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Developing Samádhi: Divine PeaceSome patients have one type of physical

constitution combined with anothertype of mental constitution (i.e., a heavy and nervous

person has a Kapha body and Váyu mind).

Conseuently, when su!!estin! healin! measuresfor the Kapha body illness, the practitioner ta"escare not to a!!ravate the Váyu mental constitution.

#n this e$ample, %re&increasin! measures arerecommended, includin! herbs, foods, and aromas,

but not air&increasin! ones. 'ental disease is relatedto rajas and tamas, the activity and lethar!y

principles of the three guòas (ualities). he guòasalso reect the level of the soul*s development. #f the mind is sattwic, or pure, then clarity e$ists. A

sattwic&minded person perceives the "nowled!e of

+ivinity. sattwic mind is also the %rst sta!e of samádhi. -oor mental discrimination is the causeof all illness, ma"in! one dishonest, self&destructive,

and hurtful to others. ne would overindul!ein /0un" food,1 entertainment, etc. he best way toheal is by followin! a sattwic lifestyle. his includes

meditation, compassionate actions, ethicaland virtuous behavior, healthy, or!anic foods, and

livin! within the rhythms of nature. -eople inwhom sattwa predominates, see the !ood in allthin!s (includin! the value an illness may o2er),

and they are the healthiest people as well.Tamas creates lethar!y, dullness, and a cloudyperception. his is caused by fear and i!norance,and plays on one*s animal nature. person withthis frame of mind would choose not to do much

of anythin!. 3hen this mental uality is predomi45Section 6: 7undamentals Chapter 4: he 8uman 9niverse

nant, such persons will suppress their emotions.motional suppression is a ma0or cause of severe

illness, li"e cancer. Sta!nancy describes their emotionalma"eup. ;e!ative mindedness and self&destruction

de%ne their personality.Rajas causes a turbulent, or distracted, mind. #t

ma"es one loo" outside for comfort and ful%llment.#t causes one to see" e$ternal validation. Rajas

ma"es one thin" love is derived from an e$ternalrelationship, not from within. #t ma"es one willful,

e!oistic, and manipulative.3hen rajas and tamas e$ist in the mind simultaneously,

activity is devoted to !reedy purposes.



hese persons also overe$tend themselves for thoseends. hey blame others for their condition and

e$pect others to cure them.3hen rajas is free from a trace of tamas, it then

can develop purer activities, li"e studyin! or learnin!

about health and spirituality. <et the rajasicmindedperson may still burn out durin! the learnin!process.

ften, 0ust as people have some ualities of allthree doßhas, that mind has some of each guòa.

Seven mental guòa types e$ist: sattwa, rajas,tamas, sattwa-rajas, sattwa-tamas, rajas-tamas,and triguòa (eual amounts of the three guòas).

=ust as e$ternal factors may cause doßha deran!ement,the rajasic nature of our modern technolo!ical

society may cause mental rajasic deran!ements.

Mental Qualities: Práòa, Tejas & Ojas he mind has three !overnin! a!ents similar toVáyu, -itta, and Kapha. hey are called práòa (air),

tejas (%re), and ojas (life sap). !ain, it is the balanceof these three elements that decide mental

balance and clarity. oo much práòa will createan$iety, worry, insomnia, and loss of memory andconcentration. (his práòa is di2erent from the air

we thin" of as respiration. 8ere, práòa means lifeforce,soul, or kuòæaliní ¤hakti). $cess práòa dries

up ojas, the sap that creates one*s spiritual life sap.

hrou!h meditation, ojas becomes transmuted intolife ener!y, or /kuòæaliní ¤hakti,1 which developsone*s Self&reali>ation. Spiritually spea"in!, an

undetectable tube runs up the middle of our spinecalled the /sußhumòá1 in which the kuòæaliní ener!y

travels. 3ithout this ¤hakti ener!y, not onlyis our physical and mental health used up, but alsoso is our spiritual development. $cess tejas also

depletes ojas by burnin! it up, whereas e$cess ojascan create a lethar!ic person.

