DHC

The Basic Principles Of Ayurveda

There are three basic fundamental biological humours described by Ayurveda- The Vata, Pitta and Kapha also called the "tri-energies". These are the ones who are totally controlling the universe and are responsible for planetary movements (Vata), their formation and destruction (Pitta) and generation and maintenance of new life (Kapha). Same tri-energies are found inside every living being and are responsible for health and disease. Their balance is "health" or "harmony" whereas the imbalance is "disease" or "chaos".

These govern all the processes in all levels of our life. Vata governs all movement, Pitta all heat and transformation and Kapha all growth, structure and lubrication. Our diet, our behavior, the seasons, emotions and our life style all have impact on balance of tri energies. The main principal of healing in Ayurveda is to maintain the balance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha by alteration in our lifestyle, our thoughts, our diet and understanding nature and through herbal medicines.

" समदोषः समाग्निश्च समधातु मलःक्रियाः।
प्रसन्नात्मेन्द्रियमनः स्वस्थइतिअभिधीयते॥
(सुश्रुत संहिता सूत्रस्थान १५/१०)

Samadosha samagnisch samadhatu malakriyah
Prasanna atma mana swastha iti abhidhiyate."
(SANSKRIT VERSE)

(According to ancient Ayurvedist Sushruta;An individual/person who is in a state of equilibrium of body’s; Doshas (humors), Agni (digestive fire), Dhatus (tissues), Malah kriya (Physiological functions of excretions etc.) and whose Aatma (soul), Indriya (senses) and Mana (Mind); all are happy, is considered as a Healthy individual.)

This definition of Health closely resembles to that given by World Health Organization (WHO). Thus Ayurveda has said thousands of years ago what WHO (World Health Organization) admits today.

It States That:-

• Having a balanced state of Doshas, Agni (digestive fire), Dhatus (tissues) and normal functioning of Mala (waste products), cheerful state of Atman (soul), sensory organs and mind are the symptoms of healthy life.
• If "Vata" gets out of balance, for instance, it leads to overactive mind, poor circulation, poor nerve conduction, loss of memory, irregular elimination & uncomfortable menses etc - all things related to movement.
• If "Pitta" is out of balance, we can get excessive digestive fire, resulting in heartburn, excess stomach acid, hot temper & inflammations etc -all things related to heat and digestion.
• If "Kapha" gets out of balance, it can lead to chronic congestion, weight gain, cellulite, cholesterol buildup, acne & oily skin etc - all things related to structure and lubrication.
• Herbs in synergistic combination, diet, routine & meditation etc are used to restore balance, to restore proper operation of the various systems & to restore health. Ayurveda does not focus on decreasing symptoms, it focuses on increasing health. Where there is health, there is no room for disease.
• Due to foreign invasions in India for hundreds of years, Ayurveda became fragmented and it on its comeback trail from around last 35 years. As a result of growing scientific verification at major research institutions, it is the worlds' fastest growing health care system.
• According to Ayurveda, the five elements (fire, earth, water, air & space) in their biological form combine to form these 3 energies in the body. These 3 basic energies are the primary life forces or biological humors, called doshas in Ayurveda - The Vata, Pitta and Kapha. They regulate physical functioning within our body, besides providing us with individual physical characteristics. The constitution of a person is primarily determined by the dominant dosha.
• It is such a unique combinations of doshas that no two persons are alike. The determination of constitution gives insight into deeper working, behavior, body type and with this it is possible to know which herbs, diet, medicines and activities will be suitable for a particular individual to maintain his health whole life. It also becomes easier to outline the disease tendencies of the different body types so that a preventive lifestyle may be observed. Accordingly, a person can plan diet and other routine activities affirming to his / her constitution. This individual constitution analysis is an important step to ascertain about types of diseases and to help a lot in maintenance of good health and prevention of diseases.
• Your predominant dosha could be any one of the three, a combination of any two or all the three in a balanced form.

PRAKRITI ANALYSIS TEST:-

Ayurveda Test To Identify Body Type(Prakriti Analyses)

Prakriti is your body constitution / Body type. It is some total of one's tridosha percentage (vata, pitta, kapha) in a body. It is the key determinant of how one individual is different from other.

Prakriti has been mentioned in details in Charak Samhita "Vimaan sthan" chapter 8. It is one of the most important investigation of ten investigations regarding patients (Dash vidh pareeksha). Prakriti is very important diagnostic tool in Ayurveda.

Establishment Of Prakriti

According to Ayurvedic texts prakriti is established at conception, at the time of fusion of sperm and ovum. Prakriti remains same throughout the life of an individual. Factors Affecting The Formation Of Prakriti

• Prakriti of sperm
• Prakriti of ovum
• Prakriti of uterine cavity
• Diet of pregnant mother
• Time/season of conception
• Role of Panchmahabhuta

The "Tridosha" Principle For Determining Prakriti

The fundamental theory of Ayurveda is the "Tridosh" principle or the tri-energies theory. This can also be understood as combination of "panchbhutas" (Five Elements) into three doshas. These are biological or physiological and physical forces that cater to the metabolic functions and structural composition of our body. Kapha is responsible for anabolism. Pitta is responsible for metabolism. Vata is responsible for catabolism. The balance of these tri-energies is known as a state of health and their imbalance is disease. Anything which restores this balance is good for health. So specific diet, exercise, behavior or medicine can be recommended according to prakriti to restore this balance and provide health. The tri-energies are:

Tridosh	Energy counterpart	Elementary Composition
Vata	Kinetic energy	Air + Ether
Pitta	Thermal energy	Fire+ little quantity of water
Kapha	Potential energy	Earth + Water

Relationship Between Vata, Pitta, Kapha And 5 Elements

There is a reference from Charak Samhita sutra sthan chapter 1:44 (Deerghjiveetiya adhayaya)

सर्वदा सर्व भावनां सामन्यं वृद्धिकारणम्
ह्रास हेतुः विशेष श च प्रवृत्तिः उभय स्य तु

It states that all the tissues (sapta dhatu) in the body can be developed properly if these are nourished by the nutrients similar in nature to them e.g. shukra dhatu in body is nourished by regular intake of milk and ghee. Similarly lifestyle also affects dosha in the body like by strenuous exercise vata increases in body and by sitting for long hours kapha increases in body. This is a principle of similarity (samanyam).

