We don’t necessarily need to know all the subtle qualities of each dosha in order to stay in balance.  However, having this knowledge can help us when we need to address specific conditions.  It also helps us to understand more about how nature works, and how it expresses through our doshas.  Each dosha has subtle aspects that express in unique ways to perform various functions.  These are the subtle qualities of Pitta:

-Digestive Fire.  Agni is the primary aspect of pitta from which the other four are derived.  It is seated in the small intesting.  A strong digestion is necessary for the body to transform food into fuel.

-Knowledge.  Seated in the brain and heart, knowledge concerns our powers of discernment and our ability to plan and to reach goals.

-Radiance.  Seated in the skin, radiance influences the complexion and governs the processing of heat.

-Visual Perception.  Seated in the eyes, perception governs the reception of light and sight.

-Coloring.  Seated in the liver, coloring influences the blood, stomach, spleen and small intestine.  It governs the coloring of bile, blood and body waste.

We don’t necessarily need to know all the subtle qualities of each dosha in order to stay in balance.  However, having this knowledge can help us when we need to address specific conditions.  It also helps us to understand more about how nature works, and how it expresses through our doshas.  Each dosha has subtle aspects that express in unique ways to perform various functions.  These are the subtle qualities of Vata:

-Prana.  Prana is seated in the brain.  It is the primary aspect of Vata from which the other four are derived.  The word prana loosely translated from Sanskrit means to “breathe forth.”  Prana governs swallowing and inhalation, and regulates the senses, mental process, heart and consciousness.

-Upward Moving.  Udana is seated in the throat and is active in the chest.  It governs speech and exhalation.  It helps us to expand our consciousness and to relax.

-Equalizing.  Samana is seated in the small intestine.  It governs digestion, assimilation, and biochemical processes.

-Pervasive.  Vyana is seated in the heart region.  It governs circulation and movement.

-Downward moving.  Apana is seated in the colon.  It governs elimination, mentruation, childbirth, and expulsion of reproductive fluids.

Ayurveda teaches us to create and maintain health by bringing attention to our lifestyle, and three areas in particular: our food choices, sleep, and how we expend our energy.  By choosing foods that are good for us, we are demonstrating responsibility for our well-being.  A routine of regular sleep rests the mind and renews the body.  Brahmacharya is the Sanskrit word for conserving and constructively using our energy.  The goal is to direct our energy toward life-enhancing purposes, including spiritual growth.  Our energy is diminished by excesses of any kind: worry, anxiety, effort, restlessness, overwork, over socializing, etc.  And our energy is enhanced by calmness, faith, peace of mind, nourishing foods and sufficient rest.

 Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing

Another way that Ayurvedic practitioners can evaluate our doshas and diagnose our condition is with an eye examination.  It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul, and in ayurveda, they are a kind of window to the state of our health.  When looking at the eyes, the practitioner considers the size, shape, color and contour of the eyes.  Vata eyes tend to be small with drooping eyelids and dry eyelashes.  Pitta eyes are average in size and hypersensitive to light.  Kapha eyes are large with long, thick eyelashes.  The practitioner also looks at the eyebrow, the eyelid, and the colors in the eye.  To get a good look at the iris, pupil and sclera, the practitioner may use an iridoscope, a tool with a magnifying glass and a small lightbulb.  All of the organs are represented in different places in the eye, so the practitioner looks for any marks or spots that may indicate an imbalance.

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When we go to see an ayurvedic practitioner, he or she will ask you questions to help determine your dosha.  They are also looking for your state of balance (prakruti) and your current state where there may be imbalance (vikruti).  The practitioner will also take your pulse with a three-finger technique and “listen” for each dosha.  And then, they will also want to look at your tongue.  The tongue gives us a lot of information about what is going on in the body.  A practitioner has been trained to read the tongue like a kind of map, which points to various internal organs.  They can learn about our state of health by looking at the size and shape of the tongue, its color, the tip, the amount of moisture, and if there is any coating on the tongue.  Marks on the tongue can also indicate if, and where, any problems are present.

Ayurvedic Tongue Diagnosis

You might be thinking, adapto-what?  Not to worry!  Most people have not yet heard about this relatively new class of herbs.  Adaptogenic herbs have been used throughout history in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicines to promote and maintain wellness. An adaptogen, defined by Dr. Nikolai Lazarev in 1947 as an agent that helps our bodies “adapt” to different forms of stressors (environmental, physical, mental and emotional). When your body is stressed, it releases a hormone called cortisol. High cortisol increases blood pressure, raises blood sugar levels, and suppresses the immune system.  The herb Tulsi, or Holy Basil, is a powerful adaptogen.  Tulsi may decrease the amount of cortisol released during stress, stopping the snowball of a stress reaction and leaving you with more of your natural resources and energy to handle it. The chemistry of Tulsi is highly complex, containing hundreds of beneficial compounds known as phyto-chemicals. Working together, these compounds possess strong antioxidant, antibacterial and immune-enhancing properties that promote general health and support the body’s natural defense against stress and disease. Organic India’s Tulsi supplement and Tulsi Teas have all 3 varieties of Tulsi in them in equal proportions – making it the perfect tri-doshic stress-relieving adaptogen!