Dohas and the Organs

ach or!an is primarily !overned by one doßha.?y "nowin! which doßha controls which or!ans,one achieves the health of the appropriate or!an,

throu!h balancin! the elements (doßhas) !rigin "ites o# the doßhas

?y merely "nowin! which doßha is related towhich tissue layer and body system, @yurveda canidentify and brin! balance to health problems. 7or

e$ample, diabetes is a condition of the water (!lucose)



metabolism srota$ Kapha doßha causes thiscondition (from sweet tastes). ?y removin! water&increasin! foods and herbs from one*s diet, and

eatin! %re and air increasin! foods (bitter and pun!enttastes), diabetes is controlled. Certain herbs

li"e ¤hilájit and guæmar , and special @yurvedica%h&a'gas (massa!e&li"e) are also used speci%callyfor healin! the pancreas and "idneys.

!á"u Pitta #aphacolonA small

intestineA stomachAbrain liver lun!s

thi!hs spleen pericardiumbones !all bladder triple warmer

"idney "idneyurinary

bladder heart urinarybladderpancreas pancreas pancreas

uterus testes he @yurveda ncyclopedia

4B$ealth, %cess & De'ciencies o( the Dhátus

Plasma)*asa$cess: Saliva, phle!m, bloc"ed channels, loss

of appetite, nausea, Kapha is increased throu!houtbody.

+e%cient: ou!h s"in, dry lips, dehydration,weariness and e$haustion after sli!ht activity, intoleranceto sound, tremors, palpitations, heart

pain, a sense of emptiness, poor nutrition.8ealthy: Dood comple$ion, healthy hair, vitality,

compassionate, and happy.+lood) *ata

$cess: S"in disease, abscesses, liver, andspleen enlar!ement, hypertension, tumors, delirium,

poor di!estion, 0aundice, burnin! sensation,bleedin!, redness in s"in, eyes, and urine.

+e%cient: Eow blood pressure, pallor, low s"inluster, blood vessel collapse, shoc", desirin! sourand cold foods, loose and dry hair, dry, rou!h,

crac"ed s"in.8ealthy: Dood color in chee"s, hands, feet, lips,

ton!ue lustrous eyes, warm s"in, vital yet sensitiveto sun and heat, passion.

(lood cellsMuscle)Má-sa



$cess: nlar!ed liver, swellin!, tumors inmuscle sites, heaviness or swellin! of !lands, overwei!ht

or obesity, irritability, a!!ression, %broids,miscarria!e, low se$ual vitality.

+e%cient: 3eariness, loose limbs, lac" of coordination,

emaciation of hips, bac" of nec" andabdomen, fear, unhappiness, insecurity.8ealthy: ble to e$ercise, stron!, adaptable.

3ell developed nec", shoulder and thi!h muscles.Coura!eous, inte!rity, fortitude and a stron! character.

Rotator Arm )uscles*+tensor Arm )uscles

le+or Arm )uscles4F

Section 6: 7undamentals Chapter 4: he 8uman 9niverse.at)Medas

$cess: verwei!ht and obesity, lac"in! mobility,asthma, fati!ue, se$ual debility, thirst, diabetes,shortened life span, hypertension, breast,

sa!!in! belly and thi!hs, emotional fear and attachment.+e%cient: 3eary eyes, fati!ue, crac"in! 0oints,

enlar!ed spleen, limb emaciation, thin abdomen,brittle or wea" hair, bones, nails, teeth.

8ealthy: Eubricated tissues, oily hair, eyes, andfeces. mple body fat (not e$cessive). 'elodiousvoice, lovin!, 0oyful, humorous, and a2ectionate.

+one)/sthi

$cess: Spurs, e$tra bones and teeth, e$tra lar!eframe, 0oint pain, low stamina, an$iety, arthritis,bone cancer, or !i!antism in e$treme cases.+e%cient: -ain or loose 0oints, fallin! of teeth,

hair and nails, poor bone and tooth formation, fati!ue,dwar%sm in e$treme cases.

