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Prevention Using Ayurveda To Transform Your Weaknesses Into Strengths
Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine based on the philosophy of five natural elements: space or ether, air, fire, water and earth. These are known as the five great elements.
Twenty qualities are used to describe the elements. Cold, dry, light, subtle, and mobile are the qualities that are used to describe space, or ether. Cold, dry, light, subtle, mobile, clear, rough, and sharp are used to describe air.
Fire is described by the qualities: hot, light, subtle, mobile, and sharp. Water is described by the qualities: cold, wet, light, liquid, soft, mobile, and clear. Earth is described by the qualities: cold, wet, heavy, gross, dense, hard, static, sticky, slimy, and slow.
These five elements and the twenty qualities, or gunas (in sanskrit) make up three vital constitutions in ayurveda, also known as doshas. The doshas are used to describe the body’s make up, or constitution. The word dosha translates to mean fault, in English. Doshas are the places where a person has a tendency to have a genetically disposed fault, weakness, or disease. The three doshas are: vata dosha, pitta dosha, and kapha dosha.
Vata dosha is made of the elements ether and air. A disease like anxiety is referred to as vata imbalance, in ayurveda, and is the result of too much air and space element in the lifestyle of the individual.
Pitta dosha is made of the fire and water elements. Herpes outbreaks are aggravated due to a pitta imbalance and are a result of too much fire and water element in the lifestyle of the individual.
Kapha dosha is made of the water and earth elements. A disease like obesity is referred to as a kapha imbalance and is a result of too much earth and water elements in the lifestyle of the individual.
The doshas, the elements, and the twenty gunas help to organize and classify natural phenomena, body types, and diseases, to understand the genetic disposition of the individual, uncovering the genetic faults (or weaknesses), and provide insight on how to prevent diseases. When an individual is aware of their weaknesses, they then have the power to transform their weaknesses into strengths, and prevent those weaknesses from developing into serious diseases.
Want to find insight on your dosha? Schedule an appointment with an ayurvedic professional in your area to begin your journey of transformation.
