Daily Health in
the Indian Ayurvedic System
Dr. Aja Thomas
Attributes of
the three doshas
VataPitta Kapha
dryoily oily
lightlight heavy
cold hot cold
roughpenetratingslow
subtleliquid dense
mobilemobile static
clearsour
smellslimy
dispersingsoft
Vata
1. Principle of
movement like the wind
2. Movement in
the body.
3. Catabolic
4. Governs
breathing, movements in the muscles, tissue, cell plasma and membranes, nerve
cells, blinking, heart contractions, all expansions and contractions.
5. Governs the
emotional reactions of fear, nervousness, anxiety, pain, tremors, etc.
6. Found
primarily in the large intestine
Pitta
1. Principle of
fire or heat.
2. Metabolic in
nature
3. Rules over
all forms of digestion, metabolism, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, the
body temperature, skin color and bodily luster, and luster of the eyes, as well
as intelligence, understanding, and comprehension.
4. Governs the
emotions of anger, hate, and jealousy.
5. Found
primarily in the small intestine.
Kapha
1. Principle of
water.
2. Anabolic
3. Cements the
elements.
4. Lubricating.
5. Gives
resilience and strength.
6. Gives
moisture to the body.
7. Lubricates
joints.
8. Heals wounds.
9. Responsible
for memory retention.
10 Maintains
immunity, vigor and stability.
11 Responsible
for greed, attachment, and envy, as well as for understanding, love,
compassion, and calmness.
12. Found
primarily in the chest (lungs and stomach).
Disease is
caused by imbalance
1. Imbalance of
the doshas.
2. Imbalance of
the digestion.
3. Imbalance of
the 3 waste products (feces, urine, sweat)
4. Imbalance of
the senses.
5. Imbalance of
the body, mind and spirit.
Because
all systems of the mind and body are inter-related, what effects one effects
another.
Ultimately, the digestion will be effected.
In Ayurveda, the gastrointestinal
tract is considered the origin of health and disease.
When digestion is affected the
result is undigested food, ama, Naturopathy= toxins.
Ama is a thick dark matter which
accumulates in the intestines.
Eventually this ama enters the
circulatory system, settling into weakened areas of the body and manifesting as
various symptoms.
Thus is caused toxemia and disease.
Ayurveda considers the mind and body
closely connected.
Since each dosha governs both bodily
functions as well as mental functions, an imbalance in one will directly affect
the other.
For example, by repressing stress,
worry, and anxiety, which are vata emotions, vata disease such as constipation
can occur.
Or the reverse: where there is vata
physical disorder, such as constipation, there may also be caused vata emotions
of anxiety, nervousness, etc.
Therefore, daily routine is tied
into physical, mental and spiritual equilibrium.
Sir William Osler, "It is much
more important to know what sort of patient has a disease than what sort of
disease a patient has."
HEALTH
MAINTENANCE THROUGH DAILY ROUTINE
6:00 am to 10:00 am kapha
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
pitta
2:00 pm to
6:00 pm vata
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm kapha
10:00 pm to 2:00 am
pitta
2:00 am to
6:00 am vata
These fluctuate somewhat according
to season.
The first item of the daily routine,
rising, should be done shortly before sunrise in the vata period. Vata will be functioning to help in the
elimination of urine and feces.
Quietest time of the day known as
Brahma Muhurta (time of spiritual awakening).
It is the best period for prayer and mediation.
Aspect of the doshas on the seasons:
1. Fall--vata
period of wind, drying, cracking.
2. Winter--kapha
with cold and heaviness.
3. Spring is
kapha and pitta of warming. Just like when the sun melts the snows in spring,
the coming warmth of spring and summer melt the built up kapha, often giving
rise to spring colds.
4. Summer--pitta
with extreme heat.
