part 1

Susan Westfall

What is Ayurvedic medicine?

The difference between allopathic Western medicine and the ancient Eastern medicines is the difference between treating the symptom vs. treating the cause on a whole-body level. Intuitively, we understand the necessity to repair problems on the fundamental level. We also know that the human body is the deepest, most complex network on which our health depends. Thus, it seems counterintuitive that we would allow the fundamental levels of our health to remain unbalanced as we treat only the topical symptoms for a temporary 'cure'. If this basic contradiction still does not convince you of the merits of alternative health practices, let me continue.

Contemporary medicine boasts decades of medical advancements, billions of dollars of government research dollars and countless health professional jobs; however, contemporary medicine has yet to alleviate some of the population's basic medical ailments. Why is this? Simply, the scope of allopathic medicine is limited to a reductionist paradigm of health and wellbeing. Western medicine focuses on curing the symptoms, suppressing the discomfort and morphing the physical disturbances as to mimic health. Western medicine fails to take into consideration the entire being – the holistic approach of healing. Thankfully, ancient wisdom is picking up the pieces where the contemporary medicine is lacking.

Ayurvedic health

Ayurveda is literally the 'science of life'. It was developed over 5000 years ago with the origins of Hinduism making it the oldest form of organised medicine to be widely practised. Ayurveda created the roots of all ways of medicine today; yet, its essence has been lost through the twisting and tainting of modern thinking. Ayurveda treats health as a whole-being problem. It does not treat the symptoms but its diagnosis is based on the fundamental imbalances of an individual personality. In Ayurveda , holistic balance is accomplished through life's four aspects: 1) physical/mental health, 2) career or life purpose, 3) social relationships, and 4) spirituality. All of these aspects have a deep interconnectivity, none being mutually exclusive. All aspects of life are apart of 'the one' and none exists in isolation. As these aspects become unbalanced, disease states manifest.

In Ayurveda , the physical distress is always secondary to the underlying emotional or mental disturbance. The primary dictum of Ayurveda is to heal the emotional wounds, balance the mental disturbances and, finally, create harmony in the physical attributes. In stark contrast to the Western paradigm, Ayurveda believes cancer to be an emotionally caused disease. It is not a consequence of some essential molecular pathway going into disarray, but is created by an outward lack of purpose or sadness. Without a purpose and passion, the individual creates life inside of them to compensate, and this 'life' is cancer.

As foreign as these concepts are, how can we sum up what it means to be healthy? It is simple actually! There are three criteria which must be fulfilled:

? A balanced inheritance (no karmic disease, favourable genetic predisposition)

? A good quality of spirit (emotional, mental, spiritual)

? A healthy lifestyle (diet and physical activity)

Fundamentals

The root of Ayurveda lies in the three principles of creation that underlie every aspect of life: the gunas. The three gunas are sattwa, rajas and tamas respectively, corresponding to the birth and creation of life, the passage of life and finally, the end of life.

From the creation principle, the five essential elements (mathabbutas) of life emerge: ether, air, fire, water and earth. From these five elements and the mixing with eternity, life erupts. Thus, everything that is a part of the creation, ourselves included, is a composition of the elements on the most fundamental level.

Ayurvedic healing works at this fundamental, metaphysical level. Every ailment is seen as an imbalance of the elements in the person and to 'cure' the person's grief, balance is restored. This is done through diet, lifestyle, mental, social and spiritual practices.

Physical manifestations

Parallel to the gunas of creation are the three constitutions or bio-energies of the human body: doshas. Respectively, the doshas are vata, pitta and kapha. There is no allopathic equivalent; however they can be conceptually associated with the three basic body types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. Each dosha is associated with a set of characteristics into which a person can be categorised. Usually, each person has a propensity towards one particular dosha but will have aspects of all three. We are born with this inherent partition of physical attributes (prakruti or nature of constitution) and it is the balance of these attributes which contributes to our overall physical balance.

Despite the inherent imbalance of the doshas created through our prakruti, there are many external factors that can contribute to their imbalance. First, the seasons and even the time of the day can influence your dosha prominence. Second, sensory experiences, either a lack or excess, can impose imbalances. Finally, your actions and thoughts can create disturbances in this balance.

The doshas are of fundamental importance as it is their imbalance which leads to disease and it is the balancing of these imbalances which creates the wisdom behind Ayurvedic medicine. For you, knowing your dosha allows you to understand your inherent personality and evolve a healthier state of being. You will be aware of the foods that cause you distress and also what you can do in your everyday life to avoid aggravating your natural tendencies and strengthening your weakness.

So, what is your dosha prominence? Look at the chart below and find where the majority of your attributes fall. Simply, wherever you place the most mental checks, becomes your prominent dosha.

What's your dosha?

As mentioned, a balanced dosha reflects optimal health. If you are predominant in a particular category, look for these signs indicating a balanced dosha :

PITTA

A balanced pitta-dominant individual will be warm and have clear thoughts. They will boast a medium balanced build and be apt at sports. They will have the tendency to be leaders through their passionate nature. Their intellect will be sharp and their ambition high. In their career, they are often keen entrepreneurs.

VATTA

A balanced vatta nature will be of thin build, house dry skin and voluminous hair. Their overall character is light and their demeanour friendly. They will be very prone to change and hence very indecisive, often moving quickly between tasks. Their creativity will be boundless and their laughter contagious.

KAPHA

Finally, a balanced kapha nature will wear a large, heavy build with flowing oily skin and hair. Their calm and easygoing nature creates a slow intention. Serene and peaceful, their relationships are often steady and supportive with an undying loyalty.

So, what are we like if our doshas are unbalanced? Basically, take the extreme of each of the balanced qualities and place those at the face of your personality. Pittas will be excessively irritable and prone to temper tantrums, vattas will be consistently worried and always running around with a hectic flare, and kaphas overly lethargic and slow. Thankfully, the basis of Ayurveda medicine is to 'cure' these imbalances to restore your natural perfection, and the best part is that Ayurveda advocates this change through completely natural means, without drugs, and without doctors. All you have to do is practise a balancing lifestyle, minorly tweaking your daily life to include a balancing aspect.

Central to these balancing practices is your diet. Refer to the next month's chart to see how you can balance your dosha!

Also in the conclusion next month, you will find out what foods you should be eating for your dosha, food preparation, cleansing and consciousness and food. Read part two here.

Susan is a formally trained scientist with a passion for alternative health and eastern philosophies. She strives to connect allopathic medicine with Eastern wisdom, thereby creating a holistic view of life. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

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