Ayurveda places great emphasis on prevention and encourages maintaining health by paying close attention to balance in one’s life through right thinking, diet, lifestyle and herbs. Knowledge of Ayurveda enables one to understand how to create balance of body, mind and consciousness according to one’s own individual constitution and how to make lifestyle changes to bring about and maintain this balance.

Just as everyone has an individual face or thumb print, according to Ayurveda, each person has a particular pattern of energy–an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics–which is his or her constitution. This constitution is determined at conception by a number of factors and is the same throughout one’s life. Many factors, both internal and external, act upon us to disturb this balance and are reflected as a change in one’s constitution from the balanced state. Examples of some of these emotional and physical stresses are: one’s emotional state, diet and food choices, seasons and weather, physical trauma, work and family relationships. Once these factors that can cause imbalance are understood, one can take appropriate actions to nullify or minimize their effects or eliminate the causes, and re-establish one’s original constitution. Balance is the natural order; imbalance is disorder. Health is order; disease is disorder. Within the body there is a constant interaction between order and disorder. Once one understands the nature and structure of disorder, one can re-establish order.

Ayurveda identifies three basic types of energy (doshsas) or functional principles that are present in everybody and everything. There are no single words in English to describe these principles, so we use the original Sanskrit words vata, pitta and kapha. Energy is required to create movement so that fluids and nutrients get to the cells, enabling the body to function. Energy is also required to metabolize the nutrients in the cells, and is called for to lubricate and maintain cellular structure. Vata is the energy of movement, pitta the energy of digestion or metabolism and kapha the energy of lubrication and structure. All people have vata, pitta and kapha, but one is usually primary, one secondary and the third least prominent. The cause of disease in Ayurveda is viewed as the lack of proper cellular function because of an excess or deficiency of vata, pitta or kapha and/or the presence of toxins. In Ayurveda, body, mind and consciousness work together in maintaining balance. They are simply viewed as different facets of one’s being.

To learn how to balance the body, mind and consciousness then requires an understanding how vata, pitta and kapha work together. According to Ayurvedic philosophy the entire cosmos is an interplay of the energies of the five great elements–Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Vata, pitta and kapha are combinations and permutations of these five elements that manifest as patterns present in all creation.

In the physical body, vata–composed of Space and Air–is the subtle energy associated with movement. It governs breathing, blinking, muscle and tissue movement, pulsation of the heart, and all movements in the cytoplasm and cell membranes. In balance, vata promotes creativity and flexibility. Out of balance, vata produces fear and anxiety.

Pitta, made up of Fire and Water, expresses as the body’s metabolic system. It governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism and body temperature. In balance, pitta promotes understanding and intelligence. Out of balance, pitta arouses anger, hatred and jealousy.

Kapha is formed from Earth and Water and is the energy that forms the body’s structure–bones, muscles, tendons–and provides the “glue” that holds the cells together. Kapha supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin, and maintains immunity. In balance, kapha is expressed as love, calmness and forgiveness. Out of balance, it leads to attachment, greed and envy.

Life presents us with many challenges and opportunities. Although there is much over which we have little control, we do have the power to decide about some things, like our diet and lifestyle. To maintain balance and health, it is important to pay attention to these decisions. Diet and lifestyle appropriate to one’s individual constitution strengthen the body, mind and consciousness.

The basic difference between Ayurveda and Western allopathic medicine is important to understand. Western allopathic medicine currently tends to focus on symptomatology and disease, and primarily uses drugs and surgery to rid the body of pathogens or diseased tissue. Many lives have been saved by this approach. In fact, surgery is encompassed by Ayurveda. However, drugs, because of their toxicity, often weaken the body. Ayurveda does not focus on disease. Rather, Ayurveda maintains that all life must be supported by energy in balance. When there is minimal stress and the flow of energy within a person is balanced, the body’s natural defense systems will be strong and can more easily defend against disease.

It must be emphasized that Ayurveda is not a substitute for Western allopathic medicine. There are many instances when the disease process and acute conditions can best be treated with drugs or surgery. Ayurveda can be used in conjunction with Western medicine to make a person stronger and less likely to be afflicted with disease and/or to rebuild the body after being treated with drugs or surgery.

We all have times when we don’t feel well and recognize that we’re out of balance. Sometimes we go to the doctor only to be told there is nothing wrong. What is actually occurring is that this imbalance has not yet become recognizable as a disease. Yet it is serious enough to make us notice our discomfort. We may start to wonder if it is just our imagination. We may also begin to consider alternative measures and actively seek to create balance in our body, mind and consciousness.

Ayurveda encompasses various techniques for assessing health. It assesses prodromal symptoms, cardinal signs and symptoms, and one’s suitability for treatment to help determine the etiology and pathogenesis of an imbalance. Various methods are utilized to help acquire information during an assessment with a client. These methods include: questioning, observation, palpation, direct perception and inference. Techniques such as taking the pulse; observing the tongue, eyes and physical form; and listening to the tone of the voice are employed during an assessment. Palliative and cleansing measures, if appropriate, can be used to help eliminate an imbalance along with suggestions for eliminating or managing the causes of the imbalance. Recommendations may include: implementation of lifestyle changes; starting and maintaining a suggested diet; and the use of herbs. In some cases, participating in a cleansing program, called panchakarma, is suggested to help the body rid itself of accumulated toxins so it can gain more benefit from various suggested measures of treatment.

In summary, Ayurveda addresses all aspects of life–the body, mind and spirit. It recognizes that each of us is unique, each responds differently to the many aspects of life, each possesses different strengths and weaknesses. Through insight, understanding and experience Ayurveda presents a vast “database” of the relationships between causes and their affects, both immediate and subtle, for each unique individual

Vata: The Energy of Movement

A person with vata predominant is blessed with a quick mind, flexibility and creativity. Vata provides the essential motion for all bodily processes and is extremely vital for health. One purpose of lifestyle considerations is to “ground” or stabilize this motion. On an annual basis, vata is most prominent in the fall and at the change of seasons, and these are the most important times to be careful of diet and lifestyle. Routine is very useful in assisting the vata individual to effectively ground all this moving energy.

Vata types have variable appetite and digestion. They are often attracted to astringent foods like salad and vegetables, but their constitution is balanced by sweet, sour and salty tastes. Vata people tend to produce little urine and their feces are hard, dry and small in size and quantity. Mentally, vata people usually grasp things quickly but then forget them quickly. They are alert, restless and very active. They walk, talk and think fast, but are easily fatigued. They have less willpower and often feel unstable and ungrounded. They have less tolerance, confidence and boldness. When unbalanced, vata types have a tendency to become fearful and nervous, and may experience high anxiety. In the external world, vata types tend to earn money quickly and spend it quickly. They are not good planners and as a consequence may suffer economic hardship. Vata resides in the colon, as well as the brain, ears, bones, joints, skin and thighs. Vata people are more susceptible to diseases involving the air principle, such as emphysema, pneumonia and arthritis. Other common vata disorders include flatulence, tics, twitches, aching joints, dry skin and hair, nerve disorders, constipation, and mental confusion. Vata tends to increase with age as is indicated by drying and wrinkling of the skin.

Since the attributes of vata are dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, clear and dispersing, any of these qualities in excess can cause imbalance. Frantic travel, especially by plane, loud noises, continual stimulation, drugs, sugar, and alcohol all derange vata, as does exposure to cold and cold foods. Like the wind, vata types have a hard time becoming and staying grounded. Routine is difficult but essential if vata is to be lowered and controlled. In general, people with excessive vata respond most rapidly to warm, moist, slightly oily, heavy foods. Steam baths, humidifiers, and moisture in general are helpful.

General food guidelines for decreasing vata are:

• 50% whole grains: whole grain cooked cereals, some breads and crackers
• 20% protein: eggs, high quality dairy products, poultry, fish, seafood, beef, tofu, black and red lentils
• 20-30% fresh vegetables with an optional 10% for fresh fruits

General guidelines for balancing vata:

• Keep warm
• Keep calm
• Avoid raw foods
• Avoid extreme cold
• Avoid cold foods
• Eat warm foods and spices
• Keep a regular routine

Pitta: The Energy of Digestion and Metabolism

Pitta people have many of the qualities of fire. Fire is hot, penetrating, sharp, and agitating. Similarly, pitta people have warm bodies, penetrating ideas, and sharp intelligence. But they can also become very agitated and short tempered. The pitta body type is one of medium height and build, with ruddy or coppery skin. They may have many moles and freckles. Their skin is warm and less wrinkled than vata skin. Their hair tends to be silky and they often experience premature graying or hair loss. Their eyes are of medium size and conjunctiva is moist. The nose is sharp and the tip tends to be reddish.

Pitta people have a strong metabolism, good digestion, and strong appetites. They like plenty of food and liquids. They tend to love hot spices and cold drinks. However, their constitution is balanced by sweet, bitter and astringent tastes. Pitta people sleep well and of medium duration. They produce large quantities of urine and feces, which tend to be yellowish, soft and plentiful. They easily perspire. Hands and feet stay warm. Pitta people have a lower tolerance for sunlight, heat or hard physical work. Mentally, pitta types are alert and intelligent and have good powers of comprehension. However, they are easily agitated and aggressive and tend toward hate, anger and jealousy when imbalanced. In the external world, pitta people like to be leaders and planners and seek material prosperity. They like to exhibit their wealth and possessions. Pitta people tend to have diseases involving the fire principle such as fevers, inflammatory diseases and jaundice. Common symptoms include skin rashes, burning sensation, ulceration, fever, inflammations or irritations such as conjunctivitis, colitis, or sore throats.

Since the attributes of pitta are oily, hot, light, mobile, and liquid, an excess of any of these qualities aggravates pitta. Summer is a time of heat, the pitta season. Sunburn, poison ivy, prickly heat, and short tempers are common. These kinds of pitta disorders tend to calm down as the weather gets cooler. The diet and lifestyle changes emphasize coolness-cool foods, avoidance of chilies and spices (especially difficult for New Mexicans), and cool climates. People with excessive pitta need to exercise at the coolest part of the day.