8ealthy: Ear!e 0oints, and prominent bones,e$ibility, lon!, feet, lar!e, stron!, white teeth,

patient, consistent, stable, hard wor"in!.Marro0) Majjá

$cess: Eimbs, eyes and 0oint (ori!in) heaviness,

deep non&healin! sores, cloudy eyes, and infections.+e%cient: 3ea" and porous bones, small 0ointpain, seein! spots or dar"ness before the eyes,di>>y, low se$ual vitality, feelin! emptiness, andfear. Váyu becomes imbalanced from low nerve

tissue supply.8ealthy: Stron! 0oints, clear eyes, !ood speech,

able to withstand pain, sharp, clear, sensitive mindwith !ood memory, open, feelin!, compassionate,



receptive.)arrow a.it&

Autonomic /$"$Semen) 1hura

$cess: $cess se$ual desire that leads to an!er,

e$cess semen, semen stones, and a swollenprostate.+e%cient: Eow vitality and se$ual desire, impotence,

sterility, diGcult and slow e0aculation,bloody semen. ne may e$perience lassitude, weariness,

a dry mouth, lower bac" pain, fear, an$iety,and lac" of love.

he @yurveda ncyclopedia4H

8ealthy: ttractive body, lustrous eyes, !oodhair !rowth, well&formed se$ual or!ans, charm,

lovin!, compassionate, empathic. $cess producesKapha. +e%ciencies produce Váyu.Srotas: +od" 2hannel S"stems

ther parallels e$ist between ast and 3estconcernin! srotas. "rotas are the channels, pores,or systems that carry or circulate the doßhas andtissues (dhátus) or their elements to the various

or!ans. +urin! this process of circulation thedhátus are transformed from the %rst to the last

tissue layer (rasa throu!h ¤hukra). ach dhátu hastwo aspects: nutrition for its own tissue layer, and

sustenance for the ne$t developin! dhátu.@yurveda notes 6H systems, several more thanthose that are currently considered. he ori!in sites,which carry each dhátu, are listed on the ne$t pa!e.

4ISection 6: 7undamentals Chapter 4: he 8uman 9niverse

S"stems 3Srotas4 Main Organ Site: *elatedDoäha Signs o( %cess

espiratory(Vital ?reath)

0ráòa.aha "rotas

8eart, colonJ nose, trachea,lun!s alimentary tract, pleurae:Váyu

8yperventilation+i!estive

1nna.aha "rotas +i!estivesmall intestine: -itta 8yperacidity, diarrhea'etabolism (water)

2daka.aha "rotas -alate and pancreas: Kapha 8un!er, hypo!lycemiaEymphatic-lasma



Srotas4 Signs o( De'cienc"Vital ?reath

0ráòa.aha ?reathin! abnormalities (e.!., shortness of breath) with sound or pain+i!estion

Anna.aha +ry ton!ue, palate, lips, throat, pancreas, e$cessive thirst, low

appetite3ater2daka.aha Eoss of hun!er, anore$ia, indi!estion, nausea, vomitin!,

hyper!lycemia-lasma

Rasa.ahaEoss of hun!er, anore$ia, nausea, heaviness, drowsiness, fever and faintin!,anemia, circulatory bloc"s, impotence, emaciation, poor di!estion, early !ray

hairand wrin"les, dehydration

8emo!lobin

Rakta.ahaou!h s"in, %ssures, crac"s, loss of luster, dryness, collapsed veins andarteries, desire for cold M sour thin!s, anemia, di!estive disorders, purpura

'uscle)á3sa.aha

Vitiation of muscle tissue, inamed uvula or cervi$, tonsillitis, boils, !oiter,inamed epi!lottis, hemorrhoids (dilated blood vessels in the anal re!ion or

rectaltumors of the mucous membranes), muscle tumors, !ranular tumors, peelin!

s"in,muscle spasms, poor muscle tone

7at)edo.aha#ncubatory si!ns and symptoms of urinary disorders includin! diabetes mellitus,

matted hair, emaciation, dry s"in?one

Asthi.aha3ea" bones and teeth, de%cient bone and tooth tissueJ crac"in! sensation in

teeth, bone pain, discoloration and loss of hair and nails, osteoporosis'arrow

)ajjá.aha =oint pain, !iddiness, faintin!, 0oint abscesses, nerve numbness, -ar"inson*s

