Ayurvedic Medicine: The Original HMO

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During the past decade, Deepak Chopra has found fame and fortune promoting the ancient Indian healing philosophy of Ayurveda. Through his numerous books, like Quantum Healing and Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, he’s expounded upon the benefits of this ancient system for creating and maintaining good health. His message has caught-on, and these days many are seeking Ayurvedic practitioners to help restore health and vitality.

Unfortunately, this is not as easy as Chopra’s books may lead his followers to believe. Not that he’s being intentionally misleading, mind you, at least not entirely. He takes great pains to explain that a system like Ayurveda must be incorporated completely into one’s life. To Americans, however, that usually means paying lip service to healthy living while continuing with a lifestyle that is full of stress, negative thoughts and saturated fats. As the Firesign Theater folks were prone to say, "that’s not how radio works."

In many ways, Ayurvedic medicine is a form of Yoga. In fact, it grew out of the Yogic systems of the Hindus and Buddhists on the Indian subcontinent. Although most people say the system is about two thousand years old, it’s thought by some to have originated over five thousand years ago, when the greatest sages of India met in a cave in the Himalayan Mountains to discuss their knowledge of the healing arts. At this conference, these Rishis, many of whom had traveled thousands of miles for the event, combined their knowledge of the medicinal plants of India into a single system they called Ayurveda, from the Sanskrit words Avus, meaning “life,” and Veda, which is “knowledge.”

Through countless generations after the conference, this “knowledge of life” was passed orally from teacher to student. As each Ayurvedic physician added his own insights and experiences, the system continued to grow. Finally, in the first century CE, the system was put in writing by the physician Charaka, hundreds of years before the beginning of “traditional” Western medicine. By this time, Ayurveda already had specialists in pediatrics, gynecology, psychiatry, toxicology, ear nose and throat, virility, and fertility. Not bad for a medical system that’s just now being discovered here in the “civilized” world.

The trouble in the West is that Ayurvedic principles most often are used in an attempt to cure disease, when the system was designed to be primarily a preventative. Actually, the original purpose of Ayurveda was to give practitioners a means of health and healing so they could be freed to follow the path of Yoga. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be used to help cure a patient, but even Dr. Chopra will admit that by the time a disease has manifested physically in the body, other methods will be needed as well.

Ayurvedic Medicine incorporates a wide range of treatments and always requires changes in lifestyle. The treatments can include a change of diet, massage, healing herbs, and the meditation and breathing techniques of Hatha and Kriya yoga. Some practitioners will also recommend intestinal cleaning through the use of colon irrigation (a nice word for an enema) or natural laxatives. An Ayurvedic practitioner will typically begin by taking a comprehensive personal and medical history to determine the

patient’s physical and spiritual type, called doshas. Detailed questions about emotional temperament, skin type and food preferences are also asked, and the practitioner will likely examine the tongue and spend considerable time taking the pulse. Like acupuncture, Ayurveda considers the pulse as a critical diagnostic tool, which reveals imbalances in the body.

The frequency, duration and types of treatments vary widely, depending both on the practitioner and the needs of the patient. Many treatments, like dietary changes and the use of yoga, can be self-administered. However, panchadarma, a comprehensive set of treatments meant to purify and rejuvenate, are usually only available at clinics, centers or spas, many of which are operated by the followers of Transcendental Meditation (TM). In fact, the Marharishi Mahesh Yogi, who developed TM, is credited as being the first to bring Ayurvedic Medicine to the American shores. These days, the group operates several schools to train practitioners in this country.

The fact that Ayurvedic medicine is presently being sold by some as a method to treat disease is unfortunate. Not only is this a very valuable system for restoring and maintaining balance in the whole person, it’s also a valuable adjunct to the healing process. No, it’s not going to “cure” a life threatening disease, but its use will help restore vitality, which can only aid traditional doctors in their treatment efforts. But the time to really begin using Ayurveda principles is before you’re sick.

