Prioritize the information
Ayurveda can become very complicated very quickly, then for many inquirers it’s overwhelming and impossible to utilize efficiently. To enhance understanding of a potentially complex subject, consider the outer layer of an onion and gradually peel inward. In other words, prioritize the information; understanding is a layered affair.
Ayurveda is about digestion, about the fire which enables digestion (AGNI), and about natural immunity (OJAS). When digestion becomes disrupted, the end result is AMA … and ama is the cause of all disease according to Ayurveda. Basically ama, which is a very nasty toxic poison, is the residue of anything we take into our bodies and minds which utterly fails to be entirely digested and thus properly assimilated. There are many causative factors of faulty digestion; Ayurveda tends to give primary importance to the DOSHAS.
Still viable after 3000+ years
Ayurveda is an ancient traditional system of natural healing found in India. Some experts feel that it originated around 4000 years ago. Others believe it probably originated long before that. Almost everyone agrees that Ayurveda is over 3000 years old. That’s a long time for a healing system to survive and still be thriving to this day. How is it that Ayurveda has kept its value and retained its appeal for thousands of years? The obvious answer is that it works. It’s usually inexpensive. And eventually it makes sense.
The doshas
Ayurveda is well known for its classification of humanity according to three doshas or types. Unless students of Ayurveda take it slow, the doshas can be difficult to fully comprehend. It’s neither as simple as it looks nor as confusing as people tend to make it.
Basically the doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) consist of dividing humans into three major categories or types by weight and bone structure: light weight delicate bones (VATA), medium weight medium bones (PITTA), heavy weight big bones (KAPHA). Needless to say that is an over-simplification, though it helps in grasping the basic principles.
For at least thousands of years people have generalized about each other along the lines of too thin, too fat, or just right. Pittas are hardly “just right” simply because their weight and bones are middle of the road. Of the three, Pittas are the most likely to be angry, judgmental and aggressive. But to be fair, Pittas are usually the ones who put good theories to practical use, a very necessary quality for technological advancement as well as spiritual evolution.
Questions welcome.
love
parvati
Ayurveda tweaks the doshas for the goal of perfect health naturally
Ayurveda analyzes digestive processes - and the consequences of faulty digestion (all the manifestations of ama which result in disease) - in extremely minute detail. It is suggested to always keep in mind the goal of Ayurveda: to achieve perfect health naturally.
If we are able to trust the premise that 100% efficient and complete digestion has been the Ayurvedic master key to perfect physical, mental and emotional health … we may then arrive at a logical conclusion regarding the constitutional components around which everything in Ayurveda revolves … the doshas:
Because disturbed doshas result in disturbed digestive processes, and disturbed digestive processes cause discomfort/ suffering/ disease … it stands to reason that: It is imperative to keep the doshas balanced. This ability to balance the doshas is a vast subject in the Ayurvedic textbooks and usually involves a great deal of study. Nevertheless it can be simplified.
Keeping our daily lives and daily routine in balance - is critically important in the successful application of Ayurvedic wisdom. We learn how to make those adjustments in the doshas that ensure health and happiness. Taste is only one of the many ways those adjustment are accomplished, but it is perhaps the most obvious.
Using taste to balance the doshas
In Ayurveda TASTE is the supreme sense perception … King Taste. Digestion begins with taste as it is our sense of taste which signals precise chemical instructions to the majority of the digestive tract. There are six Ayurvedic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. The taste of unripe banana is often used to describe astringent taste; however quite a lot of bland food is considered astringent, for example many vegetables. Through the skillful employment of Ayurvedic principles, we gradually learn to juggle and adjust the three doshas until a perfect fit is obtained.
Vata dosha needs sweet, sour and salty. Pitta dosha needs sweet, bitter and astringent. Kapha dosha needs pungent, bitter and astringent. These are the tastes that balance Vata, Pitta and Kapha respectively.