(nerves not %rin! to muscles)eproductive4hukra.aha

#mpotency, sterility, or sic" pro!eny7eces

0uríßha.aha Constipation (may occur with pain and sound)9rine

)5tra.aha Scanty, diGcult, or painful urinationSweat



"weda.aha Eac" of or de%cient sweat, rou!h s"in, burnin! sensation, hairstandin! on end

9terus Arta.aha Scanty or delayed menses, hormone de%ciencies

?reast 'il"

"tan&a.aha Eac" of breast mil"4NSection 6: 7undamentals Chapter 4: he 8uman 9niverse

2hannels 3Srotas4 2auses o( Srota !itiationVital ?reath

0ráòa.aha Suppressin! natural ur!es, oils, when hun!ry, e$ercisin!3ater'etabolism

2daka.aha8eat, indi!estion, alcohol, dry foods, e$cessive thirst

+i!estion Anna.aha

9nwholesomeindi!estible food-lasmaRasa.aha

$cess heavy, cold, oily foods, over worry8emo!lobinRakta.aha

8ot, oily, irritatin! foods and drin"s, sun and %re e$posure'uscle

)á3sa.aha8eavy foods, sleepin! ri!ht after meals

7at

)edo.aha;o e$ercise, day naps, fatty food?one

Asthi.aha$ercise that irritates and rubs bones, Váyu increasin! foods

'arrow)ajjá.aha

Crushin!, e$cess liuids, in0ury and compression of bone marrow, dryfoods

eproductive4hukra.aha

9ntimely intercourse, suppression of se$ual ur!e, e$cessive se$ualindul!ence9rine

)5tra.ahaSuppressin! urine ur!e, eatin!, drin"in!, and intercourse when there is an

ur!e to urinate7eces

0urísha.ahaSuppressin! the ur!e to defecate, eatin! overly lar!e meals, eatin! before



di!estin! the last mealSweat

"weda.aha$cess e$ercise, heat, an!er, !rief, fear, untimely eatin! of hot and cold

thin!s

he @yurveda ncyclopedia5Os l e n n a h 23

Srotas4 S"mptoms o( +locs S"mptoms o( Over5o0Vital ?reath

0ráòa.aha cou!h, asthma, hiatal hernia perforated lun!s3ater&'etabolism

2daka.ahadiabetes, pancreatic cancer, dry

ton!ue, palate, lips, and throat anore$ia, watery vomitin!+i!estion

Anna.aha tumors vomitin!, perforated stomach orintestines (i.e. ulcer)-lasma

Rasa.ahasevere swollen !lands, lymph

obstruction, lymph cancer bleedin! with cou!h8emo!lobinRakta.aha

arrhythmia, liver or spleenenlar!ement bleedin!

'uscle

)á3sa.ahachronic inammations, muscletumors tearin! of muscle tissue

7at)edo.aha

fat tumors (subcutaneous andusually beni!n), arteriosclerosis tearin! of adipose tissue

?one Asthi.aha calci%cation, spurs, cancer bones brea"in!

'arrow)ajjá.aha convulsions, coma, 'S dama!e

eproductive4hukra.ahaimpotency, swollen testes, prostate

stones, uterine tumors sperm in bladder9rine

)5tra.ahadiGcult or painful urination,

obstructions or stones bladder burstin!7eces



0urísha.ahatumors, intestinal bloc"s,

diverticulitis, constipation or scantystool, pain, soundcolon perforation

Sweat"weda.aha no sweatin! sweat in plasma9terus

Arta.ahapain, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea,

chlorosis, tumors menses or urine in stool?reast 'il""tan&a.aha

no mil", pain, swellin!, mastitis,cysts, tumors, cancer breast in0ury

56

Section 6: 7undamentals Chapter 4: he 8uman 9niverse9sin! cross&referencin!, by "nowin! a symptom,@yurveda %nds the imbalanced srota.