There used to be a cliché about the hungry man on the prowl, who would slither up next to a woman at a social gathering and ask, “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” These days, with the increasing popularity of Ayurvedic medicine, he’s likely to ask, “What’s your dosha?”

The doshas, the three distinct types of people that were identified by the Indians nearly two thousand years ago, are the backbone of Ayurvedic medicine. On a person’s first visit to an Ayurvedic practitioner, great care will be taken to correctly identify that person’s dosha by paying close attention to both the body (fat, thin, tall, short, energetic, listless, etc.) and personality. Since everyone has aspects of all three doshas, probing questions will be asked about emotional temperament, dietary habits and the like in an attempt to correctly identify the person’s unique combination of doshas.

The doshas, called kapha, pitta and vata, are basic metabolic types and each is thought to be rooted in specific organs of the body. Each dosha is also associated with two of the Ayurvedic elements of earth, water, fire, air and space. Combinations in various proportions yield a total of ten body types, called tridoshas, which determine each individual’s physical and emotional makeup. For instance, people described as predominantly vata are thin, quick and energetic while pitta types are competitive and hot-tempered. Kapha types, on the other hand, are regarded as calm and stolid. Each type is also susceptible to specific ailments. As an example, pitta types are vulnerable to ulcers, inflammations and rashes.

In Ayurveda, identifying a person’s tridosha is important because treatments, which include dietary patterns, exercises, lifestyle changes and therapies, are designed to bring the tridosha into balance. Often, treatments may seem contrary to Western thought as Ayurvedic diets are built around a food’s flavor rather than on nutritional content. To balance vata, for example, a person would be advised to increase consumption of sweet, sour and salty foods. Herbal remedies are also different from those in the west, and are drawn from a selection of traditional Indian remedies, many of which are unfamiliar to Americans. Even familiar herbs may be used for different purposes than those documented by Western herbologists.

Figuring out your own combination of doshas can be both rewarding and fun. Just take the following test, answering yes or no to each question, to determine which dosha most applies to you. Count one point for each “yes” answer. If you score high on two doshas, figure that you are a combination of both types.

Vata

• I have a small frame and thin body.
• My skin is dark and tends to be dry.
• My hair is dark and tends to be curly.
• My eyes are dark and small.
• My appetite and digestion tends to be irregular.
• I do not gain weight easily.
• I often have gas and become constipated easily.
• My hands and feet are often cold.
• My mind is active and creative.
• I have a low tolerance for cold weather.
• I am talkative by nature.
• I have a tendency to worry and become anxious when stressed.
• I both learn and forget easily.

Pitta

• My frame and musculature is of medium build.
• I prefer a climate that is cool and dry.
• My skin is fair and warm to the touch.
• I like cold food and drinks.
• My hair is fine, light in color, and may gray prematurely.
• My health problems center around inflammation.
• My eyes are blue, green or gray.
• My stools are soft and tend to be loose.
• I am determined and competitive.
• I become irritable when hungry.
• I enjoy being my own boss.
• I have a strong appetite and good digestion.
• I enjoy challenge and accomplishment.

Kapha

• My frame is large and I tend to be overweight.
• I am a sound sleeper and like to sleep at least eight hours.
• I gain weight easily and have trouble losing it.
• I am compassionate, but can easily become attached.
• My skin is cool, pale and moist.
• My hair is thick, dark and wavy.
• I am uncomfortable in cool, damp weather.
• My health concerns revolve around excess mucous.
• My eyes are large and friendly.
• I have good stamina but can be lazy.
• I can skip meals without discomfort.
• I am slow to learn, but have a good memory.
• My manner is slow and steady, with a disposition that is calm.

When an Ayurvedic practitioner determines your type or tridosha, she or he then has many clues on how to best treat you. In addition, your tridosha says many things about your personality and other habits. Although all people have aspects of all three doshas, one is usually primary, one secondary and the third less prominent. The main purpose of ayurvedic treatments is to bring these three doshas into balance.