Metabolism
Winter and
spring: anabolism--building up
Summer: metabolism--maintenance
Fall: catabolism--dwindling
Periods of life
Childhood:
kapha, anabolism--mucus diseases
Pitta: pitta, metabolism, work, maintain, and the
passions bring progeny--typical example of a pitta disorder is the ulcer
Old age: vata,
catabolism, dwindling--drying up, shrinking and coolness are prevalent
in this stage. Such vata diseases which manifest during this time are
arthritis, constipation, sciatica, rheumatism.
1. Rise early
2. Offer prayers
3. Drink glass
of water
4. Evacuate
5. Clean the
mouth and teeth
6. Examine the
face and the tongue
1. vertical lines on the forehead between the
eyebrows: line on the right--repressed emotions or toxins in the liver, line on
the left--indicates the same for the spleen.
2. puffiness of the lower eyelids: problems in
the kidneys
3. butterfly like discoloration on the cheeks:
problems below the kidneys region
4. butterfly like discoloration on the nose:
malabsorption of iron or folic acid.
5. lips: dry,
rough and cracked: vata derangement and dehydration, and a need for more
liquids, especially water.
Pale lips: sign of anemia
Yellow lips: jaundice
Blue lips: heart disorders
6. Colors of the
tongue:
Pale-anemia
Yellow-excessive bile or liver
disorder
Blue-heart disorder
Heavy, whitish coating-undigested
toxins
middle-toxins are present in the stomach and
small intestines
towards the back-in the colon
Vertical line down the center of the
tongue-emotions are being held in the spine
Curve in the line-may indicate
curvature in the spine
curve at the tip-cervical vertebrae
curve towards the middle-thoracic
curve towards the back-lumbar
Impressions of the teeth along the
front and forward sides of the tongue
indicate unabsorbed nutrients
Impressions of the teeth along the
side of the tongue suggest delicate
lungs.
Dry cracked tongue-chronic vata
derangement in the colon
Small white patches on either side
of the rear of the tongue-kidney
disorder.
7. Massage the
body with oil-daily or at least two or three times weekly.
Massage helps to balance the doshas
and enhances the movement of energy within the body. It also acts to stimulate the lymphatic
circulation, which is essential to the defense system of the body.
Oils
Mustard-all around best type
Vata-sesame oil, with strokes going against
the direction of body hair growth. Helps the oil to penetrate into the
skin-vata generally dry skin
Stroke should be very light
Pitta-cooling oil, sunflower or
sandalwood. Massage strokes should be light.
Kapha-corn oil, calamus root oil, or no oil.
Mustard oil especially good, because of
its heat. Massage should be deeper.
8. Bath or
shower
Seven types: bath of the mind, bath by
mantra, rain/sun
Common water bath:
Pond is good, a
lake is better, and a river is
best=shower is better for general cleansing than a tub bath
Bath temperature should be cool or
slightly warm ending
with cool, unless the bather is old, infirm, or
diseased in which case warm water may be
used.
In no case should excessively hot
water be used for general bathing and
especially never on the head.
9.
Exercise/Meditation/Pranayama
Yoga:
Losing weight-shoulder stand-brings blood and stimulation to the thyroid gland in
the neck, one of the primary organs responsible for weight balance and
metabolism, especially in women.Also beneficial for hyperthyroidism,
constipation, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, liver disorders, excessive anger, sexual
debility, sore throat, asthma, emphysema.
Pranayama:
Sheetali-cooling
breath, performed by inspiring air through the curled tongue. Its cooling results
help to alleviate pitta or heat
disorders.
Breath of
fire-warming to the body and is recommended for those kapha disorders or
overweight individuals.
Also used in
preparation for meditation-has the effect of quieting and clearing the mind,
and awakening the subtle and spiritual
energies.
Alternating
breath-before meditation to calm the mind, or when having trouble falling
asleep at night. Ratio of 1:4:2 inhale:hold:exhale
10. Food
Kapha disorders:
no fresh sweet fruits
Vata disorders:
no raw vegetables but rather cooked
vegetables only, as vata is cool by nature and often vata disorders are
accompanied by an inability to digest raw foods.