"rotas include, veins (¤hirá), arteries (dhamaní ),capillaries (rasa.ahini), ducts (náæí ), passa!es( pantha), tracts (marga), spaces inside the body

(¤harírachidra), ducts Popen at one end and closedat the otherQ (sam.ritásam.rita), residence

(sthána), containers (áßha&a), and abodes (niketa). hey are the visible and invisible areas in the

body*s tissue elements. Riction of these srotas

creates vitiation of the tissues that reside there orpass throu!h them (i.e., vitiation of one, leads todepletion of the other). Váyu and Kapha doßhascause vitiation of the srotas and tissue elements(harak "a3hitá & 6imánasthána Ch. F verse N).

The 67 8atural 9rges@yurveda, we have already said, emphasi>es!entle and natural methods. o hi!hli!ht this,

@yurveda notes that certain bodily ur!es are naturaland necessary for proper health and functionin!of the mind, emotions, and body. he result of

suppressin! these natural ur!es creates serioushealth problems.67 8atural 9rges and the

*esults o( Suppressing Them6. Sleep: #nsomnia, fati!ue, headache, deran!es the

vital force.4. Cry: ye disease, aller!ies, li!ht&headedness,

heart disease (suppressed emotions).5. Snee>e: 8eadache, facial nerve pain, numbness,



wea" senses, lun! disorders, and respiratory aller!ies.B. ?reathe: Cou!hin!, asthma, shallow breath, low

vitality, heart disease.F. ?elch: Cou!h, hiccups, anore$ia, diGcult

breathin!, palpitations.

H. <awn: remors, numbness, convulsions, insomnia,harms nervous system, deran!es Váyu.I. Vomit: ;ausea, anore$ia, edema, anemia, fever,

s"in diseases, dama!es Kapha.L. at: Eow appetite and di!estion, malabsorption,li!ht&headedness, deran!es the whole body and

mind, suppresses the agni %re and -itta.N. +rin": +ryness, deafness, fati!ue, heart pain,

bladder pain, lower bac"ache, headache, dama!esKapha and Váyu.

6O. 9rinate: Kidney and urinary system deran!ement,

diGcult or painful urination, bladder pain,lower bac"ache, headache, deran!es Váyu andKapha.

66. 0aculate: 3ea"ens the reproductive and urinarysystems, penis and testes pain, swollen prostate,

diGcult urination, cardiac pain, insomnia,malaise, Váyu deran!ement.

64. +efecate: 3ea"ens the colon, e$cretory anddi!estive srotas, causes constipation, abdominal

wea"ness, abdominal distention, headaches,muscle cramps, deran!es Váyu.

65. 7latulate: Causes constipation, diGcult urination,abdominal pain, distention, wea"ens Váyu,air wastes are absorbed into the bones and marrow,

a!!ravatin! arthritis and nerves.#t is for these reasons that @yurveda advises

that people follow nature*s call, livin! naturallyand !ently, without strainin! or forcin!.

.our Disease 2onditionsll diseases are said to fall into one of four cate!ories:

those that are easily healed, those that arediGcult to heal, those that are controllable but cannot

be healed, and those that cannot be healed. achform of disease has speci%c features. he @yurveda ncyclopedia

54asily 8ealed: -eople able to receive all therapies,

adults, self&controlled persons, not havin! thevital or!ans a2ected, havin! mild or few causes,or are currently in the %rst three of the si$ sta!es

of development (see second section followin! this).



ther indications include no secondary complicationsor diseasesJ or the disease is di2erent from

the doßha, dhátu, re!ion, season and constitution.7urther si!ns include, favorable planetary inuence,

havin! a proper practitioner and therapy, or

disease arisin! from only one doßha. ther si!nsinclude diseases that manifest themselves in onlyone disease pathway (i.e., inner, outer, central), or

those that have recently be!un to develop.+iGcult ?ut ble to be 8ealed: +iseases reuirin!