Inadvertently upsetting the doshas
Every disease according to Ayurveda begins with, and is maintained by, upsetting the doshas. In order to stay healthy or reclaim health, one must avoid upsetting the doshas, or at least avoid further upsetting them more than they already are.
By now it may be realized - this is easier said than done. The doshas are very tricky and require carefully honed attention. It isn’t helpful to take one’s health for granted. Ayurveda doesn’t require much of a financial investment but does require a significant investment of time and energy for learning the system. In my opinion it is more than worth that investment. Is it for you?
If one finds Ayurveda interesting and is motivated to use it to keep or reclaim perfect health, one will need to become wise, sensitive and alert to the subtle signs of imbalance in the doshas. Ordinarily upsetting the doshas occurs inadvertently and/or unconsciously, so we need to be somewhat vigilant regarding problem areas.
The sooner an imbalance is addressed and corrected, the easier it is to be healthy and happy. However it is never too late to address an imbalance, just more difficult the longer it is put off. In this healing system, the patient or student is encouraged to be proactive, creative and persistent in the application of various Ayurvedic tools.
If there is sufficient interest in this topic on Ayurveda it will be continued, otherwise not. Please comment or ask questions if you want the topic continued. I find the topic fascinating and invaluable but understand it isn’t for everyone.
love
parvati
What exactly are the doshas?
Peeling down into our onion … We are encroaching into a deeper layer here. If you read several books on Ayurveda, you will eventually get the general idea of a dosha. Hopefully shortcuts will be supplied here. I like to think of the doshas as “expressions of inherited genetic patterns and tendencies” … but that’s technically more a definition of constitution (still, it’s almost accurate). The PROPORTION of Vata, Pitta and Kapha comprising the physical body and subtle energy body is the individual constitution.
Depending on whether they are balanced or aggravated, doshas can be life forces or death forces. According to Dr. David Frawley, the word dosha means “that which darkens, spoils or causes things to decay.” I don’t care much for that definition, but it suggests the cultivation of respect and awe for the misery that doshas are apt to produce if they are not properly considered, nurtured, and balanced. Doshas can be construed as powerful forces, so we best encourage them to support life rather than destroy it.
Each dosha corresponds to an element - air, fire or water. Vata is the AIR life force which governs movement and the nervous system. Pitta is the FIRE life force which governs physical and mental digestion and transformation. Kapha is the WATER life force which governs structure, support and most body tissues.
This discussion began with a brief description of the Pitta type. There was a reason for that. Restating from the above paragraph, Pitta governs the all important function of digestion - both physical and mental. Of the three doshas, Pittas are usually equipped with the strongest digestive fire - AGNI. Weak agni tends to promote disease while strong agni supports health.
Do the readers understand the importance of 100% complete digestion? If not, we should review it. (Hint: Strong digestive fire is needed for complete and thorough digestion, which is the Ayurvedic secret of perfect health.) We need to do everything we can to ensure the digestive fire remains clear, clean and strong. And what do you suppose is the best way to do that? (Hint: Balance the doshas.)
love
parvati
Hi Parvati,
Thank you for this thread. Could you elaborate on how to use taste to balance the doshas? Does it mean that we should prefer things that taste good to us? For example, I eat a lot of salad in spring-summer, but now in winter salad does not taste good to me. Could you give some practical tips?
Blanche
Thanks for the feedback. We will be getting more in depth regarding taste and other ways of balancing the doshas if the topic continues. Unless people - like yourself and Chard - contribute to the discussion it’s unclear how the subject and my handling of the subject is being received. Had to laugh at your salad example because I’m having a similar issue. Still love the taste of salad but it’s not as satisfying as cooked food right now.
Raw food (salad) is cold. Cooked food is easier to digest and Ayurveda often recommends heating up the liquids we consume because it assists agni. In the northern hemisphere we are experiencing the cold weather of winter now. Vata and Kapha are quite sensitive to cold. So Vata and Kapha can easily become aggravated and upset during winter. To keep those doshas happily in balance, take extra measures to stay warm.
