PIOUS NECTOR OF AYURVEDA

PRAKRITI

Your Ayurvedic body type or constitution is the heart of Ayurveda’s approach to well-being. Knowing your constitution allows you to maximize your quality of life, health and happiness by following the recommendations for food and lifestyle for each constitution. An Ayurveda physician with expertise in pulse diagnosis is the best way to recognize one’s constitution, but you can get to know about your nature by relating to the characteristics we are giving here for your reference. You can download our application with name TRIDOSH  PIOUS AYURVEDA. I am talking about the general characteristics of each body type with general tendencies. So acquaint yourself with the main constitutions and the self-discovery that is the pious joy of Ayurveda.

PRAKRITI (NATURE OF YOUR BODY)

Prakriti is the constitution of your body. It is the Base of Diagnosing a person according to Ayurveda. Prakriti has been mentioned in details in Charak Samhita. It is one of the most important investigations of ten investigations regarding patients.

According to Charak the writer of this tome CHARAK SAMHITA mentions four main factors needed for bearing a healthy child. These are:

• Pure Shukra (semen with sperm)
• Pure Artava (Ovum)
• Healthy Uterus (Kshetra) and healthy Genital Organs
• Time (Perfect or Auspicious kaal )

According to Ayurvedic texts Prakriti is established at the time of conception that is the time of fusion of sperm and ovum. Prakriti remains same throughout the life of an individual. So parents should take care at this stage, when there is fusion of egg and sperm. CHARAK SAMHITA has full eight chapters of VIMAN STHAN where full detail has been provided to Guide you to be blessed with a healthy child. We are guiding to be parents to prepare Mentally and physically for taking up the responsibility, for  full information you can log on to our site www.piouspregnancy.com.

The"Tridosha"Principle for Determining Prakriti 

Ayurveda means the science of longevity; it is the science of how to live a long, healthy life.“Ayu” is the life span we spend with the body. The spirit is immortal — it can be with the body or without it, but the union of body, mind and spirit — how long that combination stays, that time span is called ayu. How to live that time happily and in good health is the knowledge of Ayurveda. So how do we live this way? In this respect, Ayurveda says there are four aspects:

A. What is Healthy for the body

B. What is unhealthy 

C. What makes us happy     

D. What makes us sad

For that we need to know the body and mind. The body is made of five elements, space, air, fire water and earth. Physiologically, these elements function as three bio-dynamic forces, called vata, pitta and kapha.

Kapha is responsible for anabolism.

Pitta is responsible for metabolism.

Vata is responsible for catabolism.

What is the importance of knowing you Ayurvedic body type? While every individual is born with five elements, the constitutional makeup and the relative proportions of each element are a little different, and our lifestyle also differs based on our Doshas.

                                         HOW PANCH TATVA RELATED TO TRIDOSH

                                                        ENERGIES RELATED TO PANCHTATVA

                HOW PANCHTATVA CHARACTERS ARE RELATED  TO VATA  PITTA  AND KAPHA

NATURES OF THE PERSONS HAVING DIFFERENT PRAKRITI

VATA

Those who are born with more of the space and air element have a vata constitution. Generally, a vata person will be very thin, more talkative, and restless; they typically have a lower body weight, dry skin, brittle nails, thin hair, and small, slightly sunken eyes. While walking, their joints may make sounds. In terms of climate, they tend to prefer warm or hot weather, while they may have trouble tolerating the cold. They have a hard time gaining weight, so they tend to be thin with a low weight. All movement in the body is due to property of vata. Pain is the characteristic feature of deranged vata. Some of the diseases due to vata is windy humour, flatulence, gout, rheumatism, etc.

