Ayurveda is the ancient Indian system of medicine. It focuses on maintaining balance of the body-mind as a whole to avoid health issues. It’s often better at handling systemic and chronic conditions than western allopathic medicine is.
I’ve spoken before about how we’re born with a certain balance of laws of nature. We all have roughly the same principles but are each a unique combination of emphasis. One may do well at sports and be a natural public speaker who struggles with other languages. Another speaks multiple languages fluently but is uncomfortable with public speaking and only enjoys soccer. Both have the ability to speak but in one the language faculty is more emphasized than in another. And so on in numerous of combinations.
However unique we are, there is an overall emphasis that leads to certain generalizations. For example, the way the gunas express through those laws of nature leads to an emphasis of one of them.
That leads to an emphasis in the 5 subtle elements. And that to our Prakriti or nature, our innate natural balance. This determines our tendencies and the way we experience life. It also determines our Vikruti or tendency to imbalance.
This tendency to imbalance is called our “dosha” in Ayurveda: Vata (space & air: movement), Pitta (fire & water: metabolism), and Kapha (earth & water: structure).
People have one or a combination of doshas in their nature. For example, they might be Vata-Pitta or mostly Kapha.
This means the rules of health for one person may not suit another.
Vata is common in the west. It has no trouble moving but the air emphasis tends to dry things out and space us out. Pitta is about digestion of food, emotions, and experiences. Yet excess pitta can lead to inflammation, anger, and other fire issues. Kapha is grounding but can make us sluggish and dense.
The key is balance and Ayurveda points to simple food and lifestyle principles to bring balance. You can read more about the doshas here.
To the point of the article: our balance of laws of nature is viewed as set at conception or during pregnancy. While various influences like change of season will shift our balance, the basic pattern of laws remains. Our dosha is considered fixed.
However, there is one thing that can change it. Awakening. Some people change doshas during the process of embodying enlightenment. I’m not sure if this is a move to being Tridoshic (a more global balance) or the need for very deep grounding to stabilize infinity in the physiology. [Update] It could be both. In the examples I know, it’s shown up post-Brahman so may be related to embodying Divinity.
I have noticed some laws of nature have departed, sometimes because the environment here has changed too much and sometimes because their job was completed.
Purification and resolving karma can lead to many curious changes. Yet what falls away, what stays, and what changes are likely to be a surprise. As we become more clear and conscious of these laws of nature, we raise their consciousness. The body itself wakes up, along with everything that supports it. As some of this is operating on a more cosmic level, we’re then waking up the laws that support everyone.
This is part of the magic of speeding up growth. Some upgrades change everything.
Davidya
Update: Speaking to a knowledgeable jyotishi, they indicated the birth dosha can be determined by the Chandra and Lagna. However, later major dasha changes can change the dosha. For example, Saturn is a strong Vata influence, Mars Pitta. As awakening shows up in the context of our local laws of nature, this isn’t incompatible. Stages unfold in the context of life.
Update 2: speaking to an Ayurvedic Vaidya, he said the dosha doesn’t change. However, it can appear to change, just as dirt can make a white wall appear to change colour. But the wall remains white under the dirt. He said an apparent dosha change is temporary. Various lifestyle, health, and age influences can cause the changed emphasis. Plus he noted evolutionary changes can too. This appears to be what I explored in the article. As I’ve moved through the process and lost weight, the dosha seems to be settling back.
Last Updated on April 9, 2020 by Davidya
Interesting!
I would say both. (because to ground better and becoming more tridoshic).
Every lineage i have access to which talks about bodily changes states that even the different pranas and the composition of the 5 elements are karmically stained (very subtle level). And when these very subtle karmas are cleared the body becomes “perfected”.
So to me it makes sensce that our bodytypes become much more balanced and at the same time adjust to what is needed as our process unfolds through us.
Yes, I intended to mention that actually. Both came up when thinking about it.
There’s various ways of talking about it. The pranas are said to merge. That’s been equated with makara but may be distinct.
Right – a movement towards balance but the winding down of residues can show as new imbalances or rejigging where old rules no longer suit. What used to balance may no longer.
Some of this stuff is profoundly subtle. I was reading some references to yoga asana the other day and they made the key point that your approach to the postures is more important than the postures itself.
Life becomes like that – it’s not what arises but how you are with it that makes the greater difference.
Yes, that is a great secret! How extremly powerful intent is and how it becomes even more powerful the more conscious we are.
the technique is secondary (though it has its role) but the intent gives the real power to it……and of course everything in life. 🙂
Yes. Even more subtly, what is driving the intent. 🙂
Ahhh…..eye opener!! 🙂
“made the key point that your approach to the postures is more important than the postures itself.”
I have been thinking the same about many things…
Intention, it seems, is (almost) everything…
The theme of the comments too. 🙂
In the past, I’ve written that everything is either attention or intention. Attention or consciousness is the ground of experience and intention is the push to bring forth experiences.
I added an Update to the fourth paragraph from the end. Both and when I’m seeing it show up in current examples.
Resolving karma could be a trigger also, which means it could show up in earlier stages, depending on the unfolding.
A further closing Update – our Dasha cycle, where one planet gets a greater emphasis, can also influence our dosha.