The dosha vata is associated with movement and is said to govern breathing, blinking, muscle and tissue movement, the pulse, and movements in cell membranes. Since vata supplies the essential motion for bodily processes, it’s extremely important for health. This dosha is most prominent in autumn and at the change of the seasons, making these important times to be careful of diet and lifestyle. Routine is helpful to assist the vata person to effectively ground the abundance of moving energy that is associated with this dosha.

The vata person has a quick mind, flexibility and creativity. They usually grasp concepts quickly, but then forget them. Alert, restless and active, they walk, talk and think with speed, but become easily fatigued. This type also tends to have less willpower, confidence and tolerance for change than other types, and can feel unstable and ungrounded. When out of balance, they may become fearful, nervous and anxious. They tend to both earn and spend money quickly and, because they are not good planners, they may suffer economic hardship.

Although vata people are often attracted to foods like salads and raw vegetables, their constitution is balanced by warm, cooked foods with sweet, sour and salty tastes. They are most susceptible to diseases such as emphysema, pneumonia and arthritis. In addition, they can suffer from flatulence, tics, twitches, aching joints, dry skin and hair, nerve disorders, constipation and mental confusion. Since vata tends to increase with age, vata people can experience some drying and wrinkling of the skin as they get older.

Frequent travel, loud noises, constant stimulation, drugs, sugar and alcohol can unbalance vata, as can exposure to cold and cold food and liquids. Vata types also need to go to bed early, as they require more rest than the other types.

Pitta is associated with metabolism and governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition and body temperature. Pitta people have warm bodies, penetrating ideas and a keen intelligence, but when out of balance can become agitated and short-tempered. They like to be leaders and planners, often seeking material prosperity. They also usually take pleasure in exhibiting their wealth and possessions.

Most likely, a pitta body will be of medium height and build with skin that is ruddy or coppery. Although they may have many moles and freckles, their skin tends to be less wrinkled than vata types and their hair is usually silky. However, they often experience premature graying or hair loss. Those whose constitutions are dominated by pitta have a strong metabolism, good digestion and robust appetites. Although they have a fondness for hot spices and cold drinks, their constitution is best balanced by sweet, bitter and astringent foods.

Pitta people sleep soundly and only require a moderate amount of sleep. They perspire easily and have a relatively low tolerance for sunlight, heat and hard physical work. Their medical problems include fevers, inflammatory diseases and jaundice. Other common ailments include skin rashes, burning sensation, ulceration and irritations such as conjunctivitis, colitis and sore throats.

Since summer is the pitta season, sunburn, poison ivy, prickly heat and short tempers are common among pitta people during this season, but usually tend to calm down as the weather gets cooler. People with an excess of pitta are cautioned to exercise during the coolest part of the day.

Kapha is said to be lubricating and supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin and maintains the immune system. When in balance, kapha expresses love, calmness and forgiveness. Unbalanced, it creates attachment, greed and envy. Because of this, a balanced kapha type will tend to have a sweet, loving disposition and be stable and grounded. Kapha people are also noted for their strength, endurance and stamina.

Physically, kaphas may gain weight easily, have a slow metabolism and avoid exercise. Often, their skin is oily, smooth and thick, and their bodies and muscles are well developed. They have eyes that are large and attractive with thick, long lashes and brows. Their perspiration is moderate; their sleep deep and prolonged. The kapha appetite is attracted to sweet, salty and oily foods, but they are most balanced by foods that are bitter, astringent and pungent.

Although kaphas may be slow to comprehend, their long-term memory is excellent. Their tendencies toward groundedness, stability and attachment helps them to earn and save money. Their diseases include flu, sinus congestion and other ailments involving mucous. Sluggishness, excess weight, diabetes and headaches are also common.

It’s said that a kapha person can become more aggravated as the moon gets full because there’s a tendency for water retention at that time. Winter is the season of greatest kapha energy, and it’s important for people who are abundant in this dosha to seek balance during the cold winter months.

These sketches of the three Ayurvedic doshas are by no means complete. There is, however, a wealth of information on Ayurvedic practices on the Internet.

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