vegetables, plants, herbs,
geographical locations, times of day, seasons of the
years, and activities performed. Everything in the
universe is categorized by this system. Ascertaining
one's Prakruti (nature of constitution) and
imbalances is the service rendered by the Ayurvedic
analysis using the processes stated earlier. Then
the Ayurvedic practitioner constructs a diet and
recommends herbs which would be helpful to regain
balance with one's original nature.
In Ayurveda different people with the same disease
sometimes receive different diet and medication
plans. The constitution, the imbalance, and the
various nuances of the development of the disease in
each individual must be studied to determine the
nature of the imbalance whether Vata, Pitta, or
Kapha for that disease. Unfortunately people will
give up trying holistic health practices because
good food was given to the wrong person. The secret
of understanding the dynamics of food and which food
is for whom is in the taste, therefore, the
appropriate tastes with their elements will correct
the imbalance of elements in one's constitution if
taken correctly.
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The proof is in the tasting:
There are six tastes according to Ayurveda: Sweet, Sour,
Salty, Pungent, Bitter, and Astringent. Each is
comprised of two elements: Sweet (earth and water)
examples: wheat, sugar, milk, rice, dates; Sour (earth
and fire) examples: yogurt, lemon, tamarind; Salty
(water and fire) examples: sea salt, rock salt, etc.;
Pungent (fire and air) examples: onion, radish, ginger,
chilly; Bitter (air and cosmos) examples: Neem, bitter
gourd; Astringent (air and earth) examples: beetle nut,
Alum;
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There are two other considerations in Ayurveda.
First, whether a foods action is heating or cooling.
The taste sweet, bitter, and astringent are cooling.
Sour, salty, and pungent are all heating. The second
is the post-digestive effect or how the foods
"taste" to the tissues during and after
assimilation. Sweet and salty are sweet in
post-digestive effect. Sour is sour, and pungent,
bitter, and astringent are pungent.
Taste, action, and post-digestive effect are known
is Sanskrit as rasa, virya, and vipaka respectively
in Ayurveda. They are the keys to understanding food
and herbs. With this knowledge, one can unlock the
mysteries of the energetic dynamics of food and be
able to make the right choices for oneself.
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Raw Foods According To Ayurveda: Raw
foods and juices are magnificent in that they are
cleansing and energizing. Sprouts are especially
wonderful because they contain large amounts of enzymes
and nourishment which help with digestion and
assimilation of nutrients. Some of the spicier sprouts
help to destroy and eliminate toxins in the system known
as ama in Ayurveda.
Fenugreek sprouts can even help in cases of seminal
debility. But in general, raw food is very cold and hard
to digest in the Vedic sense as it releases its Prana or
nourishing life giving energy in the upper portion of
the body between the mouth and the stomach. This gives
quick, short-term energy, but not long-term tissue
building nourishment. This is good for pittas, and some
raw foods are good for kaphas, but this is not very good
for vatas.
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Cooking Foods According to Ayurveda: Well
cooked grains, beans, and vegetables release their Prana
in the colon. This provides long-term tissue building
energy. However, these energies cannot be released from
complex carbohydrates without the assistance of enzymes.
A Clean intestinal tract is also essential for proper
absorption. This coincides with two of the modern
holistic health theories of colon cleansing and enzyme
consumption. But the Ayurvedic approach again is
practical and individualized. Which herbs for which
constitution will produce the best colon cleansing
varies. Therefore, some people find some of the standard
colon cleansing products ineffectual or difficult for
their bodies to tolerate. Triphala ("the three fruits"),
used in Ayurveda, is one of the best colon cleansers
because it strengthens and tones the muscle action of
the colon. It does not cause laxative dependency by
doing the work for the colon. Similarly, the consumption
of enzyme tablets will cause the digestive organs�
natural ability to produce enzymes for digestion to
become suppressed and lazy and possibly lose their
ability to function all together. Ayurvedic cooking uses
certain herbs and spices to help stimulate the body to
produce its own digestive enzymes.
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