How the Three Doshas Relate to Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas

Kapha is maybe 75 percent tamas and 15 to 20 percent sattva, with very little rajas. Here is another way we can see these relationships: Now you have more than enough background information to benefit from the remedies and recommendations made in Part III. I hope you have enjoyed this introduction to Ayurveda and that you will incorporate its principles and practices into your life. If you do, I know your health will improve and your life will blossom physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Part III Secrets of Ayurvedic Self-healing: An Encyclopedia of Illnesses and Remedies How to Use the Encyclopedia T he ancient Ayurvedic art of healing deals with every individual’s life as a whole. To the Ayurvedic vaidya (physician), every individual is an indivisible, complete, unique being. At the same time, Vedic philosophy teaches that there is a concurrent and inherent relationship between the macrocosm (the universe) and the microcosm (the individual). The individual is constantly exposed to environmental changes, seasonal changes, changes in diet, lifestyle, emotions, job, financial status, and relationships.

These changes are constantly bombarding every human being. To remain healthy or to regain health, all these factors have to be taken into consideration. As you have learned, when the body’s doshic balance of vata–pitta–kapha is disturbed, illness may result. The purpose of Ayurvedic healing is not just to relieve the symptoms of a specific illness but to bring the out-of-balance factors back into harmony.

Thus, the purpose of Ayurvedic remedies, whether they be herbal medications, dietary and nutritional changes, yoga postures, cleansing procedures, or breathing exercises, is to eradicate the underlying causes of the disease, not merely to remove the symptoms. Of course one must deal directly with emergency or life-threatening symptoms, such as wheezing in asthma, heart pain in heart conditions, or high fever in infections. But if the fundamental causes of the illness are not dealt with, the problem will manifest again in the same or another form. Components of Ayurvedic Healing The Ayurvedic approach to restoring health is known as chikitsa (disease management) and traditionally consists of eight components.

If you glance at the accompanying box, you will note that chikitsa is a complete healing program that begins with identifying and eliminating the underlying cause of the illness, proceeds by purifying the body and reestablishing balance, and ends with strengthening and revitalizing the affected organs, tissues, and systems so that the disease will not recur. If you become sick, your illness is not likely to become completely healed unless you change the behaviors that gave rise to it. Dietary indiscretions, a stressful lifestyle, unresolved emotions, insufficient exercise—these are some of the factors that are at the root of most illness. Identifying and eliminating these causal factors are essential components of the healing process.