Dietary guidelines for pitta are:

• 50% whole grains–whole grain breads, cereals, cooked grains
• 20% protein–beans (except lentils), tofu, tempeh, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, raw milk, egg white, chicken and turkey (white meat), shrimp, rabbit, venison
• 20-30% vegetables with an optional 10% for fresh fruits

Other guidelines:

• Avoid excessive heat
• Avoid excessive oil
• Avoid excessive steam
• Limit salt intake
• Eat cooling, non-spicy foods

Exercise during the cooler part of the day

Kapha: The Energy of Lubrication

Kapha people are blessed with strength, endurance and stamina. They have sweet, loving dispositions and are stable and grounded. Their skin is oily and smooth. Physically, kapha people tend to gain weight and have a slow metabolism. They shun exercise. They have thick skin and their bodies and muscles are well developed. Their eyes are large, dark, and attractive with thick, long lashes and brows. Kapha people evacuate slowly and feces tend to be soft, pale and oily. Perspiration is moderate. Sleep is deep and prolonged. Kapha types are attracted to sweet, salty and oily foods, but their constitutions are most balanced by bitter, astringent and pungent tastes.

Psychologically, kapha people tend to be calm, tolerant and forgiving. However, they may become lethargic. While they may be slow to comprehend, their long term memory is excellent. When out of balance, kaphas tend to experience greed, envy, attachment and possessiveness. In the external world, kapha tendencies toward groundedness, stability, and attachment help them to earn and hold onto money. They tend to have diseases connected to the water principle such as flu, sinus congestion, and other diseases involving mucous. Sluggishness, excess weight, diabetes, water retention, and headaches are also common. Kapha can become more aggravated as the moon gets full because, as biologists have discovered, there is a tendency for water retention at that time. Winter is the time of greatest kapha accumulation and following the dietary and lifestyle changes are most important during that season.

Dietary guidelines for kapha are:

• 30-40% whole grains: rye crackers, dry cereals, and cooked grains
• 20% protein: chicken, turkey, boiled and poached eggs, rabbit, small amount of goats milk, and most beans (including garbanzos, adukis, pintos, black beans, red lentils, navy and white beans, split peas, and black eye peas)
• 40-50% fresh vegetables with an optional 10% for fresh or dried fruits. A daily salad is good.

Other guidelines:

• Get plenty of exercise
• Avoid heavy foods
• Keep active
• Avoid dairy
• Avoid iced food
• Vary your routine
• Avoid fatty, oily foods
• Avoid iced drinks
• Eat light, dry food

Remember that your progress toward balance and health is proportional to how well you stick to the guidelines of diet and lifestyle. Old habits sometimes die hard and your changes may be very gradual but, to achieve progress, the changes need to be made. You are in charge of your own rate of change.

If you wish to learn more about Ayurveda, there is a bibliography at the end of this booklet. We highly recommend Dr. Lad’s Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing for a conceptual understanding of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. For guidelines and explanations about the Ayurvedic approach to food and healing we also recommend Usha Lad and Dr. Lad’s cookbook, Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing.

Bibliography

Lad, Vasant. Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing. Lotus Press: Santa Fe, 1984.

Usha Lad & Dr. Vasant Lad. Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing. The Ayurvedic Press: Albuquerque, 1994).

Morrison, Judith H. The Book of Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Health and Longevity. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1995, A Fireside Book.

Svoboda, Robert E. The Hidden Secret of Ayurveda. Pune, India, 1980; reprint, The Ayurvedic Press: Albuquerque, 1994.

Svoboda, Robert E. Prakruti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution. Geocom Limited: Albuquerque, 1989.

Svoboda, Robert E. Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity. Penguin: London, 1992.

Frawley, David, and Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs. Lotus Press: Santa Fe, 1986.

Frawley, David. Ayurvedic Healing. Morson Publishing: Salt Lake City, 1989.

The above books are recommended in the order of the simplest to the most complex, from those containing basic Ayurvedic knowledge to those with resource and reference information.

According to Ayurveda, every human being is a unique phenomenon (manifested through the five basic elements – ether, air, fire, water and earth) of cosmic consciousness. Vata (ether plus air), pitta (fire plus water) and kapha (water plus earth) are called the tridosha, meaning the three humors or the three organizations of the body, which are also derived from consciousness.

Every individual psycho-somatic temperament or constitution is determined by these three doshas at the time of fertilization. When the embryo is formed the constitution is determined. There are seven basic constitutions according to Ayurveda: vata, pitta, kapha, vata-pitta, pitta-kapha, kapha-vata and vata-pitta-kapha.

Every individual constitution has its own unique balance of V-P-K according to its own nature. The balance of V-P-K is the natural order, thus when this doshic balance is disturbed, it creates imbalance, which is disorder. Health is order; disease is disorder. Within the body there is a constant interaction between order and disorder, thus once one understands the nature and structure of disorder, one can re-establish order. Ayurveda believes that order lies within disorder.

Order is the state of health, as defined by Ayurveda, which exists when the digestive fire (agni) is in a balanced condition; the bodily humors (vata, pitta and kapha) are in equilibrium, the three waste products (urine, feces and sweat) are produced and eliminated normally, the seven bodily tissues (rasa, rakta, mamsa, meda, asthi, majja and shukra) are functioning normally, and the mind, senses and consciousness are working harmoniously together. When the balance of these systems is disturbed the disease (disorder) process begins.

The internal environment is governed by V-P-K, which is constantly reacting to the external environment. The wrong diet, habits, lifestyle, incompatible food combinations (e.g. milk and fish, melons and grain, yogurt and meat or cooked honey etc.), seasonal changes, repressed emotions and stress factors can all act either together or separately to change the balance of V-P-K. According to the nature of the cause, either vata, pitta or kapha undergo aggravation or derangement which affects the agni (gastric fire), and produces ama (toxins). This ama enters the blood stream and is circulated throughout the body, clogging the channels.

Retention of toxins in the blood results in toxemia. This accumulated toxicity, once well established, will slowly affect prana (vital life energy), ojas (immunity), and tejas (cell metabolic energy) and result in disease. This can be nature’s effort at eliminating the toxicity from the body. Every so-called disease is a crisis of ama toxicity. Ama is the basic internal cause of all disease, due to the aggravated doshas.

Herein lies the key to the prevention of disease: help the body eliminate the toxins. To stop the further production of ama Ayurvedic literature suggests putting the person on a proper diet with appropriate lifestyle, habits and exercise, and administering a proper cleansing program such as panchakarma.

[Although panchakarma is often thought of as the entire procedure, it really is only one part of a group of therapies belonging to a class of cleansing procedures called shodan. There is also a group of milder techniques called shaman for those not strong enough for shodan.]

Purvakarma: Pre-purification Measures

Before the actual operation of purification begins, there is a need to prepare the body in prescribed methods to encourage the body to let go of the toxins. The two procedures are snehan and swedan. Snehan is the oil massage. Oil is applied to the entire body with a particular type of massage which helps the toxins to move towards the gastro-intestinal tract. Oil massage also makes the superficial and deep tissues soft and supple, thus helping to remove stress and to nourish the nervous system.

Snehan is given daily for three to seven days, as indicated. Swedan is sudation or sweating and is given every day immediately following the snehan. An herbal concoction may be added to the steam to further loosen the toxins from the individual. Swedan liquifies the toxins and increases the movement of toxins into the gastro-intestinal tract. After three to seven days of snehan and swedan, the doshas become well “ripened.” A particular panchakarma method is then given according to the individual’s constitution and disorder, prakruti and vikruti, respectively.

Five Basic Shodhans: Cleansing Methods

1. Vaman: therapeutic vomiting or emesis
2. Virechan: purgation
3. Basti: enema
4. Nasya: elimination of toxins through the nose
5. Raktalmoksha: detoxification of the blood

Vaman: Emesis Therapy

When there is congestion in the lungs causing repeated attacks of bronchitis, colds, cough or asthma, the Ayurvedic treatment is therapeutic vomiting, vaman, to eliminate the kapha causing the excess mucus. First, after the snehan and swedan, three to four glasses of licorice or salt water is administered, then vomiting is stimulated by rubbing the tongue which triggers the vomiting center through the gag reflex. Often times this also releases repressed emotions which have been held in the kapha areas of the lungs and stomach along with the accumulated dosha.

One may alternatively take two to three glasses of salt water which will also aggravate kapha and then rub the tongue to induce vomiting. Once the mucus is released the patient will feel instantly relieved. It is likely that congestion, wheezing and breathlessness will disappear and that the sinuses will become clear. Therapeutic vomiting is also indicated in chronic asthma, diabetes, chronic cold, lymphatic congestion, chronic indigestion and edema.

Before vaman is administered, oil massage and fomentation are recommended on the night before the day of vaman. One to three days prior to vaman, the person should drink one cup of recommended oil two to three times a day until the stool becomes oily, or until he or she feels nauseated. The person should also eat a kaphagenic diet to aggravate kapha in the system. Vaman should be given early in the morning (kapha time). The person should eat basmati rice and yogurt with much salt early in the morning, which will further aggravate kapha in the stomach. The application of heat to the chest and back will liquify the kapha.

The person should sit calmly on a knee-high chair and drink the concoction of licorice and honey, or salt water. This emesis preparation is measured and recorded before being drunk, so that at a later time the amount of vomitus from the decoction can be determined. After drinking the decoction the person should feel nauseated. He should then rub the tongue to induce vomiting, continuing until bile comes out in the vomitus. The degree of success in this treatment is determined by: 1) the number of vomitings (8 is maximum, 6 medium, 4 minimum), and 2) the quantity of vomitus (1 quart maximum, 1 1/2 pints medium, 1 pint minimum).

Emetic Substances: madan-emetic nut, madhuka-yastimadhu-licorice, neem-bitter leaf, bimbi, kutaj-kurchi- conessi bark, murva-clematis, triloba-devdaru-deodar, Cedrus deodara, Salt, NaCl, ela-cardamom, nux vomica.

After vaman, resting, fasting, smoking certain herbal cigarettes, and not suppressing natural urges (i.e. urination, defecation, gas, sneezing, coughing) is recommended. If vaman is administered properly, the person should feel relaxation in the lungs, will be able to breathe freely, will have lightness in the chest, clear thinking, clear voice, a good appetite, and all symptoms of congestion disappear.

After practicing vaman in the morning, the person should fast until 5 pm, then eat kitchari with ghee. He or she can drink cumin, coriander, ginger, fennel tea (equal portions). Steep in hot water and drink with one tsp. honey. Or he can drink honey lime tea, using one tsp. honey and one tsp. lime juice to one cup of hot water.

