Ayurveda originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is one of the oldest continuously practiced health-care systems in the world. The word Ayurveda comes from the root words AYUR (”life”) and VEDA (”science, knowledge or wisdom”); thus Ayurveda translates as “the Science and Wisdom of Life.”

These five elements manifest in living beings as three basic metabolic forces (Tridosha). The word Dosha means that which maintains and controls the body. They are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The Pancha Maha Bhutas and Tridoshas are not prevalent to the naked eye, and should be understood on comprehensive terms in which all the physical structures and physiological functions of the body are included.

The Space and Air elements combine to form Vata dosha. The Fire element combines with Water to form Pitta dosha, and Water and Earth elements combine to form Kapha dosha. These three basic biological forces govern all biochemical, neurological and physio-pathological functions of the body, mind and consciousness. They also act, separately and in whole, as basic constituents and protective barriers for the body in its normal physiological conditions. They oversee our conception, gestation, and healthy development through life, and yet are the primary causative agents of disease when we fall out of balance. For that reason, clinical Ayurveda is focused on the doshas and all treatments are an attempt to pacify an aggravated dosha either before it causes further pathology, or after. The sooner the aggravation is pacified, the less severe the degree of pathology.

The Ayurvedic View of Health

According to Ayurveda, health is a participatory ongoing process of achieving and maintaining a dynamic balance in all aspects of life through the means of comprehensive natural therapies customized to suit the individual’s psychosomatic constitution (prakriti) and the current state of imbalance (vikriti), if any. The goal of this process is not only to heal disease and to reestablish balance, but also to prevent disease and to promote a more positive experience of health.

Health, according to Ayurveda, is defined as a state of dynamic equilibrium of the Doshas (metabolic forces), Sap Dhatus (seven tissues), Malas (elimination of bodily waste), and Agni (metabolic fire, digestion, transformation) accompanied by a sensation of well being (tranquility) of body and sense organs, mind and soul. Such a person is called Swastha. This equilibrium  is maintained through a life in conformity with the laws of nature.

To elaborate the above view, we need to emphasize several key concepts from the ayurvedic paradigm of health:

1.  Health is a process - not a state.

2.  This process is ongoing - not a one-time attempt.

3. The process is participatory; the person must take res-ponsibility for his or her health and not depend on an expert to fix it.

4.  Health is a dynamic balance - not a stationary balance.

5.  The dynamic balance needs to be achieved in all aspects of a person’s life - physical, biochemical, neurological, intellectual, emotional, behavioral, spiritual, familial, social, environmental, and even universal.

6. Therapies need to be comprehensive, considering all aspects of life, such as nutrition, natural medicines, exercise, rest, emotions, and lifestyle - not limited to drugs and surgery. Therapies need to be natural - not synthetic.

7. Therapies need to be customized to suit the individual - not standardized for the imaginary “average person.”

8 Therapies need to address the complete physical, biochemical,neurological,intellectual,emotional, behavioral, spiritual, familial, social, and environmental picture - not just the physical.

9. The goal is to heal disease, reestablish balance, prevent disease, and promote positive experience of health - not just to suppress symptoms or “quick-fix the problem.”

Ayurvedic clinical medicine, though always focused on prevention and understanding patient’s constitutional makeup, addresses moderate to severe aggravations of one or more of the doshas, in addition to the presence of ama (toxins) that may play a role in pathology.

In the Ayurvedic view, toxic by-products easily accumulate in large quantities within the bodily tissues of those who live unwholesome lifestyles (improper body habits, improper foods, lack of exercise, emotional imbalance, stress, addictions, etc). These toxins come from various sources, whether external from foods and the environment, an inefficient digestion, or the inability of the body to remove normal cellular wastes. Every cell requires nutrients for maintenance, and also creates waste. The presence of toxins ensures the vitiation of one or more of the doshas, the seven tissues, or the ability to excrete normal wastes. The normal functioning of the body thus breaks down and pathology begins in the tissue most effected by the vitiated dosha. How it is impaired is unique to each particular disease process (samprapti) and the disease pathway involved (roga marga). However, it should be mentioned that not every pathology is caused by toxicity, but a derangement of one or more doshas is almost always involved.

Various therapeutic procedures are used to facilitate the elimination of excess toxins and/or doshas. The primary group of clinical eliminative techniques (shodhana chikitsa) is known as panchakarma (pancha = 5, karma = action or technique). The five techniques of panchakarma are clarified on the Treatments page of this site. The purpose of panchakarma is to ripen the excess toxins and doshas within the targeted tissue, then direct them toward the gastrointestinal track where they are purged from the body.

Less serious conditions may not require panchakarma. Less aggressive treatments (shamana chikitsa) usually involve the use of herbal medicine, dietary and lifestyle changes. Herbal medicines are used internally and externally to correct the derangement of functions of the doshas, dhatus (seven tissues), malas (wastes), and agni (digestive fire, or capacity to digest well) as well as to increase the bodily immunity. In minor cases, restoration of normality can be brought about without any elimination, though in more severe conditions elimination may be necessary.

