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A person may be heavy or light, move quickly or slowly, feel more
warm or cool, have a sharp or dull mind, have moist or dry skin.
These are examples of understanding the nature of a
person.Similarly, a disease like arthritis may be defined as
producing sharp or dull pain, migrating (mobile) or localized to
one or more joints (stable), producing vasodilatation around the
joint (warm), or vascular constriction (cool). By understanding
the presentation of a disease through its qualities, the
uniqueness of a disease is understood.
Herbal remedies are also understood in terms of their qualities.
Substances that are nourishing are described as being heavy, such
as licorice. Substances that are depleting are light, such as red
clover. Some herbs create warmth in the body, such as ginger, and
others cool the body, such as goldenseal. The fundamental
principle of treatment in Ayurveda is to treat the disease with
the qualities opposite to its nature. Cold diseases are treated
with warm remedies, heavy diseases are treated with light
remedies, and so on.
Ayurveda describes the human being as being composed of five
elements, three doshas (biological energies), seven dhatus
(tissues), and numerous srotas (channels). The five elements are
ether, air, fire, water, and earth. These five elements, which
also make up all of Nature, are not meant to be taken literally.
They are ideas described as elements. They are the ideas of space,
motion, heat, flow, and solidity respectively. They have the
qualities as noted above. The three doshas, the biological forces
that govern the functions of the body, are composed of these
elements.
Vata dosha is a biological force which governs all motion in the
body. Composed of ether and air, it is light, dry, mobile, and
cool. People with a predominance of this energy in their bodies
tend to exhibit these characteristics. They tend to be thin, have
dry skin, feel cold easily, and move and speak quickly. They also
tend to have a greater amount of cold emotion, such as anxiety and
fear. Vata dosha imbalance can affect any system of the body and
cause an increase in those qualities. For instance, the
respiratory system becomes dry as seen in dry asthma and
non-productive coughs. The digestive system becomes dry and
constipated, an abnormality of motion. Dryness may precipitate
stone formation in the kidneys or gall bladder, and an increase in
the motile quality of vata in the nervous system is understood to
cause hyper-excitability. The cold nature of vata can become
severely disturbed and cause Raynaud's syndrome. Wasting
conditions are viewed as an increase in the light quality of vata.
Therefore, anywhere in the body where there is an increase in the
qualities of vata, there will be physiological disturbance.
Pitta dosha is a force which govern all digestion in the body.
Composed primarily of fire, it is hot, light, exhibits flow, and
is sharp. It contains a little water, and thus it is neither very
moist or dry. People with a predominance of pitta in their bodies
exhibit these qualities. They feel warm and are less affected by
cold weather. They have a rosy complexion, are moderate and
reasonably steady in their weight, have a mesomorphic body build,
and can have a sharp and intense personality. This personality
tends to be challenged by a greater amount of heated emotion such
as anger, resentment, and jealousy. As pitta governs digestion,
the digestive system tends to be strong. There is little trouble
digesting food. Bowel movements occur frequently, 2-3X per day.
Pitta dosha imbalance can affect any system in the body but is
predisposed to affect systems that are said to contain a lot of
fire. When pitta affects a system, usually greater heat builds at
that location. The liver, small intestine, blood, skin, and eyes
are systems in which pitta exerts a great influence. Hepatitis,
hyperacidity, acne and conjunctivitis are examples of heated pitta
conditions in these regions of the body. Pitta disturbance can
affect any system. Infections anywhere in the body producing heat
and fever are understood as pitta disturbances.
Kapha dosha is a biological force which governs growth in the
body. Composed of water and earth, it is heavy, moist, stable,
soft, and dull. People with a predominance of kapha in their
bodies tend to carry more weight, have thicker, denser bones and
skin, and have a more traditional endomorphic body build. They
also tend to have moist supple skin and full, thick hair. This
person's personality tends toward being relaxed and not easily
disturbed. They talk and move slowly. They can be challenged by
heavy feelings, such as lethargy and rigidity. When kapha
increases in the body, there is a greater production of mucous
which, like kapha, is heavy, thick, and moist. There may also be
swelling and weight gain. While kapha can affect any system of the
body, the stomach and lungs are the most susceptible. It is here
that we see several common signs of kapha disturbance--nausea,
limited appetite and mucous formation. Conditions such as obesity,
some cancers, chronic bronchitis, lung congestion, and fluid
retention syndromes have a kapha disturbance as a component of the
pathophysiology.
While the doshas are seen as the causative agents of disease,
dhatus, upadhatus, and srotas are understood to be the site of the
disease. Dhatus are tissues, upadhatus are additional tissues, and
srotas are channel systems. There are seven tissues; plasma,
blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow, and reproductive tissue. Unlike
Western medicine, which understands each tissue to be separate,
Ayurveda understands each to be dependent upon the tissues
preceding it for its nourishment and health. Hence, a problem
which develops in one tissue, if not corrected, will eventually
have systemic consequences. Pathology in Ayurveda can be partially
understood in terms of what dosha is affecting what dhatu. When
vata enters a dhatu, that dhatu becomes lighter, drier, and
hyper-mobile. When pitta enters, it becomes heated, and when kapha
enters, it becomes heavier, moister, and more stable. In a muscle,
vata disturbance causes wasting and atrophy, pitta disturbance
causes infection and inflammation, and kapha disturbance causes
excessive growth.
Srotas are channel systems similar to the organ systems of the
human body. The major srotas are somewhat equivalent to the
respiratory system, digestive system, reproductive system,
cardiovascular system, urinary system, and water metabolism
system. These are additional sites of disease where doshas may
become aggravated.
During the metabolic processes of the body, Ayurveda recognizes
that metabolic waste is produced and must be properly eliminated
to maintain optimal health. Waste materials are called malas.
Obstruction to their removal is another causative factor in
disease.
According to Ayurveda, each person has a constitution that was
determined at conception. This constitution is the inherent
balance of these three doshas. The constitution determines a
person's basic body type and personality. While other factors
influence the formation of both the body and personality, the
constitution provides the predisposition in much the same way as a
person's genetics. It is a common misconception that Ayurveda
groups people according to three types. In actuality, there are
infinite combinations and permutations of these three basic
energies in each person. Therefore, we see that each person is
understood to be unique. The Ayurvedic practitioner's first
objective is to understand the nature or constitution of the
patient. This tells the practitioner who they are treating.
Next the practitioner attempts to understand the disease or the
nature of the imbalance. Ayurvedic pathology is understood
according to the doshic imbalance and the imbalance of qualities
within the body. The practitioner assesses the state of the doshas,
dhatus, upadhatus, srotas, and malas of the body. The overall
strength of the body is an important factor in future treatment
and is assessed as well. The term ojas is applied to the strength
of the body, although more accurately it is that which gives the
body the ability to endure stress.
While pathology is important to understanding the nature of the
disease, equally important is etiology. Etiology is understood
according to how the patient's lifestyle, habits, and environment
caused the doshas to become disturbed. A lifestyle which
emphasizes a fast pace, changes of job or relationship, travel,
fast foods, and dry, light foods, such as a vegetarian diet, is
likely to cause an aggravation to vata dosha. A lifestyle which is
intense, competitive, highly focused, and which emphasizes spicy
hot foods is likely to aggravate pitta. Kapha is aggravated by a
sedentary lifestyle and a diet of heavy, moist foods, such as
milk, yogurt, and meat.
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