Prakriti-(Ayurveda Constitution): An Introduction

What is Prakriti?
How is it assessed?
What are the uses of knowing one's Prakriti?

1. Prakriti (Ayurveda Constitution)

2. No two individuals are exactly similar, not even twins We often classify people based on some common attributes such as Sun Signs / Race / Caste / Gender/ Religion/ Economic class/ Region Ayurveda does it based on the following: Physical features (shade of skin, hair, muscularity, body frame etc) Psychological features (preferences / choices /mental abilities/ memory/ behavioural patterns) Physiological (eating frequency/ bowel movements/ intensity of hunger/ depth and quality of sleep/ Heat-Cold intolerance)

3. Prakriti (Constitution) The sum total of physical, physiological and psychological (behavioural) traits expressed in an individual. According to the principles of Ayurveda, Doshas determine one’s Prakriti . There are three Doshas : Vata , Pitta and Kapha .

4. The fundamental, mutually reciprocal mechanisms Responsible for maintaining the homeostasis, and thus, health When the state of equilibrium is disturbed, the result is often ill-health and disease Dosha

5. Tridosha Theory is used in all domains that Ayurveda deals with Biology Constitution Nutrition Materia-medica Pathology Diagnostics Therapeutics

6. Tridosha in Biology Vata is located in Asthi ; Pitta is located in Sveda and Rakta Vata regulates respiratory functions, food intake Kapha provides immunity

7. Tridosha in Constitution (Prakriti) Individual with Vata prakriti looks lean and thin Individual with Pitta prakriti is prone to get digestive disorders Individual with Kapha prakriti has good long-term memory Individual with Vata prakriti has cold intolerance

8. Tridosha in Nutrition Black gram is Guru , hence aggravates Kapha Shashtika Shali alleviates Vata Individual with Vata prakriti must consume adequate quantities of milk

9. Tridosha in Pathology Kamala results when Vayu takes Pitta from its actual site to other peripheral sites Sthaulya results when there is aggravation of Kapha that leads to accumulation of excess of Meda

10. Tridosha in Materia-medica Guggulu is effective in Vata and Kapha disorders Katuki is effective in Pitta disorders Haritaki acts on all three Doshas

11. Tridosha in Diagnostics If there is itching, the role of Kapha must be inferred If there is pain, the role of Vata must be inferred If there is inflammation, the involvement of Pitta must be inferred

12. Tridosha in Therapeutics Vammana-Virechana-Basti are the ideal treatment options for Kapha -Pitta- Vata disorders respectively Taila-Ghrita-Madhu are the ideal treatment options for Vata -Pitta- Kapha disorders respectively

13. Kapha = Moon = Stability = Soma Pitta = Sun = Energy = Surya Vata = Atmosphere = Movement = Anila

14. Tridosha Basically a theory. No Dosha can be represented by any single substance or structure in the body Represent different homeostatic mechanisms at different levels of organization Examples: Blood Pressure Homeostasis Blood glucose

15. Equal and opposite forces can produce a state of equilibrium

16. Vata Initiator Motive force Controller Divider Sensor Movements

17. Pitta Production of heat Energy Digestion Metabolism

18. Kapha Strength Resistance Protection Immunity Growth

19. Nervous system : Vata Movements Equilibrium Sensation Endocrine system : Pitta Digestion Metabolism Immune system : Kapha Protection Resistance

20. Ayurveda proposes that a specific ‘attribute’ of a ‘ Dosha ’ has a causal relationship with the specific trait expressed in an individual. Pitta is ‘ Ushna ’ (heat) (leads to enhanced digestive and metabolic abilities) Kapha is ‘ Shita ’ (cold) (leads to sluggishness in digestive and metabolic abilities) Vata is ‘ Cala’ (mobility) -makes the individual more active Kapha is ‘ Stimita ’ (rigid) -makes the individual less active

21. Vata Lean and thin body frame Unstable with respect to Hunger Bowel movements Sleep Determination (timid) Quick to Get started Grasp Forget Catch diseases Cold intolerance Rough/Dry Skin/hair Unstable bonding with people

22. Pitta Strong hunger / Good digestion Good analytical skills Leadership qualities Early baldness/greying Easy irritability/Short tempered Numerous moles/ freckles/ pigmentated patches on the body Intense body odor Heat intolerance

23. Kapha Strong muscular body Attractive physique/ voice Thick shiny hair / Oily skin Slow / Stable to start to eat to work out to catch diseases to grasp to forget to maintain the body postures Cold intolerance No irritability (Calm/composed) Strong bonding/relationships

24. The Prakriti of an individual is determined by the dominance of one, two or three Doshas expressed in that individual. Though it is determined genetically, several environmental factors too contribute in its manifestation. Sushruta : Shukra-Shonita (Genetic Basis- inherited) Charaka : Role of environmental factors along with the role of inheritance Therefore, on the basis of one, two or three dominant Doshas expressed in an individual, one can have any one of the seven possible types of Prakriti: Vata , Pitta, Kapha , Vata -Pitta, Pitta- Kapha , Vata-Kapha , and Sama Doshaja .

25. In the recent years, the individualized approach to therapeutics has received impetus with the growing understandings in the field of genetics. Many workers have investigated the possible association of constitutional types with the genetic make-up, metabolic abilities and chronic diseases. There have been several efforts to see whether certain physiological or biochemical tools can be used to establish a link between constitution types and other health-related parameters.

26. Assessment of the Prakriti Prakriti: State of normalcy There are quite a few difficulties that are encountered in determining one’s Prakriti . The age, physical and psychological status of the individual, presence and absence of any illness, and the seasonal influence - are the major factors that tend to distort the outcome of this exercise.

27. Elderly people are likely to exhibit dominant features of Vata such as dry and wrinkled skin. These features of Vata are likely to be exhibited dominantly in extreme winter as well. A depressed over-eating individual is likely to present with dominant features of Kapha . Differences in the subjective perceptions of the physicians also can make the assessment ambiguous resulting in high inter-rater variability.

28. The absence of definite recommendation for identifying one’s constitution to be either due to a single  Dosha  ( Eka- doshaja ) or due to two Doshas ( Dvandvaja ) is another problem. Also, there is no data available to show the predominance of a particular type of  Prakriti  in a particular population. Non-availability of the standardised, validated and universally acceptable tools to assess  Prakriti  makes the situation even more difficult.

29. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2011/251850/#supplementary-materials

30. Recent Research

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