sur!ery, dual doßha illness, or tridohic illness(some believe tridoha belon!s in the ne$t

cate!ory).Controllable ?ut ;ot ble to be 8ealed: #llness

remainin! throu!hout life, which have symptomsof easily healed description, are controllable

throu!h usin! appropriate foods, herbs, nutrition,and lifestyle re!imens.9nable to be 8ealed: Symptoms that are the

opposite of diseases that can be healed (describedabove), lon! lastin! (and involvin! all seven dhátus

and important vital or!ans), causin! an$iety, delusionand restlessness, showin! fatal si!ns, and causin!

loss of sensory or!ans.*euirements o( the Practitioner & Patient-ractitioners are reuired to have both proper

education and e$perience learned from a uali%ed

teacher, to be ethical and virtuous, and to followtheir own @yurvedic lifestyle and spirituality Tinactions, words, and thou!hts.

-atients should want to be healed, and shouldbe able and willin! to ta"e responsibility to heal

themselves or to be open to the therapies administered. he practitioner should be honest and tell patients

when they are unable to su!!est healin!measures, and reco!ni>e a patient who does notreally want to be healed. he practitioner is not

advised to attempt healin! persons who cannot be

healed. hey will !ain a reputation as an unscrupulouspretender, 0ust out to ma"e money.%;ects on Dohas:

Time, <eograph" and /ge he environment also plays a role in the balance

of the doßhas. ach humor has certain timesof the day when it is predominant. #t is sometimes

necessary to avoid imbalancin! one*s doßha byconsiderin! these e2ects.



hus, a -itta doßha person would not be advisedto spend much time in the sun between 66:OO

and 5:OO -.'. hey should avoid wor"in! at thistime as well, since they will be more susceptibleto overheatin! their systems durin! this time of

day.<eograph"Deo!raphy a2ects a person in the same manneras the seasons. 8otter climates will a!!ravate

-itta doßhas. Cold and damp northwest re!ions willbother the Kapha person. +ry and cold climates

will a!!ravate the Váyu doßha. Consider this e$ampleof !eo!raphical therapy: #f a person has a

Kapha condition, he or she may be advised to visitthe mountains or desert where it is drier. his climate

causes the person to heal properly and

uic"ly. (See Chapter 64 for a detailed discussionof seasons).Prevailing Doßha Times o( the Da"

Kapha I&N .'. I&N -.'.Kapha-itta N&66 .'. N&66 -.'.

-itta 66 .'.&5 -.'.66 -'&5 .'.

Váyu 5&F -.'. 5&F .'.VáyuKapha F&I -.'. F&I .'.

55Section 6: 7undamentals Chapter 4: he 8uman 9niverse/ge

lthou!h a person*s doßha !enerally does notchan!e durin! their life, %ve sta!es need to be considered

due to a!e. he F 7oßha Sta!es of Eife

Denerally, we see a tendency for children to !etcolds and con!estion, a Kapha condition, whatever

their doßha. +urin! a person*s midyears, more-itta illness occurs. #n the later years, we see Váyu

attac"in! the bones and memory of the elderly.Simply by considerin! a!e factors, a person canstay healthy and balanced, avoidin! the problems

that come with a!e.$umor=>m?alancing Priorities

3e have discussed the situations that imbalancethe humors: internal (foods, mind, emotions, andbody) and e$ternal (i.e., environmental and the

lifestyle). 3hen two of these factors simultaneously



a2ect an individual, one component willhave more of an e2ect on one*s doßha than the

other will.6. Constitution outwei!hs environment

#f the constitution is "ept balanced, environmental

factors will not a!!ravate a condition. 7or e$ample,if children maintain a balanced constitution, theywill be less susceptible to Kapha&type colds andu in the winter. nvironmental factors include

spiritual (karmic) situations such as past life inuences.4. Eifestyle outwei!hs environment

7ollowin! a lifestyle that balances their doßha protectspeople from environmental a!!ravations (i.e.,

cold weather will not seriously a2ect Váyu personsif they ta"e measures to "eep warm).