Tulsi Supplement and Tulsi Teas from Organic India

With all that we have going on in life, it’s easy to get distracted and forget things.  We’re stressed, and it takes a toll on our memory and concentration.  As we get ready for back to school, we see all that our kids have to deal with, too.  We can take a cue from yogis who use Gotu Kola to improve their meditation practice.  Gotu Kola, also known as Brahmi or Indian Pennywort, is a traditional ayurvedic herb that has been used for centuries as a tonic for overall brain and nervous system support.  Gotu Kola improves circulation and oxygen flow to the brain.  Clinical studies have shown that Gotu Kola improves concentration; one study showed student test scores improved after taking the herb.  Gotu Kola has also been shown to have a calming affect on individuals prone to anxiety, and may also be useful in treating depression.  In addition, Gotu Kola has been used to relieve high blood pressure and help the body defend against various toxins.  For ages 12 and up, Organic India’s Gotu Kola Formula is a balanced blend of herbs to especially help support memory and enhance physical, mental, and emotional clarity.

Gotu Kola Formula from Organic India

Russill Paul is the author of one of my favorite books, “The Yoga of Sound.”  Now he has a new book out: “Jesus in the Lotus: The Mystical Doorway between Christianity and Yogic Spirituality.”  Paul, who trained as both a Christian Monk and a yogi, says that both of these powerful spiritual traditions offer important insights that can benefit each other.  Yoga is derived from Hinduism, the third largest religion in the world behind Christianity and Islam.  Yoga is far more than the practice of therapeutic postures that most Westerners associate with the term.  Yoga is universal in its application, and is not a religion.  But Paul says it is important to remember its roots.  “Jesus in the Lotus” presents a pathless path that blends the wisdom of Christianity and the spiritual teachings of yoga for a holistic daily spiritual practice.  By demonstrating that these two seemingly separate and irreconcilable traditions can actually unite in one person’s spiritual practice, Paul offers an alternative to religious intolerance and strife as well as a means for personal liberation.

Kosha in Sanskrit means layer, sheath, or subtle body.  It also means, “to unfold.”  The koshas were first written about in the Upanishads to explain the five layers of subtle energy from the outer, physical body to the inner core.  The layers exist like the layers of an onion, becoming more subtle until the center layer is reached.  The five koshas are:

1. Anna-maya kosha: the physical body, skin, muscle, tissue, and bone.  The expression of this kosha shows up in the movement and workings of the body.

2. Prana-maya kosha: the vital body, or breath.  In this layer is the circulation of the breath and of the life-force energy.

3. Mano-maya kosha: the mental body.  This kosha encompasses the nervous system and is expressed through thought

4. Vijnana-maya kosha: conscious, or intellect.  This kosha observes, and is aware.  It is also known as the “witness” which gives us the ability to stand outside the self and watch without judgment or attachment.

5. Ananda-maya kosha: bliss.  This is the innermost layer where we live in present-moment awareness, without thought, sensation or judgment.  We become joy rather than just feeling it.

Dr. Vasant Lad is one of our greatest teachers in Ayurveda.  He runs the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico (www.ayurveda.com).  I read his books over and over again to be reminded of all that ayurveda can do for us, as it applies to every area of our life.  Here is a passage that I particularly love from his most recent book: “A famous sutra says “Ayurveda amrutanam.”  Amruta means eternity, immortality and eternal bliss.  To attain that eternal bliss is the foundation of Ayurveda.  One interpretation of this short sutra is that Ayurveda is for those who are seeking immortality.  In effect, this means that Ayurveda is for those who want to balance their three doshas and attain perfect happiness, perfect health and a blissful state of being.  In that sense, to become enlightened you must know your constitution.  Your constitution is unique, which is why Ayurveda says that every individual is indivisible – a complete, unique expression of Purusha.  Love yourself as you are.  Don’t compare yourself with the person sitting next to you.  He or she may be prettier according to the standard of society, but you are equally beautiful and you are equally a total expression of consciousness.  An individual is a localized expression of the cosmos.  What you are is simply beautiful, so be one with what you really are.”

Textbook of Ayurveda