Indications for Vaman:

• Used for all kapha type disorders
• Good for pitta headache, dizziness, and nausea
• Will help to release blocked emotions
• Respiratory congestion
• Bronchitis
• Chronic cold
• Sinus congestion
• Kaphagenic asthma

Contra-Indications for Vaman:

• Below the age of 12 or over age 65
• Menstruation
• Pre-menstrual period (one week prior)
• Pregnancy
• Emaciation
• Delicate or sensitive person with too much fear, grief or anxiety
• Hypoglycemia
• Vata prakruti
• Vata diseases
• Heart diseases
• During vata season
• Acute fever
• Diarrhea
• Obesity

Virechan: Purgation Therapy

When excess bile, pitta, is secreted and accumulated in the gall bladder, liver and small intestine, it tends to result in rashes, skin inflammation, acne, chronic attacks of fever, biliary vomiting, nausea and jaundice. Ayurvedic literature suggests in these conditions the administration of therapeutic purgation or a therapeutic laxative. Virechan is facilitated with senna leaves, flax seeds, psyllium husks or triphala in a combination that is appropriate for the individual person.Senna leaf tea is a mild laxative, but in people of vata constitution, this tea might create griping pain, since its action aggravates peristaltic movement in the large intestine.

An effective laxative for vata or pitta constitutions is a glass of hot milk to which two teaspoons of ghee have been added. This laxative, taken at bedtime will help to relieve the excess pitta causing the bile disturbance in the body. In fact, purgatives can completely cure the problem of excess pitta.

When purgatives are used, it is important to check the diet. The patient should not eat foods that will aggravate the predominant humor or cause the three humors to become unbalanced.

Virechan Substances: Senna, prune, bran, flaxseed husk, dandelion root, psyllium seed, cow’s milk, salt, castor oil, raisins, mango juice, triphala.

Indications for Virechan:

• Allergic rash
• Skin inflammation
• Acne, dermatitis, eczema
• Chronic fever
• Ascites
• Biliary vomiting
• Jaundice
• Urinary disorder
• Enlargement of the spleen
• Internal worms
• Burning sensation in the eyes
• Inflammation of the eyes
• Conjunctivitis
• Gout

Contra-Indications for Virechan:

• Low agni
• Acute fever
• Diarrhea
• Severe constipation
• Bleeding from rectum or lung cavities
• Foreign body in the stomach
• After enema
• Emaciation or weakness
• Prolapsed rectum
• Alcoholism
• Dehydration
• Childhood
• Old age
• Ulcerative colitis

Basti: Enema Therapy

Vata’s predominant site is the colon. Ayurvedic basti involves the introduction into the rectum of herbal concoctions of sesame oil, and certain herbal preparations in a liquid medium. Basti, is the most effective treatment of vata disorders, although many enemas over a prescribed period of time are usually required. It relieves constipation, distention, chronic fever, cold, sexual disorders, kidney stones, heart pain, backache, sciatica and other pains in the joints. Many other vata disorders such as arthritis, rheumatism, gout, muscle spasms and headaches may also be treated with basti.Vata is a very active principle in pathogenesis. If we can control vata through the use of basti, we have gone a long way in going to the root cause of the vast majority of diseases.

Vata is the main etiological factor in the manifestation of diseases. It is the motive force behind the elimination and retention of feces, urine, bile and other excreta. Vata is mainly located in the large intestine, but bone tissue (asthi dhatu) is also a site for vata. Hence the medication administered rectally effects asthi dhatu. The mucus membrane of the colon is related to the outer covering of the bones (periosteum), which nourishes the bones. Therefore, any medication given rectally goes into the deeper tissues, like bones, and corrects vata disorders.

There are eight main types of basti, according to traditional texts, each with their own indications and contra-indications as listed below.

1. Anuvasana (oil enema) is used in pure vata disorders and when a person is having excess hunger or dryness related to vata imbalances.

2. Niruha-Asthapana (decoction enema) is used, among other conditions, for evacuation of vata, nervous diseases, gastro-intestinal vata conditions, gout, certain fever conditions, unconsciousness, certain urinary conditions, appetite, pain, hyperacidity and heart diseases.

3. Uttara Basti (through the urethra with men or vagina with women) is used for selected semen and ovulation disorders and for some problems involving painful urination or bladder infections. This is not to be used for someone with diabetes.

4. Matra Basti (daily oil enema) is used by someone emaciated by overwork or too much exercise, too much heavy lifting, walking too long of a distance, too much sexual activity or someone with chronic vata disorders. It does not need to be accompanied by any strict dietary restriction or daily routine and can be administered, in the appropriate cases, in all seasons. It gives strength, promotes weight and helps elimination of waste products.

5. Karma Basti (schedule of 30 bastis),

6. Kala Basti (schedule of 15 bastis; 10 oil + 5 decoction)

7. Yoga Basti (schedule of 8 bastis; 5 oil + 3 decoction).

In karma, kala and yoga bastis, it is better to give both types of basti in combination and not the oil and decoction separately. The conditions under which these are recommended are too detailed to be able to list in this article. In general, the indications and contra-indications that apply to basti also apply here.

8. Bruhana Basti (nutritional enema) is used for providing deep nutrition in select conditions. Traditionally, highly nutritive substances have been used, such as warm milk, meat broth, bone marrow soup and herbs like shatavari or ashwagandha.

General Indications for Basti:

• Constipation
• Low back ache
• Gout
• Rheumatism
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Nervous disorders
• Vata headache
• Emaciation
• Muscular atrophy

General Contra-Indications for Basti (include but are not limited to the following):

Enema therapy should not be used if the patient is suffering from diarrhea, bleeding of the rectum, chronic indigestion, breathlessness, diabetes, fever, emaciation, severe anaemia, pulmonary tuberculosis, old age or for children below the age of seven years.

• For oil enemas: diabetes, obesity, indigestion, low agni, enlarged liver or spleen, unconsciousness, tuberculosis and cough.
• For decoction enemas: debility, hiccough, hemorrhoids, inflammation of anus, piles, diarrhea, pregnancy, ascites, diabetes and some conditions involving painful or difficult breathing.
• For nutritional enemas: diabetes, obesity, lymphatic obstruction, ascites.
• For urethra or vaginal enemas: diabetes

Nasya: Nasal Administration

The nose is the doorway to the brain and it is also the doorway to consciousness. The nasal administration of medication is called nasya. An excess of bodily humors accumulated in the sinus, throat, nose or head areas is eliminated by means of the nearest possible opening, the nose.

Prana, life force as nerve energy, enters the body through the breath taken in through the nose. Prana is in the brain and maintains sensory and motor functions. Prana also governs mental activities, memory, concentration and intellectual activities. Deranged prana creates defective functioning of all these activities and produces headaches, convulsions, loss of memory and reduced sensory perception. Thus nasal administration, nasya is indicated for prana disorders, sinus congestion, migraine headaches, convulsions and certain eye and ear problems.

Breathing also can be improved through nasal massage. For this treatment, the little finger is dipped into ghee and inserted into the nose. The inner walls of the nose are slowly massaged, going as deeply as possible. This treatment will help to open the emotions. (Nose tissue is tender and for this application the fingernail must be kept short to avoid injuring the delicate mucus membranes.) Since most people have deviated nasal septums, one side of the nose will be easier to penetrate and massage than the other. The finger should not be inserted forcibly.

The massage should proceed by slow penetration, the finger moving first in a clockwise, then counter-clockwise direction. By this means, the emotions that are blocked in the respiratory tract will be released. One may use this treatment each morning and evening. In this way breathing patterns will change as the emotions are released and the eyesight also will improve.

There are six main types of nasya, as listed below.

1. Pradhamana (virechan) Nasya (cleansing nasya) uses dry powders (rather than oils) that are blown into the nose with a tube. Pradhamana nasya is mainly used for kapha types of diseases involving headaches, heaviness in the head, cold, nasal congestion, sticky eyes, hoarseness of voice due to sticky kapha, sinusitis, cervical lymph adenitis, tumors, worms, some skin diseases, epilepsy, drowsiness, Parkinsonism, inflammation of the nasal mucosa, attachment, greed and lust. Traditionally, powders such as brahmi are used.

2. Bruhana Nasya (nutrition nasya) uses ghee, oils, salt, shatavari ghee, ashwagandha ghee and medicated milk and is used mainly for vata disorders. It is said to benefit conditions resulting from vata imbalances such as vata-type headaches, migraine headache, dryness of voice, dry nose, nervousness, anxiety, fear, dizziness, emptiness, negativity, heaviness of eyelids, bursitis, stiffness in the neck, dry sinuses and loss of sense of smell.

3. Shaman Nasya (sedative nasya) is used according to which dosha is aggravated but mainly for pitta-type disorders such as thinning of hair, conjunctivitis and ringing in the ears. Generally certain herbal medicated decoctions, teas and medicated oils are used.

4. Navana Nasya (decoction nasya) is used in vata-pitta or kapha-pitta disorders and is made from decoctions and oils together.

5. Marshya Nasya (ghee or oil nasya)

6. Prati Marshya (daily oil nasya) is performed by dipping the clean little finger in the ghee or oil and inserting into each nostril, lubricating the nasal passage with gentle massage as described above. This helps to open deep tissues and can be done every day and at any time to release stress.

Substances Used in Nasya: brahmi, ginger, ghee oils, decoctions, onion, garlic, Piper longum, black pepper, curry pepper, rose, jasmine, mogra flowers and henna.

Indications for Nasya:

• Stress
• Emotional imbalances
• Stiffness in the neck & shoulders
• Dryness of the nose
• Sinus congestion
• Hoarseness
• Migraine headache
• Convulsions

Contra-Indications for Nasya:

• Sinus infections
• Pregnancy
• Menstruation
• After sex, bathing, eating or drinking of alcohol
• Should not be used below 7 years or over 80 years of age

Raktamoksha:

Traditional Ayurvedic Method for Purification and Cleansing of the BloodToxins present in the gastro-intestinal tract are absorbed into the blood and circulated throughout the body. This condition is called toxemia, which is the basic cause of repeated infections, hypertension and certain other circulatory conditions. This includes repeated attacks of skin disorders such as urticaria, rashes, herpes, eczema, acne, scabies, leukoderma, chronic itching or hives. In such conditions, along with internal medication, elimination of the toxins and purification of the blood is necessary. Raktamoksha is also indicated for cases of enlarged liver, spleen and gout.

Pitta is produced from the disintegrated red blood cells in the liver. So pitta and blood have a very close relationship. An increase in pitta may go into the blood causing toxicity, and thus many pittagenic disorders.Extracting a small amount of blood from a vein relieves the tension created by the pittagenic toxins in the blood. Bloodletting also stimulates the spleen to produce antitoxic substances which helps to stimulate the immune system. Toxins are neutralized enabling radical cures in many blood born disorders.

Bloodletting is contraindicated in cases of anaemia, edema, extreme weakness, diabetes and in children and elderly persons. It is also an illegal procedure within the United States.