5. #nternal inta"e (of foods and drin"s) outwei!hs

e$ternal e$posureSeasonal temperatures cannot cause any imbalanceif a person eats herbs and foods that balance one*s

doßha.B. 'ind and emotions outwei!h physical factors calm, peaceful mind and cheerful dispositionwill "eep away physical imbalances. (3orry will

cause physical illness. clear, calm mind will preventbodily disease).

F. +e!ree of factors is most si!ni%cantn e$cess of any one cause of an imbalance will

create an illness. oo hot a summer day, too muchworries, too much 0un" food, etc., will overrideany other balancin! measures.

H. Combinations of factors outwei!h individuals wo or more a!ents actin! on a person will be more

problematic than 0ust one component.Three Desires

#ntelli!ent persons are advised to pursue !oodhealth, wealth, and Self&eali>ation. 8ealth is the

basis of life, so livin! a healthy lifestyle (i.e.,wholesome diet and lifestyle, and adeuate rest,)

is essential. Eivin! a lon! life without adeuate%nancial resources is sure to promote troubles. he!oal of life, accordin! to @yurvedic precepts, isSelf&eali>ation. ?y livin! a healthy life and not

bein! troubled by %nancial matters, persons havethe time to focus on the prime !oal of life. hus@yurveda su!!ests people live lives of charity,compassion, nonviolence, celibacy, devotion to

+ivinity and sádhaná (meditation) or prayer (see



the discussion on 8ama and /i&ama in Chapter 65). hese measures help to develop one*s Self&eali>ation.

?y i!norin! these principles, people areforced to be reborn repeatedly until they follow

these measures and !ain Self&eali>ation.

/ge Main Doßha?irth&6F years Kapha6F&4I years Kapha-itta

4I&B4 years -ittaB4&FH years -ittaVáyu

FHU years Váyu he @yurveda ncyclopedia

5BManagement o( the Dohas

Váyu is reduced throu!h heat and moistness.-itta is reduced throu!h leisure and cold.

Kapha is reduced throu!h heat, dry, and li!htness.Váyu ( Apán Váyu) !athers and becomes e$cessivewhile food is in the lar!e intestine (ori!inatin!

site). 3estern medicine has a parallel view.Carbohydrates become fermented and proteins

become putre%ed. his produces !as in the colon.Váyu is alleviated when food is in the stomach.

his is why it is su!!ested that Váyu individualshave a meal every 5&B hours. #n this way, puttin!

food in the stomach reduces the Váyu accumulatedsince the last meal. ?ecause the colon is the or!an

that is the main site of Váyu and mostly a2ects air,@yurveda recommends enemas (%astis) to cleansethe e$cess Váyu from the colon.

-itta !athers and becomes e$cessive when foodis in the duodenum and small intestine (ori!inatin!

site). #t is reduced when the food reaches thecolon. hus, an e$cess of -itta may create heartburn

about two hours after meals. ?ecause thesmall intestine is the main site of -itta, pur!ation(.irechana) is recommended. 7rom the western

point of view, the -itta (0achak -itta) is parallel to

the di!estive en>ymes secreted by the pancreas,liver, etc. that are active in the duodenum and smallintestine.

Kapha !athers and becomes e$cessive in thestomach 0ust after eatin! (9ledaka Kapha). Kaphamoistens the food and passes it on to the small

intestine for the action of -itta. #t is the slu!!ishnessof Kapha that causes one to feel sleepy after

eatin! a meal. #f an e$cess of Kapha develops, one



may feel nauseous or want to vomit 0ust after eatin!.Kapha is relieved when food is in the small

intestine. he parallels to Kapha in western medicineare mucoid secretions and saliva. 3hen food

is eaten, secretions from the mucus membranes (in

the intestines) moisten the food. hese secretionsfrom the lun!s rise into the trachea (from the ciliaryaction) and move to the throat. hen the secretions

are swallowed and move down the esopha!usand %nally, into the stomach. @yurveda calls

these e$cess secretions water, or Kapha. #n 3esternmedicine e$pectorants are used to remove the

e$cess secretions. hese e$pectorants have minoremetic properties. #n lar!e doses, these e$pectorants

