Basic Concept

Crisis management is never a solution; it is a stop gap arrangement. Planned management leading to a situation where a crisis hardly occurs is what Ayurveda endorses. And thus temporary cures are rarely advocated. Ayurveda always attempts to understand the root cause of the problem and to remove that cause without creating other problems or side effects.

One of the foundational principles of Ayurveda is that Man is the microcosm of the macrocosm, the universe. Everything that exists in the latter, also exists in the former; and vice versa.

Thus are the foundational principles of Ayurveda – panchamahabhutas, doshas, dhatus, malas and agni (digestive fire) are the means through which the Ayurveda physician understands you and the state of your wellness better.

Panchamahabhooha – Five Great Elements

All beings are constituted by pancha maha bhuta or five great elements.

They are Follow

  • Earth
  • Water
  • Fire
  • Air
  • Space/Ether.

They form the foundation on which the Ayurveda physician relates to you.

Thridosha

Thridosha

For easier understanding on the human plane, they are further classified as vata or the principle of movement, pitta or the principle of heat and kapha or the principle of cold - these are the three Doshas, in short. They are called Doshas because they are prone to vitiation/imbalance.

They are nothing but the representation of the five elements at a functional level. Earth and Water combine to form Kapha, Fire and Water combine to form Pitta and Air and Space combine to form Vata.

Though Vata, Pitta and kapha are present all over the body, they are more concentrated below the navel, between the navel and the heart and above the heart respectively.Vata, Pitta and Kapha are prominent respectively during the last, middle and beginning phases of life, day, night and digestion.

The balance of the Doshas is the state of health and their imbalance is the state of disease. There is no disease that occurs without the involvement of the Doshas.

These Doshas Are Understood By Their Properties.

  • The properties of Vata are – dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile.
  • The properties of Pitta are – slight unctuousness, sharp, hot, light, foul smell, flowing and liquid.
  • The properties of kapha are – unctuous, cold, heavy, dull, smooth, stable.

Food And Its Transformation

The food that is consumed is converted in to two – the essence that is absorbed and the waste that is eliminated.The absorbed essence is known as rasa, which is the first dhatu (or the structural principle). The other dhatus are the blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow and reproductive principle.The transformation at the dhatu level takes place uninterruptedly in a healthy person and ultimate energy (known as ojas) is generated as an end product.

The waste for elimination are – feces, urine and sweat – these are called malas

Tastes And Their Effect On Doshas

There are six tastes. They are sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent. Sweet, sour and salt increase kapha and decrease vata. Pungent, bitter and astringent decrease kapha and increase vata. Sour, salt and pungent increase pitta. Sweet, bitter and astringent decrease pita.

Disease

Excessive, less and improper use of the sense organs, intellectual aberration and transformation that occurs with time are the three major causes of disease.

A disease is understood by five factors – etiological or causative factors, prodromal symptoms, clinical features of the disease, pathogenesis and investigative therapies.

Diseases are classified in to two – curable and incurable. Curable diseases are either easily curable or difficult to cure. Incurable are either manageable or untreatable.

Vega – Physical And Mental Urges.

Vega , urge , is body’s natural flow .Physical urges are urge to pass wind upwards (belching) and downwards (flatus), stool and urine; sneeze, thirst, hunger, sleep, cough, exert ional heavy breathing, , yawning, tears, vomiting, semen. These urges should neither be controlled nor be forcefully initiated.

Mental urges are greed, aversion, jealousy, unhealthy competitive spirit etc. these urges should be always controlled.

The vegas are an important concept in Ayurveda for we believe that many diseases have their origin in uncontrolled expression or suppression of the mental vegas and forced suppression of the physical vegas.