Ayurveda is the ancient healing wisdom. It originated in India more than 3000 years ago. The word Ayurveda emerges as a combination of two words – ayu and veda.
- Ayu is defined as the duration for which the four essentials – body, senses, mind, and soul, come together and create life.
- The word veda emerges from a root vid (to realize). Therefore, veda signifies realization or wisdom.
Therefore, the word Ayurveda signifies the wisdom of life. Ayurveda encompasses not only the physical but also the emotional and spiritual health of an individual.
This profound science teaches us the importance of living in complete harmony with the natural world. The natural world has a unique biorhythm. The three biophysical energies run and maintain this biorhythm. They are also called doshas, namely – vata, pitta and kapha. A balance or harmony in doshas leads to health, whereas an imbalance of these doshas leads to disorders.
These five elements Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth combine to form the three fundamental energies or body doshas. Ether and air constitute vata, the energy of movement. Fire and water constitute pitta, the principle of digestion or metabolism, the transformation of matter into energy. Water and earth make up Kapha, the energy of structure and lubrication.
What is Prakrati or Constitution?
Ayurveda has the unique concept of Prakrati, constitution, or an individual psychobiological makeup.
At the time of conception, the sperm and the egg join to produce the zygote. During this process, multiple factors like the dominant dosha (vata/pitta/kapha) from the parents’ constitution, the season, the emotional state, and the quality of their relationship, all form a new individual with a unique constellation of qualities.
Types of Ayurvedic Constitutions
Based on the doshas, there are four primary constitutions –
- vata dominant,
- pitta dominant,
- kapha dominant,
- samya (balanced)
Each constitution has distinct physical and psychological characteristics. Let’s see the unique features of each constitution.
Vata Dominant Constitution
The vata body
A vata dominant body tends to be dry, cold, and light. Therefore, they may not be comfortable with the cold.
The vata people are more prone to vata imbalance during the autumn and winter months. This excess vata also reflects dry skin, hair, constipation, bloating, etc.
Vata people have volatile digestion. To ensure vata balance, they should limit their intake of cold and drying foods. Instead, they should consume more warm herbs like ginger, garlic, etc.
They also need to have regular mealtime and with small food portions.
The vata mind
People with predominant Vata constitutions are vibrant, brimming with an enthusiasm for life. They are thinkers with great imagination and artistic inclination.
The vata people are quick decision-makers. Their speech and action have the speed and energy of the wind. However, they may have a reckless and unorganized approach.
Pitta Dominant Constitution
The pitta body
Pitta people are usually medium in height and weight, with soft and lustrous skin.
As they are blessed with the fire element’s energy, they have a strong metabolism, a great appetite, and great digestion.
Excess exposure to heat is a problem for unbalanced pitta people. They may feel uncomfortable in too much sun.
Pitta dominant people are prone to inflammatory disorders like heartburn, ulcers, etc. They should try to balance by consuming cooling herbs and avoiding hot & spicy foods.
The pitta mind
People with predominant Pitta constitutions are generally ambitious and have strong desires for achievement. They are normally highly intelligent, well-organized, and sophisticated individuals.
They are natural leaders and focused innovators.
Kapha Dominant Constitution
The kapha body
Kapha people tend to be tall with well-developed bodies. They may have sluggish digestion. Physically they can suffer from weight gain due to sluggish digestion.
The kapha mind
People with predominant Kapha constitutions are normally patient, calm, and steady. They are thoughtful planners and persistent executors.
Compassion and devotion come naturally to kapha people. They love a comfortable and socially rich life, surrounded by loved ones.
When out of balance, Kapha people can become lethargic, over-emotional, and melancholy. Their loyalty may turn to possessiveness. Kapha people can also be conservative and inflexible.
In working to create health, Ayurveda takes into consideration these different levels of life and their interconnectedness. As a science of self-healing, Ayurveda encompasses diet and nutrition, lifestyle, exercise, rest and relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, and medicinal herbs, along with cleansing and rejuvenation programs for healing body, mind, and spirit. Numerous adjunct therapies such as sound, color, and aromatherapy may also be employed. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that means “the science of life and longevity.
According to this science, every individual is both a creation of cosmic energies and a unique phenomenon, a unique personality.
Ayurveda wisdom teaches us that we all have a constitution that is our individual psychobiological makeup. From the time of conception, the constitution is created, by the universal energies of Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. These five elements combine into the three fundamental energies, or body doshas.
Ether and air constitute as vata, the energy of movement.
Fire and water constitute pitta, the principle of digestion or metabolism, the transformation of matter into energy;
Water and earth make up Kapha, the energy of structure and lubrication.
When the male sperm and the female egg join at the time of fertilization, the vata–pitta–kapha factors from the parents’ bodies that are most active and predominant at the moment, due to the season, the time, the emotional state, and the quality of their relationship, form a new individual with a particular constellation of qualities.