Certain substances such as sugar, salt, yogurt, sour tasting foods and alcohol are toxic to the blood. In certain blood disorders these substances should be avoided to keep the blood pure. Burdock root tea, sandalwood, saffron, manjista, guduchi, rose and lotus are herbs that help to purify the blood. Turmeric, goldenseal, pomegranate juice, neem, oranges, beets and raisins can also be beneficial for blood disorders.

For raktamoksha treatment other than blood-letting, there are blood-purifying practices involving herbs, gem therapy or color water therapy.

For blood purifying therapy look for substances that are bitter and astringent and have blood thinning properties. Burdock root tea is the best blood purifier. For blood carried disorders such as allergy, rash or acne the patient should take a milk laxative and the next evening begin burdock root tea therapy. The tea is made from one teaspoon of powder in one cup of hot water. If taken every night, the action of the herb will begin to purify the blood.

Beneficial gems and crystals are pearl, coral, amethyst, rose quartz and jade.

In the practice of colored water therapy, red should be used in vata disorders, blue for pitta and purple for kapha.

For any raktamoksha treatment or related alternative treatment it is beneficial to refrain from yogurt, salt, sugar, alcohol, marijuana, sour and fermented foods.

Indications for Raktamoksha:

• Urticaria
• Rash
• Acne
• Eczema
• Scabies
• Leukoderma
• Chronic itching
• Hives
• Enlarged liver or spleen
• Gout

Contra-Indications for Raktamoksha:

• Anemia
• Edema
• Weakness
• Young children
• Old age
• During pregnancy
• During menstruation

During any step of panchakarma therapy traditional Ayurveda recommends certain lifestyle and diet guidelines. It is advised to get plenty of rest during the panchakarma experience and to avoid strenuous exercise, sexual activity, late nights, loud music, television and other such stimulating experiences. It is also advised to take particular care to keep warm and away from the wind and to observe one’s thoughts and experiences during this time.

A mono-diet of kitchari and ghee is recommended, as well as essential restrictions on cold drinks, cold food, caffeine, white sugar, recreational drugs or alcohol and dairy products–all substances which should not be resumed (if at all) until some time after panchakarma is completed. The reason for this diet is that during the cleansing process the digestive fire (agni) takes a rest. Also, as toxins move back into the gastrointestinal tract the power of digestion is further slowed. Kitchari will provide adequate nourishment, nourishes all the tissues of the body, is very easy to digest, is excellent for de-aging of cells and assists in the detoxification and cleansing process.

Kitchari is a seasoned mixture of rice and mung dal, and is basic to the Ayurvedic way of life. Basmati rice and mung dal both have the qualities of being sweet and cooling with a sweet aftertaste. Together they create a balanced food, that is an excellent protein combination and is tridoshic.

Panchakarma is a very special Ayurvedic operation requiring proper guidance from a highly trained and skillful Ayurvedic practitioner. This should not be undertaken just from information in this article. One should consult with an Ayurvedic physician, not just someone with a modest amount of training. Panchakarma is done individually for each person with their specific constitution and specific disorder in mind, thus it requires close observation and supervision. It is also done to best advantage, although not always, at the junctional period between two seasons, thus helping a person to prepare their internal environment for the oncoming season.

Purusha/Prakruti

According to Ayurveda, every human being is a creation of the cosmos, the pure cosmic consciousness, as two energies: male energy, called Purusha and female energy, Prakruti.

Purusha is choiceless passive awareness, while Prakruti is choiceful active consciousness. Prakruti is the divine creative will. Purusha doesn’t take part in creation, but Prakruti does the divine dance of creation called leela.

In creation, Prakruti is first evolved or manifested as supreme intelligence,  called mahat. Mahat is the buddhi principal (individual intellect) which further manifests as self identity, called ahamkara, which is ego.

Ahamkara is  influenced by three basic universal qualities: satva, rajas and tamas.

• Satva is responsible for clarity of perception.
• Rajas causes movement, sensations, feelings and emotions.
• Tamas is the tendency towards inertia, darkness, heaviness, and is responsible for periods of confusion and deep sleep.

Manifestation of Creation

From the essence of satva the five senses are created: the ears to hear, skin to perceive touch, eyes to see, the tongue to taste, and the nose, to smell.

The essence of rajas is manifested as the five motor organs: speech, hands, feet, genitals and the organs of excretion. The mind is derived from satva, while rajas is manifested as prana, the life force.

The tamasic quality is also responsible for the creation of tan matra, the subtle elements, and from whom the five basic elements are manifested. They are space, air, fire, water and earth. It is from pure consciousness that space is manifested.

Space

Expansion of consciousness is space and space is all inclusive. We need space to live, and our bodily cells contain spaces. The synaptic, cellular and visceral spaces give freedom to the tissues to perform their normal physiological functions. (A change in tissue space, however, may lead to pathological conditions.) The space in between two conjunctive nerve cells aids communication, while the space in the mind encompasses love and compassion.

Air

The movement of consciousness determines the direction along which change of position in space takes place. This course of action causes subtle
activities and movements within space. According to the Ayurvedic perspective, this is the air principle.

There is a cosmic magnetic field responsible for the movement of the earth, wind and water. Its representative in the body is the biological air, responsible for movement of afferent and efferent, sensory and motor-neuron impulses.

When someone touches the skin, that tactile skin sensation is carried to the brain by the principal of movement, which is the sensory impulse. Then there is a reaction to the impulse, which is the motor response, which is carried from the brain to the periphery. This is a very important function of air.

Our breathing is due to the movement of the diaphragm. Movements of the intestines and subtle cell movements are also governed by the biological principal of air. The movement of thought, desire and will are also governed by the air principal.

Fire

Where there is movement, there is friction, which creates heat, so the third manifestation of consciousness is fire, the principal of heat.

There are many different representations of fire in the body. The solar plexus is the seat of fire, and this fire principle regulates body temperature. Fire is also responsible for digestion, absorption and assimilation. It is present in the eyes, therefore we perceive light, and the luster in the eyes is a result of the fire principal. There is a fire in the brain as the grey matter, which governs understanding, comprehension and appreciation.

Fire is necessary for transformation, comprehension, appreciation, recognition and total understanding. In our small universe, the sun is a burning ball of consciousness and the sun gives us light and heat. In the body, the representative of the sun is the biological fire: the solar plexus which gives us heat, digestion, and liver function.

Water

Because of the heat of the fire, consciousness melts into water. According to chemistry, water is H2O, but according to Ayurveda water is liquefaction
of consciousness.

Water exists in the body in many different forms, such as: plasma, cytoplasm, serum, saliva, nasal secretion, orbital secretion and cerebrospinal fluid. Excess water, which we eliminate in the form of urine and sweat is water. Water is necessary for nutrition and to maintain the water/electrolyte balance in the body. Without water, the cells cannot live.

Earth

The next manifestation of consciousness is the earth element.

Because of the heat of the fire and water, there is crystallization. According to Ayurveda, earth molecules are nothing but crystallization of consciousness. In the human body, all solid structures, hard, firm and compact tissues are derived from the earth element (e.g. bones, cartilage, nails, hair, teeth and skin). Even in a single cell, the cell membrane is earth, cellular vacuoles are space, cytoplasm is water, nucleic acid and all chemical components of the cell are fire, and movement of the cell is air.

All of these five elements are present in every human cell. According to Ayurveda, man is a creation of universal consciousness. What is present in the cosmos, the macrocosm, the same thing is present in the body, the microcosm. Man is a miniature of nature.

Mental Constitution

Vedic philosophy classifies human temperaments into three basic qualities: satvic, rajasic and tamasic.

These individual differences in psychological and moral dispositions and their reactions to socio-cultural and physical environments are described in all the
classic texts of Ayurveda.

Satvic qualities imply essence, reality, consciousness, purity and clarity of perception which are responsible for goodness and happiness.

All movements and activities are due to rajas. It leads to the life of sensual enjoyment, pleasure and pain, effort and restlessness.

Tamas is darkness, inertia, heaviness and materialistic attitudes.

There is a constant interplay of these three gunas (qualities) in the individual consciousness, but the relative predominance of either satva, rajas, or tamas
is responsible for individual psychological constitution.

Satvic Mental Constitutions

The people in whom satvic qualities predominate are religious, loving, compassionate and pure minded.

Following truth and righteousness, they have good manners, behavior and conduct. They do not get easily upset or angry. Although they work hard mentally, they do not get mental fatigue, so they need only several hours of sleep each night. They look fresh, alert, aware, full of luster, wisdom, joy and happiness. They are creative, humble and respectful of their teachers. Worshipping God and humanity, they love all. They care for people, animals, trees, and are respectful of all life and existence. They have balanced intuition and intelligence.

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Rajasic Mental Constitutions

The people in whom rajasic qualities predominate are egoistic, ambitious, aggressive, proud, competitive, and have a tendency to control others.

They like power, prestige, position, and are perfectionists. They are hard working people, but are lacking in proper planning and direction. They are
ungrounded, active and restless. Emotionally, they are angry, jealous, ambitious, and have few moments of joy due to success. They have a fear of failure, are subject to stress, and soon lose their mental energy. They require about eight hours of sleep. They are loving, calm and patient only as long as their self interests are served. They are good, loving, friendly and faithful only to those who are helpful to them. They are not honest to their inner consciousness. Their activities are self-centered and egotistical.

Tamasic Mental Constitutions

The people in whom tamasic qualities predominate are less intelligent.

They tend towards depression, laziness, and excess sleep, even during the day. A little mental work tires them easily. They like jobs of less responsibility, and they love to eat, drink, sleep and have sex. They are greedy, possessive,
attached, irritable, and do not care for others. They may harm others through their own self interest. It is difficult for them to focus their minds during
meditation.

Vata, Pitta and Kapha: the Three Doshas

The structural aspect of the body is made up of five elements, but the functional aspect of the body is governed by three biological humors. Ether and air together constitute vata; fire and water, pitta; and water and earth, kapha.

Vata, pitta and kapha are the three biological humors that are the three biological components of the organism. They govern psycho-biological changes in the body and physio-pathological changes too. Vata–pitta–kapha are present in every cell, tissue and organ. In every person they differ in permutations and combinations.

The sperm is the male seed, and the ovum is the female egg. They also contain vata–pitta–kapha (VPK). Bodily vata–pitta–kapha changes according to
diet, life style and emotions. The sperm gets influenced by the father’s lifestyle, diet and emotions, and the ovum by the mother’s. At the time of
fertilization, when a single sperm enters a single ovum, individual constitution is determined.

