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According to a notified scholar of Ayurveda –
Sushrut “A healthy person, is one whose doshas are
in balance, appetite is good, all tissues of the
body and all natural urges are functioning
properly, and whose mind, body and spirit are
cheerful...”
Ayurveda is based on believe that the universe is
made up of five elements: air, fire, water, earth
and ether that are represented in humans by three
"doshas", or energies: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. A
complete balance of all these doshas is mandatory
for health of an individual. Every individual has
a distinct balance, and the health and well being
of an individual depend on right balance of the
three doshas ("tridoshas"). When any of the doshas
accumulate in the body beyond the desirable limit,
the body loses its balance. Because these five
elements exist in us and in nature as well, our
doshas can become aggravated or imbalanced due to
inappropriate or inadequate diet, change of
seasons, climate or lifestyle, and result in
disease in the body. The imbalance of doshas can
be determined by examination of ones eyes, nails,
tongue, skin, voice, and pulse diagnosis. Ayurveda
suggests specific lifestyle and nutritional
guidelines to help individuals reduce the excess
dosha.
Ayurveda also describes three primary qualities of
Nature, or gunas, called Sattva (equilibrium,
evolution, intelligence), Rajas (activity,
agitation) and Tamas (inertia). These inner
qualities are considered essential for the
creation of all things in the material universe.
These are also known as the "mental doshas" as
they describe the qualities and activities of the
mind. The balance between these gunas - Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas is always desirable because if
imbalanced they can result in a restless, agitated
or dull mind, which can result in imbalance of
Vata, Pitta and Kapha, leading to various
ailments. |