Same principle is applicable to opposites like Tila oil massage (which has properties opposite to vata) in vataj disorder decreases vata. This is a principle of opposition (Vishesh).

To increase any dosha/dhatu in body we choose similar herbs/dietary regimens, while to decrease any dosha/dhatu in body we choose opposite herbs/dietary regimens.

Importance Of Knowing One's Prakriti

According to Ayurvedic texts prakriti tells us about the susceptibility of an individual to develop particular type of diseases throughout his lifetime. There is a beautiful example that if a vata type person develops vataj disorder then its prognosis is difficult. If kapha type or pitta type person develops similar vataj disease then the prognosis is better and disease is likely to be cured easily.

Prakriti Analysis by means of Tridoshas or Trienergies of body plays a very important role in diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Not only this but this Diagnostic tool also helps you to know about particular dietary regimens, herbs to avoid or to prefer. Prakriti Analysis helps us to maintain healthy life style as well.

Therefore Prakriti Is Important To Know

•   Who I am? (On the basis of my vata, pitta, kapha constitution)
•   What should I eat?
•   What should I avoid?
•   What should I eat in moderation?
•   What should I eat occasionally?
•   What should I follow in my life style?

Prakriti Analysis Test

Body Type Analysis Test!

#	Characteristics	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
1	Body Frame	Thin and Lean	Moderate	Strong physique
2	Color of Hair	Pale Brown	Red or Brown	Jet Black
3	Type of Hair	Dry and With Split Ends	Normal, Thin, More Hair fall	Greasy, Heavy
4	Skin	Dry, Rough	Soft, More Sweating, Acne	Moist, Greasy
5	Complexion	Dark, Blackish	Pink to Red	Glowing, White
6	Body Weight	Low, Difficult to Put on Weight	Medium, Can Easily Lose or Gain Weight	Overweight, Difficult to Lose Weight
7	Size and Color of the Teeth	Very Big or Very Small, Irregular, Blackish	Medium Sized, Yellowish	Large, Shinning White
8	Nails	Blackish, Small, Brittle	Reddish, Small	Pinkish, Big, Smooth
9	Pace of Performing Work	Fast, Always in Hurry	Medium, Energetic	Slow, Steady
10	Mental Activity	Quick, Restless	Smart Intellect, Aggressive	Calm, Stable
11	Memory	Short Term Bad	Good Memory	Long Term is Best
12	Grasping Power	Grasps Quickly but not Completely and Forgets Quickly	Grasps Quickly but Completely and Have Good Memory	Grasps Late and Retains for Longer Time
13	Sleep Pattern	Interrupted, Less	Moderate	Sleepy, Lazy
14	Intolerance to Weather Conditions	Aversion to Cold	Aversion To Heat	Aversion to Moist, Rainy and Cool Weather
15	Reactions Under Adverse Situations	Anxiety, Worry, Irritability	Anger, Aggression	Calm, Reclusive, Sometimes Depressive
16	Mood	Changes Quickly have Frequent Mood Swings	Changes Slowly	Stable Constant
17	Eating Habit	Eats Quickly Without Chewing Properly	Eats at a Moderate Speed	Chews Food Properly
18	Hunger	Irregular, Any Time	Sudden Hunger Pangs, Sharp Hunger	Can Skip any Meal Easily
19	Body Temperature	Less than Normal, Hands and Feet are Cold	More than Normal, Face and Forehead Hot	Normal, Hands and Feet Slightly Cold
20	Joints	Weak, Noise on Movement	Healthy with Optimal Strength	Heavy Weight Bearing
21	Nature	Timid, Jealous	Egoistic, Fearless	Forgiving, Grateful, Not Greedy
22	Body Energy	Becomes Low in Evening, Fatigues After Less Work	Moderate, Gets Tired After Medium Work	Excellent Energy Throughout Day Not Easily Fatigued
23	Eyeball	Unsteady, Fast Moving	Moving Slowly	Steady
24	Quality of Voice	Rough with Broken Words	Fast, Commanding	Soft and Deep
25	Dreams	Sky, Wind, Flying Objects and Confusion	Fire, Light, Bright Colors, Violence	Water Pools, Gardens and Good Relationships
26	Social Relations	Makes Less Friends Prefers Solitude	Good No. of Friends	Loves to Socialize. Relationships are Long Lasting
27	Wealth	Spends without Thinking Much	Saves but Spends on Valuable Things	Prefers More Savings
28	Bowel Movements	Dry, Hard, Blackish, Scanty Stools	Soft, Yellowish, Loose Stools	Heavy, Thick, Sticky Stools
29	Walking Pace	Quick, Fast with Long Steps	Average, Steady	Slow with Short Steps
30	Communication Skills	Fast, Irrelevant Talk, Speech not Clear	Good Speaker with Genuine Argumentative Skills	Authoritative, Firm and Little Speech