According to Ayurveda, there are seven body types: mono-types (vata, pitta or kapha predominant), dual types (vata–pitta, pitta–kapha or, kapha–vata), and equal types, (vata, pitta and kapha in equal proportions).

Every individual has a unique combination of these three doshas. To understand individuality is the foundation of healing.

Vata Qualities

Vata, pitta and kapha are distinctly present in every individual and express in each human being differently according to the predominance of the
different qualities (gunas).

For example vata is dry, light, cold, mobile, active, clear, astringent, and it is dispersing. All of these qualities can manifest in an individual. For example, if a person has excess vata in his or her constitution, because of the dry quality, he or she will have dry hair, dry skin, dry colon and a tendency towards constipation.

Because of the light quality, which is opposite of heavy, the vata person will have a light body frame, light muscles, and light fat, and so will be thin and underweight, or “skinny-minny”.

Because of the cold quality, the vata person will have cold hands, cold feet and poor circulation. They hate the cold season and love summer.

Because of the mobile quality, vata people are very active. They like jogging and jumping and don’t like sitting in one place. Vata is subtle, and this subtle quality is responsible for the emotions of fear, anxiety, insecurity and nervousness.

Vata is clear, therefore vata people can be clairvoyant; they have clear understanding and perception. They understand things immediately, but forget things immediately. Vata is astringent, which is a drying and choking quality of taste, therefore the vata person, while eating feels a drying choking sensation in the throat. These qualities are all expressed in a vata individual to some degree.

Pitta Qualities

Pitta is a biological combination of fire and water elements. It has hot, sharp, light, liquid, sour, oily and spreading qualities.

Pitta has a strong smell, like a fleshy smell, and has a sour or bitter taste. If an individual has excess pitta in the body, these qualities will be manifested.

Because of the hot quality, the pitta person has a strong appetite and warm skin. The body temperature is a little higher than the vata person. The pitta person can perspire at a fifty degree temperature, but the vata person cannot perspire even at a much higher temperature. This difference is very important.

Pitta is hot, therefore the pitta person has a strong appetite. If hungry, he has to eat otherwise he will become irritable and hypoglycemic.

The second quality of pitta is sharp, therefore the pitta person has a sharp nose, teeth, eyes, mind and while talking uses sharp words. They also have very sharp memory.

Because of the oily quality, they have soft warm oily skin, straight oily hair, and the feces are oily and liquid. Because of the hot, sharp, and oily qualities, pitta people have a tendency to  grey prematurely, a sign of early maturity. Pitta girls get earlier menstruation and reach puberty earlier. They can even start their menstruation at the age of ten.

Pitta is light, which is the opposite of both heaviness and darkness. Because of this light quality, pitta people are moderate in body frame, and they do not like bright light. They like to read before they go to bed, and sometimes the pitta person sleeps with a book on the chest. Because of too much heat in the body, the pitta person tends to loose his hair in the full bloom of youth. The pitta person can get a receding hair line, or a big, beautiful, bald head.

The next quality of pitta is strong smell. When the pitta person perspires, under the arm pit there is a typical sulphur smell, and if he doesn’t wash his socks, they will have a strong smell. That’s why a pitta person loves perfumes.

Pitta people are lovers of knowledge and have a great capacity of organization and leadership. They are often wise, brilliant people, but
can have a controlling, dominating personality.

Pitta people have a tendency towards comparison, competition, ambition, and they have a quality of aggressiveness, so naturally they criticize. If there is no one to criticize, pitta people will criticize themselves. They are perfectionists.

Pitta people tend to get pittagenic inflammatory diseases, while vata predominant people tend to get neurological, muscular and rheumatic problems.

Kapha Qualities

The next dosha is kapha. Subjects having more kapha in their body, will have heavy, slow, cool, oily, liquid, dense, thick, static and cloudy qualities. These
are the important qualities of kapha, and kapha is sweet and salty.

Because of the heavy quality, kapha people have heavy bones, muscles and fat. They will have a tendency to put on weight. A kapha person may even do a water fast and will put on weight. Kapha is slow, therefore a kapha person has slow metabolism and digestion. The kapha person can work without food, while it is very difficult for a pitta person to concentrate without food.

Kapha is cool hence kapha people have cool, clammy skin. The skin is cool, but within the G.I. tract the digestive fire is high therefore they have a strong appetite.

Kapha people have other qualities, thick wavy hair, and big, attractive eyes. They have slow but prolonged, steady memory. Kapha people are forgiving, loving and compassionate. Because of the slow quality, kapha people walk slowly and talk slowly. They don’t like jogging and jumping. They love eating, sitting and doing nothing.

Because of the cloudy quality, their mind is heavy and foggy and after a full meal they feel lethargic and sleepy. Unless they have a cup of coffee or strong stimulant in the morning they cannot move. Finally, the kapha person has a sweet tooth and loves candy, cookies and chocolate.

Prakruti, Individual Constitution

Individual constitution is determined at conception by the particular combination of the three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha.

Every human being is a unique entity with its own individual constitution. The constitution, the psycho-somatic temperament of a person, is primarily genetic in origin. The male seed, sperm, and female egg, ovum, carry within them the constitution of both the parents. At the time of conjugation, the dominant factor of prakruti in the sperm (predominance of vata, pitta or kapha) can either neutralize a weaker or exaggerate the similar attributes of the prakruti of the ovum.

For example, a sperm of strong vata constitution can inhibit some of the characteristics in the ovum of kapha constitution. The dry, light, rough, mobile qualities of vata will suppress the oily, heavy, smooth, and stable qualities
of kapha. Vata and kapha are both cold, so the cold quality will be exaggerated in the prakruti of the foetus and the baby will be sensitive to the cold. The baby in this case will inherit a vata–kapha constitution. If both parents, i.e. the sperm and ovum, are of vata constitution, the offspring will inherit a vata predominant constitution.

The constitution of the parents and therefore of the fetus is influenced by diet, lifestyle, country, climate, age and emotions.

Samprapti, the Disease Process

According to Ayurveda, health is a state of balance between the body, mind and consciousness.

Within the body, Ayurveda recognizes the three doshas, or bodily humors vata, pitta and kapha; seven dhatus, or tissues, plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nerve, and reproductive; three malas, or wastes; feces, urine and sweat; and agni, the energy of metabolism.

Disease is a condition of disharmony in any of these factors. The root cause of imbalance, or disease, is an aggravation of dosha, vata–pitta–kapha, caused by a wide variety of internal and external factors. According to the attributes of these different etiological factors the bodily humors become aggravated and start to accumulate at their respective sites.

Vata tends to accumulate in the colon, pitta in the intestines and kapha in the stomach. If the provocation continues, the accumulated dosha reaches a state of overflowing the original site and spreads throughout the body. The aggravated dosha then enters and creates a lesion in a specific weak tissue where pathological changes are manifested in the organ or system.

Causes of Disease

There are many factors that affect the doshas.

Disease can result from imbalanced emotions. If a person has deep seated unresolved anger, fear, anxiety, grief or sadness, that also effects the doshas.

Ayurveda classifies seven major causative factors in disease: hereditary, congenital, internal, external trauma, seasonal, natural tendencies or habits and supernatural factors. Disease can also result from misuse, overuse and under-use of the senses: hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell.

The disease itself can be described by the number of doshas involved, the specific tissues affected, the quality or combination of qualities that aggravated the dosha, whether the disease is primary or secondary, strength, and the length of time of the disease.

There are many recognized hereditary pathologies. These can take the form of tendencies or dispositions towards a specific problem or manifest as actual
abnormalities. A mother’s lifestyle, diet, habits, activities, emotions and relationships can also affect the fetus.

Internal conditions such as ulcers or a damaged liver, may be caused by overuse of taste, e.g. too much hot spicy food or alcohol. External traumas are violent actions, such as automobile accidents, gunshots. etc.

Seasonal causes usually are more indirect. A person has a tendency to take his or her own primary dosha (vata, pitta or kapha) to an imbalanced state.

There are four seasons. Summer season, bright light and too much heat, that is the pitta season. The autumn season is cold, windy and dry, it is a vata season. The winter season is cold, windy, snowing and raining, a kapha season. The spring season is both kapha and pitta. Early spring is cooler, with beautiful flowers and new leaves and is gorgeous and extremely beautiful, so
earlier spring is kapha, and later spring is pitta.

So these four seasons, have vata, pitta and kapha qualities. Apart from the lifestyle, diet, and all these changes, the vata person has a tendency for their vata to go out of balance. Vata people have a tendency towards constipation, sciatica, arthritis and rheumatism. Pitta people in the summer season aggravate their pitta and may get hives, rash, acne, biliary disorders, diarrhea or conjunctivitis. The kapha person, during spring season, has a tendency to get colds, hay fever, cough, congestion, sneezing and kapha type of sinus disorders.

Natural tendencies can also be a problem, such as overeating and smoking. Supernatural causes are those such as sunburns, lightning, and the influence of planetary bodies.

Clinical Barometers of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an ancient clinical art of diagnosing the disease process through questioning (inquiring about the past, present and family history),
observation (inspection), tactile experience (palpation), percussion, and listening to the heart, lungs and intestines (auscultation).

In this art, Ayurveda talks much about interpreting the pulse, tongue, eyes and nails in the clinical examination, and also a specific examination of functional systems separately.

Ayurveda describes the basic three types of pulses (vata, pitta and kapha) and their characteristics. There are twelve different radial pulses; six on the right side, three superficial and three deep; and similarly, six on the left side. There is a relationship between the superficial and deep pulses and the internal organs. One can sensitively feel the strength, vitality, and normal physiological tone of the respective organs separately under each finger.

An ancient art of tongue diagnosis also describes quite characteristic patterns which can reveal the functional status of respective internal organs merely
by observing the surface of the tongue. The tongue is the mirror of the viscera and reflects many pathological conditions, some of which are shown in the following diagram.

A discoloration and/or sensitivity of a particular area of the tongue indicates a disorder in the organ corresponding to that area. A whitish tongue indicates
a kapha derangement and mucus accumulation; a red or yellow-green tongue indicates a pitta derangement; and a black to brown coloration indicates a vata derangement. A dehydrated tongue is symptomatic of
a decrease in the rasa dhatu (plasma), while a pale tongue indicates a decrease in the rakta dhatu (red blood cells).

Ayurvedic physicians also do urine examinations as one of the diagnostic tools to understand the doshic imbalance in the body. The body fluids, such as blood (rakta) and lymph (rasa), serve to carry wastes (malas) away from the tissues that produce them. The urinary system removes water (kleda), salt (kshar) and nitrogenous wastes (dhatu malas). The urinary system also helps to maintain the normal concentration of water (apa dhatu) and electrolytes within body fluids. It helps to regulate the volume of body fluid and thus
the urine helps to maintain the balance of the three humors vata, pitta and kapha, and water (kleda).

