Ayurveda is founded in the innate laws that govern natural phenomena at gross and subtle levels. As such it is an integrative, intuitive “Life Science” accessible to all, anywhere, anytime. Essential to Ayurveda’s age-defying relevance is the free, intelligent compliance with cosmic law.

.

If enduring health is the outcome of living mindfully in accordance with natural laws, then the preventable disruption of health is caused by the ‘mind-less’ failure to align with them.

.

Having forgotten its un-changing, essential nature as one with the nature of all, the mistaken intellect (prajnaparadha) identifies with the ever-changing process of discrimination.

This forgetting “separates” the human in their mind from their own primordial nature and is considered the original cause of psycho-physiological disturbance and disease.

.

In the foundational Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita (900 BCE – 600 BCE), the causes of both mental and physical disease are repeatedly attributed to the “three-fold overuse, underuse, and abuse of time, actions, and objects of sense organs.” We are further reminded that this misuse is due to “mistakes of the intellect, lack of restraint and faulty memory”.

.

Ayurvedic prevention and healthcare is dependent on the understanding that we are all interconnected by nature at elemental levels and therefore impacted in measurable ways by seen and unseen forces. Knowing this we are more greatly aware and responsive to the nature of our surroundings. Remembering this we are empowered to make conscious choices. Learning from our mistakes allows for greater sensitivity. Acting upon what we know from our experience we can disable the addictions and re-create healthy patterns, regimens and habits to remove and prevent the causes of imbalance.

.

The basis of Ayurvedic prevention and self-healing is living in moderation and attuning to the natural rhythms of the day, night, season and life-cycle. The daily regimens are called “dinacarya”. The night regimens are called “ratricarya”. The seasonal regimens are called “ritucarya”. These self-administered detoxifying and rejuvenating routines serve to regulate digestive power, to recharge and optimize vitality, clarity, immunity and to purify and recalibrate total sense perception and cognition.

.

It sounds inviting and yet many will dread these guidelines in fear of more stress, failure, deprivation, time wastage and loss of perceived freedom. Begin in earnest following a reset, and step by step you will feel again the physical, emotional, mental and energetic harmony afforded by consciously realigning the body with the genius of nature that designed it.

.

The process of prevention and healthcare begins by inquiring into our innate, psycho-physiological nature (prakruti) and our fundamental needs as they relate to environment, climate, season, nutrition, self-care, relationship, sexuality, education, occupation, fitness, leisure, altruism and spirituality.

.

Our prakruti (bio-type) is our true, essential nature, a primary, unchanging way of being regardless of the changes around and inside of us. This prakruti is constituted by the prevalent singularity and or significant combinations of bio-energies called dosha (that which spoils). The three bio-energies are identified as the three interactions of two of the five elements (pancha mahabhuta): vata (space/wind: gaseous), pitta (fire/water: acidic), kapha (water/earth: lipidic).

.

Vikruti is the divergent or overlaid bio-type reflective of our self-denial and struggle to adapt integrally to the natural changes in circumstance, environment, cycles of day, season, age etc. Vikruti is also reflective of the deviated self-image operating “coping strategies”, with a mind programmed to control, mask, avoid and disassociate from the painful, inconvenient truths under the surface.

.

At this stage, it is advised to see an Ayurvedic physician or practitioner experienced in recognizing hereditary, inherent and created patterns, and compassionately stripping through the layers of vikruti to reveal the inborn prakruti.

.

The qualified practitioner will assess the primary and compound causes of imbalance and pathology at its different stages. The prescription takes into account the patients prakruti, vikruti and their past, present and future life circumstance allowing for a totally customized treatment program that includes combinations of cellular purification/rejuvenation therapies (panchakarma, rasayana, shodhana/shamana), dietary education, herbal formulas, self massage with medicated oils and powders, yoga, exercise, breath practices, meditation, astrological remedies and more to restore mental/physical health and wellbeing through balancing the original derangement, aggravation and accumulation of bio-energies (tridosha).

.

Ayurveda is the only system of medicine that operates this comprehensive understanding of the tridosha constitutional concept, itself based on triguna (sattva, rajas, tamas), the threefold substantiation and potency of primordial nature observed “as above, so below”.