PITTA

Next are pitta people, those who are born with hotter constitutions, containing more of the fire element. A pitta person is generally active, good looking, a perfectionist, dynamic, intelligent and also short tempered. They may have leadership qualities, a moderate build, a smart personality, a sharp nose, and their eyes will also be sharp, sometimes with a slight pinkish tint. Due to the unfortunate reasons with which a pitta person gets imbalanced, hair loss and early greying are common. They are generally slightly warm to the touch with rosy lips and pink nails with a slight curve. Pitta is the fiery element or bile that secreted between the stomach and bowels and flowing through the liver and permeating spleen, heart, eyes, and skin. It is characterised by hotness, moist, liquid, sharp and sour, its chief quality is heat. It is the energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion and enhance metabolism. It is primarily characterised by body heat or burning sensation and redness

KAPHA

Kapha indicates a preponderance of the water and earth element. People with this kapha constitution are generally cool, calm, lazy, cheerful, and stocky (if not overweight). If assigned a task, they never complete the task in time. Actually, Ayurveda says that because a kapha person is the least bothered, happiest type of person on the whole planet, the best constitution is kapha. They’re cheerful all the time! Other qualities include a thick build, thick, dark hair, big eyes with white around and prominent, shiny, white teeth. The skin may also be thick, moist, and a little cool to the touch. As a personality type, while they tend to accumulate stuff, they also have a sharing streak that moves them to service for society. Kapha is the watery element, it is characterised by softness, and the carrier of nutrients. It is nourishing element of the body. All the soft organs are made by kapha, it plays an important role in taste perception, Joint nourishment and lubrication.

Ayurveda Body Type Test - Prakriti Analysis

Although there are only three doshas, they can be combined in ten possible ways to arrive at ten different body and behavioural types.

• 3 single - Dosha types (Ekadoshaja)
• Vata
• Pitta
• Kapha
• 6 two - Dosha types (Dwandwaja)
• Vata - Pitta
• Pitta - Vata
• Pitta - Kapha
• Kapha - Pitta
• Kapha - Vata
• Vata - Kapha
• 1 three - Dosha type (Tridoshaja)
• Vata - Pitta - Kapha

Typically, one of the three Doshas predominates and determines your constitution or mind-body type. By understanding our individual habits, emotional responses, and body type, we can adapt our yoga practice accordingly. The same goes for Ayurveda treatments focused on alleviating any Doshic excesses (illness) via powerful herbs and/or via the improvement of general lifestyle practices such as pranayama, meditation and yoga postures.

When you have an excess of a Dosha, as it throws your system off balance. For example, with excess vata, there can be mental, nervous and digestive disorders, including low energy and weakening of all body tissues. With excess pitta, there is toxic blood that gives rise to inflammation and infection. With excess kapha, there is an increase in mucus, overweight, Oedema, lung diseases, amongst other. The key to managing all doshas is taking care of vata, as it is the origin of the other two.

When we eat the proper food and follow the lifestyle that suits our Ayurvedic body type. We have better chances of staying fit, healthy and happy for a long time.

Once you identify which Dosha you have the most of, you want to look into PACIFYING that Dosha. In a sense, calming and balancing that Dosha, with the goal of being balanced in all 3 Doshas. 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, behaviour or medicine can be recommended according to prakriti to restore this balance and provide health. These body types are reflections of the qualities of nature. They give insight not just into the tendencies of our bodies, but of our mental, emotional, and behavioural characteristics as well. World Health Organization has defined health as follows – “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Ayurvedic definition of health – ‘Health is a state where in the Tridosha, Digestive fire, all the body tissues & components, all the physiological processes are in perfect unison and the soul, the sense organs and mind are in a state of total satisfaction (prasanna) & content”.

Samadosha, samagnischa samadhatumala kriyaha prasanna atmenindriya manaha swasthya ityabhidheeyate. – Acharya Susruta

 Let’s understand it better.......

Samadosha

The doshas that are present in the body and mind, namely vata, pitta and kapha, must be in a balanced state in order to keep a person healthy. When the balance of the doshas is disturbed, either aggravated or decreased (vitiated) it produces a state of Dosha Vaishamya, which is called disease.

Samagni

In order to keep an individual healthy and digestive fire (koshth agni) and dhatuagni (tissue enzymes) must be in a proper state. When agni is less in quality (Mandagni) it will cause many diseases (“Rogaha Sarvepi Mande Agnou”). It is a well known that the health of an individual depends on the proper strength of his digestive power.

Sama dhatu mala kriya (balanced state of dhatus and malas)

According to Ayurveda there are seven Dhatus namely Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Medas, Asthi, Majja and Shukra. The excreta or Malas – purisa (faeces), Mutra (urine), Sweda (sweat). The dhatus of the body must function properly and so also the malas of the body.