For clinical examination of urine, take a clean vessel and collect the early morning urine in midstream. Observe the color.

If the color is blackish-brown, this indicates a vata disorder. If the color is dark yellow, a pitta disorder. Also when there is constipation or the body has less intake of water, the urine will be dark yellow. If the urine is cloudy, there is a kapha disorder. Red color of urine indicates a rakta (blood) disorder.

Next there is the oil drop test. With a dropper, place one drop of sesame oil into the same sample of urine. If the drop spreads immediately, the physical disorder is probably easy to cure. If the drop sinks to the middle of the urine sample the illness is more difficult to cure. If the drop sinks to the bottom, the illness may be very difficult to cure.

If the drop spreads on the surface in wave like movements, this indicates a vata disorder. If the drop spreads on the surface with multiple colors visible like a rainbow, this indicates a pitta disorder. If the drop breaks up into pearl like droplets on the surface of the urine, this indicates a kapha disorder.

Normal urine has a typical uremic smell. However, if the urine has a foul odor
this indicates ama dosha (toxins) in the system. Acidic urine which creates a burning sensation indicates excess pitta. A sweet smell to the urine indicates a diabetic condition. In this condition, the individual may experience goose bumps on the skin surface while passing urine. Gravel in the urine indicates stones in the urinary tract.

Chikitsa, Disease Management

Ayurveda says that to restore health we must understand the exact quality, nature and structure of disease, disorder, or imbalance. The body has its own
intelligence to create balance. and we are helping in that process. There are four main classifications of management of disease in Ayurveda: shodan, or
cleansing; shaman or palliation; rasayana, or rejuvenation; and satvajaya, or mental hygiene.

Shodan, Cleansing

The purpose of shodan, is to remove excess doshas and ama from the body. Shodan includes purvakarma (initial procedures), pradhanakarma (the
main procedures), and pashchatkarma (post-operative procedures).

Purvakarma procedures move the aggravated doshas and ama from sites deeper in the body to locations in preparation for elimination.

Panchakarma (five actions), which belongs to pradhanakarma, then removes these doshas and ama. It includes vaman (vomiting), virechan (purgation), basti (medicinal enema), rakta-moksha (blood cleansing) and nasya (nasal insufflation, administration).

Vaman is vomiting therapy for removing excess kapha impurities out of the body. Virechan is for removing pitta by giving purgation therapy. Basti is to
remove excess vata from the body by enema therapy.

Nasya is administration of certain herbal powders, medicated oils and medicated concoctions, and ghee into the nose for purification of prana, mind and consciousness.

Rakta-moksha includes blood letting by application of leaches or removing blood or donating blood to the blood bank, and using certain cleansing and blood thinning herbs.

Ayurveda says toxins are produced when the aggravated dosha, vata–pitta–kapha, effects the biological fire, agni, which in turn effects digestion, metabolism and assimilation. So undigested, un-absorbed, unassimilated food products remain in the body as a morbid substance.

Ama, then, is a toxic, morbid, raw, undigested, unabsorbed, unassimilated, non-homogeneous, sticky substance in the body that adheres to the tissues, clogs the channels and creates toxicity in the body. It enters the blood and creates toxemia, which is a root cause of disease.

The root cause of ama is the aggravated dosha attacking agni (fire) and producing low digestion and metabolism. So Ayurveda says that one should remove these aggravated doshas by panchakarma.

Shaman, Palliation

According to Ayurveda shaman, or palliation is the balancing and pacification of bodily doshas (as opposed to elimination).

Shaman is of seven types:

• dipan, kindling the fire (agni)
• pachan, burning the toxic ama
• ksud-nigraha, fasting
• trut-nigraha, observing thirst, (not drinking water)
• vyayama, yoga stretching
• atap-seva, lying in the sunlight [Sometimes they make a fire during the daytime or evening and that heat of the fire does cleansing of the astral body, physical body, subtle body and causal body. Lying in the sun, which is also used for kindling the fire in the solar plexus.]
• marut-seva, sitting and doing pranayama, meditation.

Shaman is a very spiritual cleansing method of purification. People with insufficient strength to undergo panchakarma, who are emotionally weak and
not strong enough to face panchakarma are good candidates for shaman.

Any pitta disorder, vata disorder, and chronic kapha disorder which effects the
immune system of an individual and affects the agni or fire of the individual, is a very good subject for shaman.

Shaman can be done in the healthy person also, because shaman has both curative and preventative aspects. Prevention is better than curing. If we prevent the future ailment through shaman we can attain success in healing the soul.

The first method in shaman is dipan, kindling the fire. Kindling the bodily fire is absolutely necessary in kapha and vata disorders, where the person has low
gastric fire. That can be accomplished by using certain herbs like pippili, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and chitrak. These different herbs are used in certain proportions with honey internally, which does kindling of the fire.

You can do the fire ceremony, by burning certain special woods, making an agnikunda, like a yagyakunda, or fireplace, arranging the woods in a
certain pyramidal, square fashion, putting camphor and cotton at the center, and kindling the fire while chanting special mantras.

By doing these mantras, you can increase the internal fire. While watching the external fire, you are meditating and chanting certain mantras for agni, the internal fire, concentrating at the solar plexus, you can also kindle the agni, and that will burn the toxins in the physical body, subtle body, and causal body.

This kind of ceremony is very effective for kapha and vata people, but for pitta people it should be done with great caution.

Pachan, burning the toxins is done with certain herbs in certain proportions, because kindling the gastric fire is necessary to improve the digestive
capacity.

For pachan, Ayurveda uses trikatu, chitrak, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander and fennel. All of these herbal teas are used after meals to improve the digestive capacity of agni.

Pachan can be improved through  concentration, meditation and contemplation so that the person’s digestive capacity will improve and there will be proper assimilation and nutrition of the bodily tissue.

Ksud-nigraha is fasting, or eating a mono-diet.

In acute fever, acute indigestion, acute dysentery and diarrhea, Ayurveda suggests fasting. A person may only eat cooked apple with ghee or basmati rice with mung dal and ghee, or just yogurt and rice, and in small quantity.

But in acute fever, acute diarrhea and dysentery it is better not to eat anything for a couple of days, so that the bodily fire will kindle and burn the internal toxins. For this, observing a fast is very important.

Trut-nigraha, observing thirst (not drinking water) is very important when water disorders take place, kapha disorders. For example, kidney disorders
like edema, or ascites where there is accumulated water in the peritoneal cavity, or certain other kapha urinary disorders where too much water is retained in the system, there Ayurveda says not to give water.

Observing thirst means not to drink water. It is not a water fast, a water fast is different. If you drink too much water, it will retain in the body. Trut-nigraha means observing thirst, which is very effective in certain kapha types of disorders.

The next important shaman is vyayam, exercise, yoga stretching.

Exercise is defined here as stretching of the muscles in a particular direction with a goal so that you can reach the goal with effort and in that effort you are creating physical stress. Physical stress kindles the fire, like hiking in the mountains, walking, jogging and jumping.

Ayurveda says exercise has such a quality that it improves circulation, accelerates the heart rate, enhances the combustion of calories and also stimulates metabolism, regulates body temperature and maintains body weight. Exercise makes your senses alert and attentive and your mind becomes very sharp and develops keen perception. These qualities of exercise are very important, but again, exercise varies from person to person.

Ayurveda suggests certain exercises according to individual constitution. The vata person should do certain yoga postures. The important seat of vata in the body is the pelvic cavity, so any exercise which will help the stretching of the pelvic muscles is good. Therefore the forward bend, backward bend, spinal twist, cobra pose, camel pose, shoulder stand and plow pose help to move the vata in a particular direction and that helps to calm down vata.

The important seat of pitta is the solar plexus, so any exercise that will stretch the muscles of the solar plexus will be very effective for the pitta person. So
the fish pose, boat pose, camel pose as well as locust pose and bow pose will help to calm down pitta.

The important seat of kapha is the chest, therefore exercises which will stretch the chest are very effective. Ayurveda says that you can do the shoulder stand, plow pose, locust pose, cat pose, cow pose and
bow pose. These different poses improve the circulation of kapha in the pulmonary cavity.

Jogging is not good for vata, it is good for kapha, but kapha people don’t like jogging. Swimming is good exercise for the pitta person. Swimming is also good for the vata person. Mountain climbing and hiking are good for kapha people, but they don’t like hiking. So this is a very interesting thing, that proper exercise is a wonderful art of shaman.

Atap-seva, lying in the sun, is another ancient shaman. The sun is the source of heat and light. The sun is the source of higher consciousness. Pitta predominant people can lie in the sun and apply certain oils (sun blockers) so that they will reduce their exposure. The pitta person should not lie in the sun
more than half an hour. The vata person can lie in the sun for about an hour. The kapha person can lie in the sun for more than an hour. If the proper care is taken, lying in the sun and meditating upon the solar plexus, is a wonderful shaman for kapha and vata. It improves circulation, the absorption of vitamin D, and strengthens the bones.

Today, however, lying in the sunlight is becoming very bad because the ionosphere and ozone are damaged and the unwanted radiation (ultraviolet
rays) comes to the earth and that aggravates brajak-pitta under the skin which can result in skin cancer. The person that has multiple moles should not lie in the sun. Lying in the moon light is also an ancient art of shaman for reducing pitta.

Lastly, there is breathing. Respiration is partly conscious and partly unconscious. One should do proper breathing through both nostrils by doing
alternate nostril pranayama.

There are different types of pranayama, the breathing exercise, and there is a totally different science of breath one can study from an experienced teacher. But if you sit quietly, inhale deeply through one nostril, hold the breath into the lower abdomen, and slowly exhale through the opposite nostril, repeating alternately, this kind of pranayama helps to bring balance to prana, apana and udana (subtypes of prana). Out of that balance, one can attain the highest state of tranquility.

Shaman as a whole does bring balance between the body, mind and consciousness and balance to the three bodily humors, vata–pitta–kapha. It cleanses the physical body, subtle body and causal body. According to Ayurveda, every soul is immortal, every soul is sacred, and to understand the individual, to understand oneself, is the foundation of life. Without this self knowing, life has no meaning. So by understanding the basic principals of life, by understanding one’s own constitution as explained in the Ayurvedic literature, and by understanding the exact nature and structure of doshic aggravation, one can follow the proper guidelines of shodan, cleansing,
and shaman, palliation and pacification.