cause vomitin! (emesis). Ei"ewise, Kaphadoßha is balanced by .aman (emesis). PSee dia!ram

belowQ9nderl"ing 2auses o( $ealth:/gni, @ma and Ojas

he main cause of illness is a poor di!estivesystem. #f the di!estive %re (agni) does not burn

stron!ly enou!h, foods do not !et di!ested. #f foodis not di!ested, nutrients cannot be absorbed. 3henfoods do not !et di!ested, they sit and accumulatein the colon, becomin! a breedin! !round for yeastinfections, to$ins, !as, and constipation. 9ndi!ested

foods are called áma. 1ma is the root cause

of most problems in the body, resultin! from e$cessVáyu or Kapha (or both). #f the agni burnstoo much, heat and acid build up in the system,

creatin! -itta problems.+i!estion be!ins in the mouth and stomach as

saliva acts upon the food to di!ests it. -ráa Váyumoves the food from the mouth to the stomach

(ámáßha&a). nce in the stomach the food ta"eson a predominantly sweet (madhura) taste. 7ood

6. Ciliary actionmoves

secretionsupward4. Secretions

move intotrachea 5. Secretions

are swallowedinto the throatB. hen, theymove down



esopha!usF. 7inally, secretions

move into the stomachThe Path o( .ood

Moistening Secretions

5FSection 6: 7undamentals Chapter 4: he 8uman 9niversemi$es with the di!estive en>ymes (0achaka -itta)$

"amána Váyu moves the food to the duodenum(grahaní ) where di!estion continues due to the

di!estive %re or agni (koß:hágni), assumin! a pun!enttaste. he liver and pancreas are involved in

the di!estive process.7inally, the lar!e intestine (Váyu) absorbs the

air and ether elements. 8ere, undi!ested foods becomefeces, and water is absorbed, transferred, and

eliminated throu!h the urine.-roperly di!ested food creates nutritional essence,chyle, or plasma (rasa). #mproperly di!ested

food becomes undi!ested food to$ins (áma) thatare the cause of most diseases. arth foods buildprotein bul", such as muscles. 3atery foods buildvital uids and fat. 7iery foods build en>ymes and

hemo!lobin. ir foods build bone and nerve ple$uses,and ether foods build the mind.

he health of the immune system determineswhether diseases are warded o2. @yurveda notes

that there is a sap&li"e material called ojas (perhapsanalo!ous to pineal !land secretion) that coatsthe immune system and protects it from disease. #f

the agni %re is too low or too hi!h, this life sapwill be diminished. =ust li"e the tree that creates asap over the bruise in the bar" to protect and healthe bruise, our life sap (ojas) protects and heals us

from illness. oo much dryness or too much heat and %re

eats away the life sap. wea" immune system isthe cause of all illness, from colds to multiple sclerosis

to #+S. o heal the immune system, oneneeds adeuate rest and pure (sattwic) foods andherbs that speci%cally rebuild the ojas (life sap).

$amples include blanched almonds or tahini, andojas buildin! herbs li"e ¤hatá.arí and

a¤hwagandhá, respectively.Summar"

So, we have seen that by "nowin! the constitutionand elemental cause of one*s illness



(.ik;iti), by "nowin! which tissue layers (dhátus),systems, and or!ans are !overned by which doßha,

and by "nowin! how to balance the agni %re andbuild the ojas, @yurveda o2ers an individuali>ed,

simple, !entle, and e2ective form of healin!.

ll diseases can be caused by any of the humors,dependin! on which sites they relocate to,so the patient is e$amined completely, usin! allpossible methods. Since disease development

(patho!enesis) is the same for all doßhas, only thehumors, sta!es, sites, and directional movement

of the humors are e$amined. 8umors have to returnto their ori!in sites to be eliminated.

@yurveda emphasi>es promotin! health, preventin!disease, and enhancin! lon!evity (re0uvenation

or a!e reversal). ?y usin! rasá&ana-(re0uvenation)

promotin! herbs and diet, !ood conduct,daily routine, and seasonal livin! lon!evity is developed.

ayurveda overview chapter2b

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