While Pitta generally finds relief in wintertime, even Pittas may prefer more heat in the severe cold. (An example would be Pitta preferring hot tea in winter and ice tea in summer.)
The craving for warmth in the season of cold weather is partially satisfied by cooking our food. You might try lightly cooking salad in winter. In addition to being raw, the lettuce and vegies in salad are mostly cool taste. Too much cold in the winter. If we must eat raw food in winter, best to do it between 10 and 2 which is the Pitta time of day.
Choosing for our diet only those things that taste good to us isn’t an accurate barometer. Sometimes our instincts are right and sometimes not so much. My suggestion is to bring intuition in line with Ayurvedic wisdom and be wary of indulgence. Cultivate common sense within the brilliant help of Ayurvedic guidelines. We have to cover a lot more territory to get into the real nitty gritty.
love
parvati
Interlude
People have to want to relieve their suffering. Most people want to be happy. But most people aren’t willing to do what it takes to be happy. That’s sad but it is what it is. Knowing that so many people are miserable makes me sad and disappointed, so here’s my sales pitch/ rant.
We live in a crazy crazy world. It makes little sense or no sense at all. We seem to have become lost. We don’t know how to reach God anymore. The divine seems to have abandoned us to marinate in the juices of our crazy foolishness. Is it God’s fault? What is our responsibility in cleaning up this mess? I put it to you that our responsibility is to find happiness - one way or the other. God comes later.
It makes me a litle mad. This world could be so cool. But it’s not cool. People are desperate to find an answer for their pain.
It is our birthright to be healthy and happy, to fulfill our destiny in joy and loving peace. But we’ve lost our way and forgotten how. The very ancient healing system called Ayurveda is magical amazing stuff. It restores our birthright. Teaches us to be happy and healthy and whole again … in easily attainable, or fairly easily attainable ways.
The world we live in has few protections and safeguards. Many people are miserable. Most people perhaps. For too many of us life has become an almost unbearable hopeless struggle. But there is hope. Ayurveda is that hope. Ayurveda is our navigational aid back to wisdom and self-reliance and authentic reconnection with the divine. It shows us how to take care of our life, our energy, our precious world, our bodies, minds, emotions.
Ayurveda comforts us. It shines a beacon light blazing the trail back to health and sanity. Even in the midst of confusion, pain, agony, desperation and fear. Ayurveda has passed the test of time. It has endured for thousands of years and is still thriving. It is our lifeline to peace, tranquility and freedom in an often crazy world. It may no longer be the glorious system it was originally intended to be. Over the years it has perhaps become a little tarnished, maybe a little less in terms of simplicity and clarity and clout. Yet it still possesses everything we need for a life of peace and contentment. For a life brimfull of vitality and strength and dignity.
Above all it restores a pathway to the divine within and inspires us to create our lives exactly the way we want them to be.
Ayurveda teaches us that we must be careful regarding what we consume, what we put into our bodies and minds. We see how to avoid becoming tainted by impurity, degradation and confusion. We learn that which is not properly digested will powerfully turn against us in the form of pain and disease. It shows us how to keep our digestive fire pure and strong, so that we remain free from the toxic accumulations of incomplete digestion. The way we remain healthy is through balancing the doshas … the air, fire and water elements or life forces.
Learning to balance the doshas is probably a lifelong commitment progressing from the macro to the micro, the general to the infinitesimal, the obvious to the subtle. It’s a pathway of refinement, of perfecting our health and dignity and life purpose. It’s well worth the required investment of time and energy.
How much we put into it is directly proportional to how much we get out of it.
-end sales pitch/rant
love
parvati
Hi parvati9,
thank you, what you write is very clear and progressive. Now I understand the goal of Ayurveda !
I read some websites before. I noticed that the food for each doshas is not exactly the same depending on the website.
A 100% complete digestion : I not well understand, can you explain/describe it ? if I’m hungry before a meal, I have a 100% digestion ?
How to know if we have no ama, or “old” ama in body or mind ? How to clean it ?