Rasayana, Rejuvenation

Rasayana has three sub categories: restoration of tissues through herbs, minerals and exercises; re-virilization, which is restoring vitality to the system;
and longevity, slowing or stopping of the aging process.

Satvajaya, Mental Hygiene and Spiritual Healing

The categories of satvajaya include: mantra, (sounds), yantra (physical devices), tantra (directing energies in the body), meditation, and gems, metals
and crystals, specifically given for the imbalance or disease.

Ayurveda and Relationships

According to Ayurveda, our life is a relationship; the relationship between you and your spouse, girlfriend and boyfriend, and parents and children. Equally important is the relationship with yourself, your relationship between the body, mind and consciousness, and the inner relationship between vata–pitta–kapha. These relationships are life, and Ayurveda is a healing art which helps bring clarity in relationships. Clarity in relationships brings compassion, and compassion is love, therefore love is clarity. Without this clarity, there is no insight.

Ayurveda is an art of insight which brings harmony, happiness, joy and bliss in our daily life, in our relationships, and in our daily living. Ayurveda, can definitely bring longevity to life. It can bring a quality of consciousness, such that one can get insight to deal with one’s inner life, one’s inner emotions, one’s inner hurt, grief and sadness. Ayurveda is a total healing art.

The Doshas

One’s sense of well-being reflects the inner state of health. Good health is the maintenance of one’s unique combination of the doshas, a balanced condition of agni, of the seven body tissues, of the three waste systems (urine, sweat and feces), as well as balance in the mind, senses and consciousness. It is equally important to one’s well-being to have love, happiness and clarity in daily living.

Doshic imbalance governs internal biochemical changes that will eventually lead to either high or low metabolism.

Pitta dosha governs all physical and biochemical changes that take place within the body. Through this process foodstuffs are transformed into energy, heat and vitality. Pitta performs these functions throughout one’s life, but is especially prominent during the adult years. All these activities of pitta depend upon “digestive fire” or agni. Poor agni means poor health. Wrong diet such as hot spicy foods, wrong life style such as living in a hot climate and repressed emotions can alter the normal function of pitta.

Anabolism is the process of building up of the body. It is the repair, growth and creation of new cells. This is managed by kapha and is most active in the baby, child and teen years. Kapha dosha can be disturbed by excessive intake of dairy, cold and oily foods.

Catabolism is the destructive, but necessary, stage of metabolism. Larger molecules are broken down into smaller ones. This molecular death is governed by vata dosha and is most active in old age. Repeated intake of vata-provoking food, such as salads and popcorn, and over-exercising can escalate vata and disturb health.

Improper Eating Habits

1 Overeating

2 Eating soon after a full meal

3 Too much water or no water during a meal

4 Drinking very chilled water during a meal or, indeed, anytime

5 Eating when constipated

6 Eating at the wrong time of day–either too early or too late

7 Eating too much heavy food or too little light food

8 Drinking fruit juice or eating fruit with a meal

9 Eating without real hunger

10 Emotional eating

11 Eating incompatible food combinations

12 Snacking in between meals

Time of Day and Time of Season

The body’s biological clock is regulated by the doshas. The time of maximum activity of kapha is during early morning and early evening, 6-10 a.m. and 6-10 p.m. The pitta period is during midday and midnight, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 10 p.m.-2 a.m., while vata hours are dawn and dusk, 2-6 a.m. and 2-6 p.m. Thus a pitta-type disease, like ulcers, may cause the most discomfort late at night in the pitta time of the bio-clock. The reverse is also true, in the sense that experiencing a sharp pain in the stomach region late at night may signify ulcers or another pitta-type aggravation.

After food is ingested, it passes through various stages of digestion, each one involving a specific dosha. To digest one major meal takes 6 to 8 hours. For approximately two-and-a-half hours after eating food, the dominant dosha is kapha, which is associated with the stomach. Roughly two-and-a-half hours later, the pitta dosha is dominant. This period and doshaare associated with the small intestine, where bile and intestinal enzymes are at work. Ultimately, the digestion is completed in the colon, the predominant site of vata, where absorption and elimination occurs. This stage is a time of vata domination. Gas, a quality of vata, will often occur here if food is not properly digested.

The seasons have attributes much like the three doshasand can cause aggravation and imbalance. For instance, the summer is hot, sharp and bright which provokes pitta. So pitta. diseases like sunburn, hot flashes, exhaustion, acne and diarrhea may occur. Psychologically, people may respond to trifles with anger and hate.

Autumn is dry, light, cold, clear and windy, all aggravating qualities to vata dosha. Aches and pains in the joints and muscles may materialize, and the mind may become fearful, anxious and lonely.

The heavy, cold, dampness of winter can provoke kapha , leading to cough, cold and sinus congestion. Attachment and greed may develop in the mind when kapha is aggravated.

The watery quality of spring also provokes kapha and some people will tend to have spring colds, allergies and respiratory ailments at this time.

The change from one season to another may require shifting one’s diet for a period of time to restore balance.

Getting The Right Amount of Exercise

Exercise, too, should be in harmony with the specific constitution. Kapha individuals can perform the most strenuous exercise, pitta a medium amount and vata the gentlest. Aerobics, swimming, fast walking and biking are all good exercise for pitta and kapha but not for vata. Vata tends to love jumping and jogging, but exercises like yoga, stretching and Tai Chi are better choices. For people with serious vataand pitta disorders and for those whose age is over 80 or under 10, exercise should be very gentle. Walking is probably the best exercise of all for any constitution.

Even for a healthy individual, Ayurveda suggests a workout that is one-half of one’s capacity, just until sweat appears on the forehead, under the arms and along the spinal column. This amount of exercise stimulates gastric fire, improves digestion and relieves constipation, as well as inducing relaxation and sound sleep. Sweating helps to eliminate toxins, reduce fat and make you feel good. Over-exercising may cause dehydration and breathlessness, even chest pain and muscle aches, eventually leading to arthritis, sciatica or heart conditions.

Choosing a Balanced Lifestyle

Lifestyle has its own definite rhythm in each person’s life. Waking too early or late, irregular food habits, staying up late, job stress, untimely bowel movements and suppression of natural urges are a few habits that can unsettle one. Regularity in sleeping, waking, eating and elimination, indeed following a daily routine, brings discipline and helps to maintain the integrity of the doshas and good health.

Ayurveda has some definite suggestions about the role of sex in one’s life. Sexual activity should be avoided after heavy meals, during hunger or in anger, for this could be detrimental to health. The right amount and right time is important. Vata should not make love more than once or, at most, twice a month, pitta once every two weeks and kapha two to three times a week. The best time for making love is between 10 and 11 p.m. Too frequent love-making reduces ojas, the vital energy, and leaves the person weak and open to diseases. Ojas should be restored after each time through massage and nourishing drinks, like almond milk.

Relationships and Emotions

Daily life is relationships, both the relationships we have with one another and the one we have with ourselves. Ideally, clarity, compassion and love should characterize these relationships. It is often easier to love and respect others than one’s self. Relationships are mirrors to use for self-learning, enquiry and investigation. Through that very learning, radical transformation of one’s life can take place. If our relationships are unclear, confusion and conflict will affect our well-being.

Emotions, like anger, fear or anxiety, arise from reactions to our daily relationships. These reactions appear due to inattention to the moment. Each person needs to pay total attention to his or her thoughts, feelings and emotions. If they don’t, these will be undigested and just as capable of poisoning the body as bad food combinations are. Each emotion is a bio-chemical response to a challenge and may provoke the doshas. Fear and anxiety will provoke vata, anger and hate upset pitta balance and attachment and greed will aggravate kapha .

Meditation and Well-Being

Meditation plays a most important part in daily life and is a powerful tool to help maintain health. While the dictionary says that the term meditation means to think, to ponder, to go through and examine, this definition does not impart the profound meaning of the word at all. Mediation is an action of clear perception, an observation with total awareness and without any conclusion, judgement or criticism. Meditation demands that you be utterly one with the moment. In this oneness, there is radical change in one’s psyche. In this moment-to-moment awareness, there is a cleansing of the body, mind and consciousness. This will bring you to that state of peace which is joy, bliss and enlightenment. At this point, life becomes a movement of spontaneous meditation.

Ayurveda, an ancient holistic science of healing, offers a logical and scientific approach for determining correct diet based upon an individual’s constitution. Vata, pitta and kapha; the tri-dosha, are the elements which comprise individual constitution. This approach is quite different from the “traditional” view of a balanced diet; viz., eating daily from the basic food groups; meat, dairy, fruit, grains and vegetables. According to Ayurvedic literature, such a scheme is insufficient to lead us to the path of good health.

In the Ayurvedic literature there are five types of nutritional disorders:

1. Quantitative dietary deficiency. This includes under-nutrition due to insufficient food, and even starvation.

2. Qualitative dietary deficiency. This includes wrong food combination which results in malnutrition, toxic condition and lack of essential nutrients.

3. Qualitative and quantitative over-nutrition. This includes emotional overeating which can result in obesity and/or high cholesterol which can lead to hypertension, heart attacks or paralysis.

4. Toxins in food. Certain foods and food combinations lead to toxemia and to certain digestive disorders.

5. Foods not suitable to one’s constitution may affect natural resistance and cause disease.

These five factors are closely connected to the strength of agni (the gastric fire). There are four types of agni:

1. VISHAMA AGNI. Due to vata dosha the gastric fire becomes vitiated, causing irregular appetite, indigestion and gases. Emotionally this can result in anxiety, insecurity, fear, and neurological or mental problems.

2. TIKSHNA AGNI. Pitta dosha is responsible for this type of agni disorder. It may cause hyper-metabolism, hyperacidity, heartburn and hypoglycemia leading to inflammatory diseases.

3. MANDA AGNI. This is due to an excess kapha condition, leading to slow metabolism, overweight, allergies and congestive diseases.

4. SAMA AGNI. This type of agni is the result of balanced tri-dosha. A person having this type of agni can eat almost any type of food without difficulty. Digestion, absorption and elimination are all normal.

The nutritionist should give consideration to these types of agni when making suggestions concerning diet.