Prasanna atmendriya manaha

In Ayurveda the functions of the sensory and motor organs and mind have been given special importance. When these are not in equilibrium and not discharging there functions properly, it will lead to a state called disease. Even when all is functioning properly the bodily activities must not vitiate (decrease) the sensory and motor organs and mind. The state of mental health is more important than that of the physical health of a person.

Swastha

Swastha or the healthy state is maintained from birth and the three doshas remain in a balanced state, then the person achieves a well balanced constitution, attractive appearance, good muscular strength and complete peace of mind.

Achieving Your Life Goals

Good health can be maintained until death. For this one should intelligently follow all the rules laid down according to the Ayurvedic science. Only then will a person enjoy an optimum life span of a hundred years without contracting disease. He will also gain recognition in society, friendship with people and honour and wealth as he has the energy and ability to achieve all the goals in life.

The aim of this system is to prevent illness, heal the sick and preserve life. This can be summed up as follows:

• Swasthyas swasthya rakshanam – to protect health and prolong life
• Aturasya vikar prashamanamcha – to eliminate diseases and dysfunctions of the body

Both of these are aimed towards the promotion of health on three levels:

• Mentally
• Physically
• Spiritually

Ayurvedic experts analyse Agni not only as digestive fire, but energy behind all the metabolic processes of the body. This also refers to physical well-being.

Body tissues and processes – this component refers to physical health

Total satisfaction of Soul, sense organs and mind – The explanation of these components are quite difficult and subjective. These not only refer to mental & social well-being, but also spiritual well-being.

Prana, Tejas and Ojas

Yoga is an alchemical process of balancing and transforming energies of the psyche. At the root of vata, pitta and kapha are its subtle counterparts called prana, tejas and ojas. Unlike the Doshas, which in excess create diseases, these promote health, creativity and well-being.

• Prana is our life force and is the healing energy of vata (air)

• Tejas is our inner radiance and is the healing energy of pitta (fire)

• Ojas is the ultimate energy reserve of the body derived from kapha (water)

Ultimately, Ayurveda is seeking to reduce diseases, in particular those that are chronic, and increase positive health in the body and mind via these three vital essences that aid in renewal and transformation. Increased Prana gives us more enthusiasm, adaptability and creativity, all necessary when pursuing our spiritual path, in yoga this force is necessary to enable us to perform. Tejas provides us with courage, fearlessness and insight, important when taking decisions. Last, Ojas gives us peace, confidence and patience to keep our development consistent and avoiding that we give up. Eventually, the most important element we want to develop is ojas as it gives us physical and psychological endurance. This can be achieved via the right diet, tonic herbs, control of the senses, and devotion...

How can Ayurveda help you remain healthy?

Specialized Ayurvedic remedies such as panchakarma chikitsa, shirodhara or following an Ayurvedic diet, basically endeavor to restore the harmony of the tridoshas. The purpose of all Ayurvedic remedies and herbal medicines is to keep the doshas or the humors in equilibrium, since an imbalance indicates a disease condition. Samsodhana (cleansing process), samsamana (palliative measures) and nidanaparivarjana (treating the causes) are the three main stages through which Ayurvedic remedies usually progress.

Of these three remedial phases, samsodhana is considered a prominent process and according to Ayurveda, should be administered with full care. Panchakarma is synonymous with this process. In fact, panchakarma is a group of five Ayurvedic remedies, all of which are not practiced in all diseases.

So a healthy person, as defined in Shusrut Samhita, one of the primary works on Ayurveda, is ‘he whose doshas are in balance, appetite is good, all tissues of the body and all natural urges are functioning properly, and whose mind, body and spirit are cheerful’.

STAY HEALTHY STAY BLESSED 

Disclaimer - Advice given here on this website is only for the purpose of information and is not a substitute for any medical advice. Please contact us personally for any information or your Doctor before making any lifestyle changes , As Nature (Prakriti) of every person is different. The visitor should assume that any and all links on this site are affiliate links. All the content here is from the CHARAK SAMHITA. It is somewhat made easy by Translating to an easy language to make every one understand.