Welcome Capucine
Thank you very much for the feedback! It’s impossible for me to be more concise with an appropriate answer. Being concise is a work in progress for me. So here is the lengthy answer:
Such well thought out questions are exactly the type of response I was hoping for. Your comment is encouraging that at least some of the readers may be paying attention and indicating their understanding of the material as presented, for which I am happily and humbly grateful It is hoped other readers will follow your example. I need to know from readers how to expand on the subject without confusing everyone. Ayurveda is not easy to understand so we are having this discussion to facilitate understanding of a potentially difficult yet highly valuable subject. As the topic title indicates, the material is being presented in a way that should make it a little easier. But it isn’t clear whether my intent is succeeding or failing … unless readers contribute to the discussion …
Information on Ayurveda varies in terms of accuracy and point of view. In a little while, reliable textbooks will be suggested. As far as websites, readers please beware. As with all the information on the internet, some of it is quite reliable and some of it is inaccurate and/or misleading. Best to start with one of the textbooks that are soon to be recommended.
Please be assured. Hunger before a meal is exemplary, perfect, highly commendable. However, it’s not yet an indication of 100% perfect digestion; Rather it is the perfect beginning of complete digestion … Following that wonderful appetite, what do we intend to consume? The quality of the food we choose to nourish our bodies and minds is extremely important.
It is absolutely essential to consider the purity and quality of what we expose ourselves to, what we consume with our minds as well as our bodies. For example, are we watching violent movies? If we (unconsciously and foolishly) choose to expose ourselves to inappropriate and impure stimulation, we will pay the price in terms of imbalancing the doshas. Violence of any kind severely aggravates Vata dosha. Similarly, habitually eating garbage food, or food of poor quality, severely imbalances ALL the doshas.
Poor appetite - indicator of doshic imbalance - obvious warning sign.
Not being hungry before a meal is far from ideal and should be construed as the body screaming to get our attention: Red lights flashing, blaring shrieking sirens going off, in a very obvious warning that something is wrong. The situation (poor appetite) requires one to address a potentially serious doshic imbalance. Strong appetite is excellent. Strong appetite is an indicator of pure clear agni and good health. Weak appetite indicates MALFUNCTION and we should research and learn what is necessary in order to balance the doshas. The sooner the doshas are balanced, the sooner we will be healthy and happy.
In order to know how to “clean ama” as you put it, we need to have a relatively sophisticated and advanced understanding of Ayurveda. Balancing the doshas is not so hard, so we start off with that. Cleaning ama will require balancing the doshas, plus some extra attention. That extra attention takes years and years of study to master. We are attempting here, in this discussion, to simplify the process. [Obviously feedback from the readers is essential to gauge understanding of the material as presented.]
Strong appetite (as one of the indicators of perfect health) is ordinarily absent in worsening ama conditions. What you are calling “old” ama would manifest as a chronic or longstanding (as opposed to acute or recent) complaint , symptoms we have had for several months or perhaps years. Consistent and peaceful happiness is probably the best indicator of good health, and therefore no ama or only very small amount of ama exists in the body. Ama is toxic sludge which obstructs the proper functioning of the doshas on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.
We are usually given several warnings by our bodies when ama is getting dangerously close to manifesting disease. This is the major advantage of Ayurveda. It is not only curative, it is primarily preventive: It teaches us to correct imbalance and malfunction before it approaches the dangerous level of serious disease.
Hope that helps, please make further inquiry if it wasn’t clear.
love
parvati
~ a small note ~
Topic origination
I’m an oversensitive Vata. I empathize and it vicariously causes pain due to my intrinsic nature. Over the years after observing quite a number of individuals come to AYP seeking help … needlessly suffering due to misperception (and/or other factors) of their kundalini awakening … made me increasingly unhappy. Eventually I felt compelled to do something about it, something that might prove effective.
