Ayurveda is an ancient healing system which helps us maintain a balanced, happy, healthy life, and improve the quality of our health and prevent disease. Ayu means life and ved means science. By definition, Ayurveda is the science or knowledge of life. Ayurvedic practices and treatments work from the inside out, bringing your mind and body into harmony so you can enjoy life with energy and enthusiasm.

One of the fundamental principles of Ayurveda is how prana or energy is expressed in life. Inside we are made up of energy or prana. Prana or energy is ultimately derived from the universe. We get prana from air we breath, the water we drink and from the food we eat, therefore, prana infuses life into everything on Earth. In Traditional Chinese Medicine prana is called chi.

In my practice, special attention is paid to prana, the liver, digestion and the physical and energy channels.

Prana and its Components

Prana has three components which come from the vibrational energy emitted by the moon (soma), the sun (agni) and the flow and movement of soma and agni (marut). We know how good it feels when we eat a fresh home cooked meal, or when we are out in nature breathing fresh air. This is prana, enlivening you. The more processed or denatured a food is, the less prana it has, and denaturing also applies to water when filtered, chlorinated and processed. Prana infuses our body, our cells with nature’s intelligence and travel in our energetic channels called nadis.

The Five Elements, The Five Senses, The Three Doshas

5 elements of nature- space, air, fire, water and earth

Our 5 senses are associated with the 5 elements of nature:

Sound- space
Touch- air
Sight- fire
Taste- water
Smell- earth

The three doshas: vata, pitta, kapha are created from the five elements of nature, and their source is prana.

Vata dosha is made up of space + air elements and receive marut energy. Marut energy allows for agni and soma to move and flow.

Pitta dosha is made up of fire + water elements and receives agni energy from the sun.

Kapha is dosha made up of water + earth elements and receives soma energy from the moon.

Ayurvedic Doshas

The three mind-body types or doshas in Ayurveda are vata, pitta and kapha and their source is prana. The doshas are governed by the five elements of nature, which in turn are derived from the components of prana: soma, agni and marut. By definition dosha means that which is out of balance, or trying to stay balanced. Your doshas are affected by what you eat and do throughout the day, by the environment and your digestion.

Vata: space and air elements- governs movement and flow
Pitta: fire and water- governs heat and transformation
Kapha: water and earth- governs structure and fluids

Vata dosha is considered the “king of the doshas”. Pitta and kapha doshas cannot move in the body without vata.

Vata governs all movement and flow in the mind and body.

Pitta dosha is responsible for heat, transformation and metabolism.

Kapha dosha governs structure, lubrication of the body including joints, the stomach, lungs, brain and spinal cord.

Vata, pitta and kapha doshas each have 5 subdoshas, making a total of fifteen subdoshas.

Of the three doshas, vata goes out of balance first. To avoid aggravating vata, maintain a steady routine, don’t push your bed time past 10pm, eat fresh, warm, unctuous meals on time, try not to rush around too much and have daily quiet time.

By understanding the energetic qualities: soma, agni, marut, and how the doshas: vata, pitta and kapha play out in us and interact with our senses, we can understand our symptoms by identify imbalances, and make appropriate adjustments in our lifestyle and diet. We can then bring ourselves back into balance by drawing on food and drink, herbs and spices, colours, environments and lifestyle choices as medicine.