It is understood in Ayurveda that humans, as natural beings, are governed by the same rules and laws as all other natural beings. If we choose to ignore these laws, or simply remain unaware of them, then imbalances will begin to appear. These imbalances are the precursor to disharmony and disease in the mind and body. This system of medicine understands our deepest connections with the whole universe and the influences of the energies that compose it. We are considered a microcosm of the macrocosm. According to Ayurveda, every living and non-living being in the universe is composed of a combination of five basic elements, called the Pancha Maha Bhutas - Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The human body, and every cell within, is conceived by these five elements in various compositions - bringing a necessary diversity to life. The only difference between living beings and non-living beings is that living beings express Chaithany (consciousness, life spark, soul).

Space and Earth are static in nature while Air, Fire, and Water are dynamic and ever changing. These elements have inherent energies that govern their functions. We are all made up of all of these energies, but each individual has slightly different proportions of the individual elements, making everyone unique in their own constitutional makeup.

The prakriti, or basic constitutional nature of each individual, is determined at the time of conception. At this stage the constitution is determined by the permutations and combinations of the five basic elements (Pancha Maha Bhutas) of the parents “shukra” and “arthava” (male and female reproductive tissues). Once birth has genetically made its elemental imprint, we can not alter the process in any way. While we may be influenced positive or negatively by our environment, or through learned behavior, our basic nature at birth is established from the interlacing of the five elements remains as a blueprint for our constitutional nature. This metabolic and neurological blueprint is equated in Ayurveda to our fingerprints. Each is unique and indicative of our genetic and karmic situation in this lifetime. According to Ayurveda, there are seven prakritis or constitutional types:

1. Vata type   2. Pitta type   3. Kapha type   4. Vata Pitta type   5. Vata Kapha type   6. Pitta Kapha type   7. Tridoshic type

It should be noted that there are no superior types. Each prakriti is ideal and perfect for that particular person. What is most important is that each person identify their prakriti, and live a life which supports their constitution is such a way that they stay in equilibrium for their particular prakriti. In other-words, if you are a Vata type, you should make every attempt to live a life that helps you stay a healthy Vata type. Be careful not to let your Vata become aggravated or excessive. Also, do not let any of the other doshas become excessive as well. Just remain a healthy Vata type. You will never be tridoshic, where all doshas are equal in proportion. Only a tridoshic person (type 7) should attempt to be tridoshic, because that is his or her true nature. To learn more about the doshas and prakritis, see a practitioner or read one or more of the books listed on the Resource page of this site.

Though it is true to say that one’s prakriti never changes, fluctuations in our body and in the doshas do occur, and do occur frequently. The process of health after-all is very dynamic. When one or more doshas become aggravated or excessive, we refer to this new change in condition as a vikriti. Vikriti is the nature in which we stray away from our true constitutional ideal state of balance. A healthy Vata type may become increasingly more Vata, or develop an aggravated Pitta, Kapha, or more than one dosha may be aggravated simultaneously.

The harmony and the balance of the doshas, dhatus (seven tissues), malas (wastes) and agni (digestive fire, or capacity to digest well) being as important as they are, equilibrium is still maintained primarily through a life in conformity with the laws of nature. Wrong behavior and food habits disturbs the harmony and leads to disease. Disease is caused by the vitiation (aggravation) of one or more of the doshas, and they are thus the causative agents of disease. Both under healthy and pathological conditions, the doshas behave in different patterns and elicit various signs and symptoms in regard to their vitiation, direction of spread, area of localization, and the extent of manifestation.

Having a thorough knowledge of the signs and symptoms produced by the vitiated doshas and tissues one can know the causative factors of a disease and determine appropriate treatment. If the signs are minor, most people could potentially treat the condition themselves through simple changes in diet and the use of readily available herbs. Under more complex conditions a practitioner is required to diagnose and prescribe the appropriate treatments.

The earliest texts of Ayurveda have their roots in the Vedas, the oldest and most sacred written record of human knowledge, written during the Vedic period of Indian culture (1200 - 500 BC). The four Vedas are Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. The words of the Vedas were carefully memorized according to metrical chants and transmitted from generation to generation. The Atharva Veda describes many healing herbs and mantras for diverse conditions including physical and psychic protection; therefore, most traditional Ayurvedic texts source Ayurveda primarily to the Atharva Veda.

These different aspects of Vedic knowledge were later summarized in the Vedantic texts, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, which deals primarily with the knowledge of the Self, or pure consciousness. These later texts are better translated, easier to understand and more accessible to the modern mind.

Ayurveda developed into eight branches or specialties (ashtanga ayurveda) and two schools: Atreya, the school of physicians, and Dhanvantari, the school of surgeons. The chanting of mantras and religious aspects of medicine in the Vedas was gradually replaced by observation based on scientific thinking.

Later generations of Ayurvedic scholars gave logical footing of the philosophy and several key compilations manifested. The three oldest, most authentic, and most respected were the Samhitas (Brihat Trai). The main three texts are the Charak Samhita (internal medicine), Sushrut Samhita (the first text of surgery in the world), and Ashtang Hridaya Samhita (text in poetic form).