This thread is actually an attempt to balance Vata dosha in myself. Plus compassion for these people who are desperate to obtain healing advice regarding their k awakening … advice that works and works fast. Often it is only a radical shift in perception that offers the peace they require. In order to be effective, the advice aimed at a perceptual shift needs to be presented gently, courteously, efficiently.
When I attempt to give Ayurvedically appropriate suggestions to people experiencing kundalini difficulties, it’s not effective and doesn’t seem to work out very well. Partly because Ayurveda is very complex and it’s not easy to simplify it enough for a clear response. Partly because of my inability to be precise and tendency to become excessively verbose. My compassion is overwhelming and makes me want to help, yet past attempts have been frustrating and felt to be only minimally effective, if that.
It is my sincere and heartfelt desire to mitigate suffering generally, but specifically for those experiencing incapacitating kundalini issues. Hopefully those experiencing distress with their k awakening will find relief. One of the ways that relief may be achieved is through a greater understanding of Ayurveda. If anyone wants to offer prayers on that behalf, it would be gratefully received.
Obviously k awakening is an extremely beneficial blessing. Why do a large percentage of people experiencing this blessing find themselves desperate to be relieved of it? Well, there are probably a nearly infinite number of reasons for that. I think we owe them the best and most compassionate answer we are capable of providing.
Ayurveda, in my opinion, is the embracing and enhancing of that internal wisdom, that divine wisdom, which may protect us from ignorance and misperception at all levels, in all ways, at all times.
As always comments, questions, suggestions welcome and appreciated.
love
parvati
Recommended Ayurvedic Textbooks
(1) Robert Svoboda, Prakriti Your Ayurvedic Constitution
In my opinion the Constitution Assessment in this book is excellent, the best.
Great introduction to Ayurveda.
(2) David Frawley, Ayurvedic Healing
In my opinion Frawley’s Constitution Assessment is almost as good as Svoboda’s.
Great textbook. More comprehensive than Svoboda.
(3) Anne McIntyre, The Ayurveda Bible
Very good textbook.
The following is highly recommended though not actually an Ayurvedic textbook:
(4) David Frawley and Vasant Lad, The Yoga of Herbs, An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine
Important to remember:
For the proper understanding of Ayurveda, we need to read the textbooks.
For the proper application of Ayurveda, we must probably rely on our intuition in combination with the textbooks. Intuition is required for evaluating and prioritizing information given in the textbooks. It’s a complex subject.
love
parvati
To the readers
Thank you for reading.
In the near albeit unspecified future, we will probably have a review and/or quiz before getting into the (slightly) more complex areas of Ayurveda. It is paramount that our foundation with this ancient knowledge be as clear and firm as possible, sort of like concrete. We need to have a rather clear and precise understanding of the fundamentals before moving on.
If any motivated readers would care to offer an information summary, that would be fabulous and much appreciated. Does anyone have the time and inclination?
(Ah if only this were a real life classroom, then I would call upon some unlucky soul in the captive audience for said review.)
As already abundantly requested, please indicate if you are keeping up with the information and/or appreciate the topic. It is helpful to know if anyone has gotten overwhelmed yet, also if there is sufficient interest, suggestions welcome.
Any volunteers? Chard, Blanche, Lalow, Capucine? … Thank you all so much for your response and support. Could one of you please summarize what has been covered so far in Ayurveda Simplified? Better yet, someone who hasn’t contributed yet?
Levels of learning Ayurveda may be compared to the American school system as that is what I am familiar with: Preschool, K-12, college/ university, graduate school, post-graduate research. According to that analogy, we are presently in Ayurvedic Preschool.
There is SO much more information to cover, all the way through and beyond post-graduate. I’d be happy to get beyond Kindergarten.
The fervent requests for response are due to the fact that boredom with the topic is anticipated to set in, at some point. If that assumption is incorrect, then the topic will be continued. If boredom is sensed, however, the topic will be discontinued. If you don’t keep me posted on your progress, I may sense boredom
love
parvati
There are errors in my reply to Capucine that should be cleared up before getting on with the review. They may be insignificant, but it is probably best they be straightened out. That portion of the reply is as follows:
“In order to know how to ‘clean ama’ as you put it, we need to have a relatively sophisticated and advanced understanding of Ayurveda. Balancing the doshas is not so hard, so we start off with that. Cleaning ama will require balancing the doshas, plus some extra attention.”