According to Ayurveda, every food has its own taste (rasa), a heating or cooling energy (virya) and post-digestive effect (vipak). When two or three different food substances of different taste, energy and post-digestive effect are combined together agni can become overloaded inhibiting the enzyme system and resulting in production of toxins in the system. While it is true that an individual’s agni largely determines how well or poorly food is digested, food combinations are also of great importance. When foods, (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) having different attributes, tastes, heating or cooling properties, and post-digestive effects are eaten together, agni will be slowed down. The foods can then remain in the stomach for seven to eight hours. These same foods, if eaten separately might well stimulate agni, be digested more quickly and even help to burn ama. Thus, according to Ayurveda, one should eat according to one’s constitution and take fruits, starches, proteins and fats separately at different times of the day. Combining foods improperly can produce indigestion, fermentation, putrefaction and gas formation. This condition, if prolonged, can lead to toxemia and disease complex. For example, eating bananas with milk can diminish agni, change the intestinal flora producing toxins and may cause sinus congestion, cold, cough and allergies.

Some basic concepts of an Ayurvedic Food Combining program include the following:

• Avoid taking milk or yogurt with sour or citrus fruits.
• Avoid eating fruits together with potatoes or other starchy foods. Fructose (and other sugars) is digested quickly, whereas starch takes quite some time. In this case the sugar would not be properly digested.
• Avoid eating melons and grains together. Melons digest quickly whereas grains take more time. This combination will upset the stomach. Melons should be eaten alone or left alone.
• Honey should never be cooked. Honey digests slowly when cooked and the molecules become a non-homogenized glue which adheres to mucous membranes and clogs subtle channels, producing toxins. Uncooked honey is nectar. Cooked honey is poison.
• Do not eat meat protein and milk protein together. Meat is heating and milk is cooling so they counteract one another, disturb agni and produce ama.
• Milk and melons should not be eaten together. Both are cooling, but milk is laxative and melon is diuretic, and milk requires more time for digestion. Moreover the action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach causes the milk to curdle. For this reason Ayurveda advises against taking milk with sour fruits, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, and fish.

There is a beautiful passage in the Sanskrit literature describing all types of foods and their actions. Among the digestive aids referred to there are:

• Water, which imparts a liquid quality and helps in digestion and absorption of food.
• Salt also aids digestion, and helps to retain water.
• Alkalies help digestion and regulate gastric fire (HCL).
• Ghee stimulates agni and improves digestion.
• Milk invigorates.
• Meat gives energy.
  Also in this literature are descriptions on influence of foods on the tri-dosha:
• Pitta is increased by foods which are sour and pungent.
• Kapha is aggravated by milk products.
• Vata is over-stimulated by beans, dry fruits, astringent and bitter substances.
  The daily diet should contain:
• 40 – 50% well-cooked basmati rice, barley, corn or wheat depending upon one’s constitution.
• 15 – 30% well cooked legumes.
• 2 – 5% vegetable soups.
• 1/2 teaspoon pickles

In order to stimulate appetite one can chew and eat 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger with a pinch of rock salt before each meal.

Ayurveda insists that iced water should not be drunk during or after a meal as it slows agni and digestion. Small sips of warm water taken during the meal serves to aid digestion. While eating one should properly masticate the food in order to soften it and ensure that it is thoroughly mixed with saliva. If desired, one can finish a meal by drinking a cup of lassi (or takram). This can be made by blending four teaspoons of yogurt with two pinches of ginger and cumin powder in one cup of water.

When eating, only one third of the capacity of the stomach should be filled with food, one third with liquid and one third should be left empty. This will aid in proper digestion and also promotes mental clarity.

INCOMPATIBLE FOOD COMBINATIONS

Milk Is Incompatible With:

• Bananas
• Fish
• Meat
• Melons
• Curd
• Sour Fruits
• Kitchari
• Bread containing yeast
• Cherries

Melons Are Incompatible With:

• Grains
• Starch
• Fried foods
• Cheese

Starches Are Incompatible With:

• Eggs
• Chai
• Milk
• Bananas
• Dates
• Persimmons

Honey Is Incompatible With:

• Ghee (in equal proportions)
• Heating or cooking with.

Radishes Are Incompatible With:

• Milk
• Bananas
• Raisins

Nightshades, (Potato, Tomato, Eggplant, Chilies)
Are Incompatible With:

• Yogurt
• Milk
• Melon
• Cucumber

Yogurt Is Incompatible With:

• Milk
• Sour Fruits
• Melons
• Hot drinks
• Meat
• Fish
• Mangos
• Starch
• Cheese

Eggs Are Incompatible With:

• Milk
• Meat
• Yogurt
• Melons
• Cheese
• Fish
• Bananas

Mangos Are Incompatible With:

• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Cucumbers

Corn Is Incompatible With:

• Dates
• Raisins
• Bananas

Lemon Is Incompatible With:

• Yogurt
• Milk
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes

The above guidelines are by no means an exhaustive list. It must also be remembered that a proper Ayurvedic diet should consider nutritional value, constitution, seasons, age and any disease condition.

The Caraka Samhita is believed to date two to four centuries before Christ. It is felt to be the oldest and the most important ancient authoritative writing on Ayurveda. It is not known who this person was or, if indeed, this represents the work of a “school of thought”– of scholars or followers of a man known as Caraka. This work is often considered a redaction of an even more ancient oral tradition, not an original composition of a single person, and the redactor is said to be Caraka. Drdhabala, living about 400 A.D., is believed to have filled in many verses of missing text in the cikitsasthana which arose over time.

The language of Caraka is Samskrt and its style is poetry–with meter and melody. Poetry was known to serve as a memory aid. For example, Caraka contains over 8,400 metrical verses which are regularly committed to memory, in toto, by modern medical students of Ayurveda.

It presents most of the theoretical edifice of Ayurveda and concentrates on the branch of Ayurveda called kayacikitsa. This is the theory of the internal fire–of digestion–or in modern terms internal medicine. Seen from a greater perspective this work seems to represent a certain value of Consciousness different from other works. It gives more discussion about the notion that life is fundamentally a field of Intelligence and Pure Knowledge. This field is self-aware–it is the knower as well as the object of perception. And for Caraka this is part of what is to be treated by the physician. Caraka never discusses the sub-types of pitta and kapha, but it does list and describe the 5 sub-types of vata.

The P.V. Sharma translation comes in four volumes–two of original text and two of commentary about the original work. Sharma’s English version is said to be a scholarly and relatively faithful work. It has numerous appendices and an extensive index. The B. Dash version lacks these features but does have extensive commentary incorporated in with the original text. Both translators have excellent academic credentials supporting their works.

The Susruta Samhita presents the field of Ayurvedic surgery called salakya–meaning foreign body. This branch of medicine arose in part from the exigencies of dealing with the effects of war. This work, also, is said to be a redaction of oral material passed down verbally from generation to generation. It is thought to have arisen about the same time period as the Caraka Samhita but slightly after it. Its style is both prose and poetry with poetry being the greater portion. The Susruta Samhita, while dealing with the practice and theory of surgery, is an important source of Ayurvedic aphorisms. For example, the most commonly quoted definition of health is from Susruta. This work is unique in that it discusses blood in terms of the fourth dosic principle. This work is the first to enumerate and discuss the pitta sub-dosas. With its emphasis on pitta, surgery, and blood this work best represents the transformational value of life. This work, also originally written in Samskrt, is available in English only without Devanagari or transliteration. Bhishagratna’s translation is the only English version extant.

Astanga Hrdayam is the work of a person named Vagbhata. There are two works by a person or persons with this name. The Astanga Sangraha is nearly 30% greater in size (by verse count) and is primarily poetry with prose. The Hrdayam is written in prose and seems to have a slightly different organization of material than the former. Both works have been dated about the same time and are thought to date after the Caraka and Susruta Samhitas. The exposition is relatively straight forward and also deals primarily with kayacikitsa. In this work we see the kapha sub-doses are first listed and described–completing our modern edifice of vata, pitta, kapha with their five sub-types. Its emphasis on treating the physiology of the body and suggestions for therapeutic use of metals and minerals means the perspective of the treatise represents the gross, material value of life more than its counterparts–Caraka and Susruta. Srikantha Murthy has weighty credentials and brings them to bear in this English translation.

The Sarngadhara Samhita is a concise exposition of Ayurvedic principles. Its author, Sarngadhara, has given his work as a digested version of Ayurvedic knowledge, deliberately omitting much detail because the works of The Great Three were already widely known. This treatise is thought to have originated in the 15th century A.D. The Sarngadhara Samhita is prized for its enumeration and description of numerous pharmacological formulations used in pancakarma and contains the first textual reference to diagnosis by means of the pulse. Its subject matter is again the field of kayacikitsa. This present work is available in Devanagari and English translation, by Srikantha Murthy.

Bhava Prakasa is not available in English translation. We believe it’s subject matter deals with rejuvenation, and the preparation of products and compounds.

Madhava Nidanam, available here in Devanagari and English translation by Srikantha Murthy deals with the classification of diseases in Ayurveda. Its taxonomy is slightly different at times from those given by Caraka, Susruta, and Vagbhata, while for the greater part its verses are seemingly direct quotes from them. This work is dated around 700 A.D. and is prized for covering a wide range of diseases in the fields of bala, salya, damstra, urdhvanga, kayacikitsa. While this treatise gives detailed description of disease prodroma and cardinal signs and symptoms, it does not give explanation of etiology (disease doctrines) or suggestions for cikitsa.

NOTE: This article has been written in transliteration of the original Sanskrit in strict accord with the accepted transliteration convention. Some proper names cited are notable exceptions to this rule.

Bhishagratna, Kaviraj Kunjalal, editor-translator. Sushruta Samhita. 4th ea., 2 vole., Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office: Varanasi, India, 1991.

Murthy, K. R. Srikantha, translator. Sharngadhara Samhita: A Treatise on Ayurveda. Chaukhambha Orientalia: Varanasi, India, 1984.

Sharma, Priyavrat V., editor-translator. Caraka Samhita. 4 vols. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office: Varanasi, India, 1981-1994.

Sharma, Ram Karan, and Vaidya Bhagwan Dash, editors-translators. Caraka Samhita. 3d ed.,3 vols. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office: Varanasi, India, 1992.

Vagbhata. Ashtanga Hridayam, translated by K. R. Srikantha Murthy. 2 vols. Krishnadas Academy: Varanasi, India, 1991-1992.

Contemporary Texts

Frawley, David. Ayurvedic Healing. Morson Publishing: Salt Lake City, 1989.

Frawley, David, and Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs. Lotus Press: Santa Fe, 1986.

Lad, Vasant. Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing Lotus Press: Santa Fe, 1984.

Morrison, Judith H. The Book of Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Health and Longevity. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1995, A Fireside Book.

Svoboda, Robert E. Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity. Penguin: London, 1992.

The Hidden Secret of Ayurveda. Pune, India, 1980; reprint, The Ayurvedic Press: Albuquerque, 1994.

Prakruti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution. Geocom Limited: Albuquerque, 1989.