NAMASTE!

Although there are only three doshas, an individual constitution is as unique as are our fingerprints. 

Whenever we are able to find out something new about ourselves, we become particularly interested in learning. This rule is definitely applicable every time we start speaking of an individual constitution. The working of Tridosha on our mind and body is definitely the most liked part of lectures, because it is a practical knowledge, which we can immediately use in our day to day life.

My niece, Kristina, and her friend Pavel are good example of this. They came to my lecture for the first time, when they were twelve years old. After the lecture was over, we all went to have a walk around the old quarters of Prague. Kristina and Pavel were completely immersed in examining people: “Look at that skinny guy munching a roll while running for the tram! A typical Vata!” Kristina pointed out to Pavel. “Yeah, that’s right.” Pavel confirmed. Then he lowered his voice cautiously; “That ginger haired man over there is a typical Pitta, don’t you think?” Their new game lasted for almost the whole afternoon. Eventually, Pavel turned to me and commented “We could come across Vatas and Pittas around here and there is no Kapha anywhere, how come?”

The five basic elements - ether, air, fire, water and earth - express themselves in the human body as three biophysical principles, which we call tridosha. Vata is formed by the space and air and control all movement in the body. Fire and water form Pitta, which governs metabolism, transformation of energy and bodily temperature. Out of water and earth arises Kapha, which controls bodily structure and fluid management of the body. Through the mechanism of three doshas the human body is connected with a vast spectrum of cosmic energies. That is how we become part of the eternal universal dance.

Although there are only three doshas, an individual constitution is as unique as are our fingerprints. Every person is a combination of these three doshas. The proportion, in which they come, is different in each individual, and therefore every one of us has a unique physical appearance, behaviour, tendencies and emotional reactions. Our constitution is determined by our metabolic tendencies. The way our body and mind digest, gets reflected in our physical and psychological traits.

Every person is a combination of these three doshas. The proportion, in which they come, is different in each individual, and therefore every one of us has a unique physical appearance, behaviour, tendencies and emotional reactions.

Because in most people we find two ‘doshas predominant, Ayurveda talks about seven basic types. They are ‘Vata Pitta’, ‘Pitta Vata’, ‘Vata Kapha’, ‘Kapha Vata’, ‘Pitta Kapha’, ‘Kapha Pitta’, and ‘Vata Pitta Kapha’. The last combination where all three doshas are in harmony is very rare. Only such exceptional beings as Gautama Buddha, Jesus of Nazareth entered this world endowed with a perfectly balanced constitution.

The inborn constitution is termed ‘Prakruti’, which means ‘the entire expressed universe.’ Ayurvedic Rishis used the word Prakruti, because they understood the human being to be a micro cosmos. The constitution of a human being entering this world is truly his or her own personal universe. The energies ruling this micro cosmos are the same as the forces ruling the Universe. Prakruti includes all our physical traits, mental characteristics and emotional inclinations.

The interplay of the doshas gives us either health or illness. If the communication between the doshas is harmonious the bodily functions support each other. If the dosha’s functioning is disturbed, it results in various imbalances in the body. Let’s have a glance at how and why this happens, but first let us look at the nutrition of our body.

  • Vata moves food through the digestive tract. If the movement is too fast or, on the other hand, too slow, digestion, absorption and excretion are disturbed. Vata also helps break the food particles because it energizes the digestive organs. As properly blowing wind keeps the flame of a fire burning, in the same way Vata assists in the proper burning of digestive fire. Insufficient wind means insufficient production of digestive enzymes whereas excessive wind scatters the fire thus drying the body.
  • Pitta breaks food particles and prepares them for absorption. If there is optimal burning of the fire, digestion proceeds smoothly. A flame that is too high causes excessive burning and fast digestion, increasing the acidity of the stomach and possibly leading to stomach ulcers. If, on the other hand, the flame is too low, toxins accumulate in the body as a result.
  • Kapha moistens the taste cells and the epithelium of digestive organs preventing the digestive fire from burning through.

The second important area is our mind and thinking:

  • Vata governs the memory and movement of thought in time allowing us to move through both past and future.
  • Pitta rules thinking, the transformation of gained information into thoughts and differentiation. It classifies and processes information in such a way that allows us to absorb it correctly.
  • Kapha provides stability necessary for coherent thinking and insures our mental stability.


Read next chapter: ESSAYS ON AYURVEDA 17 >>

 

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