First of all I should have corrected Capucine’s understanding of “cleaning” ama. Ama is never, ever cleaned. Rather AMA MUST BE UTTERLY DESTROYED, or that is the ideal. So in our self-healing we get as close to the ideal as we can. It’s possible that some practitioners use the term “cleaning ama” but in my opinion the term is a poor choice because it is misleading. It might be attributable to translation issues as I assume English is not Capucine’s native tongue.
It is best to get an extremely clear understanding that we never ever make nice with ama, or try to be gentle with it. We declare war on ama. It is impossible to rectify, clean, or bring ama into alignment. It needs to be eradicated, thoroughly gotten rid of. The attempted annihilation of ama is apt to be quite uncomfortable, that’s just the way it is. We shouldn’t expect it to be a neat and comfy process. Agni, when it is pure and strong, literally BURNS UP ama before it can take root and cause problems. Kundalini likewise.
Very very strong measures are often required to eradicate ama. Strong herbs, Pancha Karma, or other therapeutic techniques that may temporarily aggravate one or more doshas. Professional assistance at that point is helpful and may even be required. Ama is the deadly enemy. I knew what Capucine meant and wanted to avoid getting into a much deeper level. We’ll cover that more thoroughly when and if we get to the appropriate Ayurvedic level. It’s far beyond where we are at now.
Secondly, there is a term for it which escapes me at the moment. Balancing the doshas without ama is entirely different from balancing the doshas with ama. If doshas WITHOUT ama are tricky, doshas WITH ama are perhaps a thousand times more tricky, depending on the severity of disease affliction.
My statement regarding the quoted passage should have been more precise, apologies for any confusion it may have caused. When I said balancing the doshas is not so hard - what I should have said is “balancing the doshas WITHOUT ama is not so hard.” When the doshas have ama, it is way, way more difficult to achieve doshic balance.
If that isn’t clear, would someone please chime in?
In my opinion, the reason many people are experiencing kundalini distress is because Shakti Kundalini absolutely despises ama, and she attacks it with a vengeance. So whatever ama is resident in the body and creating a blockage, is seen as an unfriendly impediment in her upward journey. She doesn’t cut us any slack unless we skilfully negotiate mercy. That whole process could be made much easier if these people had an understanding, even a Preschool understanding, of Ayurveda. One might assume that seriously ill individuals usually don’t experience k awakening, because it might be a lot more than merely challenging if they did.
love
parvati
QUIZ
Quiz instructions
If you feel like posting answers on the thread, that is fine, but not necessary. Some feedback would be helpful if you find the quiz difficult. The sections are numbered in the thread. First take the quiz without scrolling up. If you can’t answer the question or want to verify your answer, refer to the appropriate section.
Section 1
Q1. In the study of Ayurveda, why might it be helpful to prioritize the information?
Section 2
Q2. Ayurveda is at least __________ years old. Fill in the blank.
Section 3
Q3. Name the three doshas.
Section 3
Q4. Give the approximate weight for each of the three doshas (light, medium, heavy).
Sections 4 and 5
Q5. Why do we want to balance the doshas? What tastes balance each of the doshas?
Section 6
Q6. Are we usually aware of aggravating the doshas when we do so? Yes or no.
Section 6
Q7. Do we usually know why we aggravate the doshas? Yes or no.
Do we intend to aggravate the doshas or is it something we don’t understand? Explain.
Section 8
Q8. Why do we need an Ayurvedic textbook?
Section 7
Bonus question
Q9. Which element is associated with each of the three doshas?
This (I hope) is a very easy quiz. The answers should be obvious. If they aren’t obvious, you need to say so, and we will review those sections that are difficult.
love
parvati
C
