The Tridoshas
Ayurveda's concept of the Tridoshas is unique to medical science. Ayurveda says the body is made up of tissues (dhatus), waste products (malas), and doshas (loosely translated to Energetic Forces). It is the Tridoshas' job to assist with the creation of all of the various tissues of the body and to remove any unnecessary waste products from the body. It is also the Tridoshas that influence all movements, all transformations, all sensory functions, and many of the other activities in the human body and mind.
Why should you care?
Because by learning how to balance the Tridoshas, the following goals can likely be achieved:
Prevention of many diseases before they take hold an other words, keep healthy folks healthy) In many cases, slowing down or reversing the disease process (particularly the case in many auto immune disorders) Assistance in becoming totally healthy: physically, mentally, and spiritually an other words, maximize your full potential).
What is really nice about Ayurveda is that learning to balance the Tridoshas is easy. Much of Ayurveda is common sense; it is based upon the laws of nature. The tools one uses to balance the Tridoshas are lifestyle management and the proper nutritional protocols.
Nutritional Protocols? What is this term - Nutritional Protocols? Wouldn't some people call this diet? Sure, some would; however, we definitely would not use this word. I wouldn't want to be on a diet, would you? On the other hand, learning to eat tasty, well-balanced meals that are easy to digest and even easier to cook — now that's something I like!
Ayurveda goes into great detail explaining all of these different aspects of the body, how the functioning of the body can go wrong, and what to do in order to correct the problem. Likewise, it also explains how each individual car create a customized nutritional protocol and lifestyle plan that can prevent disorders from occurring in the first place.
What is the Normal State of the Tridoshas?
When the Tridoshas are balanced, the individual experiences health on all levels: mental, physical and spiritual. This is much more than the mere absence of disease.
The following areas help to define what Ayurveda considers as health.
• Happiness - sense of well being
• Emotions - evenly balanced emotional states
• Mental Functions - good memory, comprehension, intelligence, and reasoning ability
• Senses - proper functioning of eyes, ears, nose, taste, and touch
• Energy - abundant mental <& physical energy to perform
• Digestion- easy digestion of food and drink
• Elimination - normal elimination of wastes: sweat, urine, feces and others
• Physical Body - healthy bodily tissues, organs, and systems
What causes the Tridoshas to become Imbalanced?
Balanced & Imbalanced
Each of the three doshas has certain quantity, qualities, and functions. When all of these are balanced, it is called normal or balanced (Dosha Shamya). This condition is conducive to well-being, health, and wellness. However, this balanced state is not stable, it is always changing. The Doshas will become either increased (vriddhi) or decreased (kasaya) - both of these states lead to ill-health or disease. However, increased Doshas have much more power to cause problems than do decreased Doshas. The important point here is to understand that each dosha has a set of qualities (gunas) associated with it, which can increase or decrease in quantity.
Two kinds of Imbalances
Natural imbalances
Natural imbalance is due to time and age, which are mild and normally do not cause any problems. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha increase and become predominant during one's life, during a season and during certain times of day. For example, Vata is predominant during the latter part of one's life, during the fall season and during late afternoon, as well as during the last part of night and the last part of digestion. Whew! I know that's a lot of stuff Hang in there! Pitta is predominant during middle age, during the summer season, at midday, at midnight and during the middle part of digestion. Kapha’s predominant during
childhood, during the spring season, in late morning, at the first part of evening and during the early part of digestion.
Unnatural imbalances
Unnatural imbalances of the Doshas can be caused by such things as: inappropriate diet, inapprophate lifestyle, trauma (like a car accident), viruses, parasites, etc. While some of these items are beyond our control, the type of lifestyle we live and the foods we eat are within our control.
Like increases Like
To learn how to reduce the Tridoshas, it is first necessary to understand what causes the Tridoshas to increase. The reason, according to a simple rule in Ayurvedic principles, is: "Like increases Like, while Dislike (opposite) decreases Like." For example, if you are cold and you eat ice cream, you will become colder; or if you are hot and you eat chili peppers, you will become hotter. These examples, which seem so obvious, are the basis for much of what is done in Ayurveda that allows its exceptional results. Herein lies one of the true beauties of Ayurveda: its principles are so simple, so basic, that it naturally appeals to common sense.