Ayurveda is the name given to the traditional medical system of India. It is made up of ayus, life, and veda, knowledge, and is usually translated as "the science of life". It is a system with its own theory of the body, health and disease, and it shares much of its vocabulary with yoga. In this article, we will look at its foundations, the theory of the doshas and a questionnaire to explore one's constitution, which serves as a guide and not as a diagnosis.
Tradition attributes a divine origin and great antiquity to it. According to the texts themselves, the knowledge passed from Brahma to Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods, and from there to the sages who transmitted it. Historical studies place its earliest ideas in the Atharvaveda, dating from the second millennium BCE, while its classical treatises were compiled over several centuries, taking on a form close to the present one around the beginning of the Common Era.
Three works form the foundation of the tradition. The Charaka Samhita deals primarily with internal medicine, the Sushruta Samhita with surgery, and Vagbhata's Ashtanga Hridaya brings the two together in a synthesis. Together, they are known as the great triad and remain the core study material in Ayurvedic training.
Ayurveda is organized into eight branches. These are kayachikitsa, internal medicine; shalya, surgery; shalakya, diseases of the eyes, ears, nose and throat; kaumarabhritya, pediatrics; bhutavidya, which deals with the mind; agada, toxicology; rasayana, rejuvenation and longevity; and vajikarana, reproductive health. This is a classical classification found in the three treatises.
Its view of health is broad. Charaka defines Ayurveda as the knowledge of what is favorable and unfavorable for life, and of its measure. It is not limited to treating disease: it also concerns itself with maintaining the health of those who are well, through diet, daily routines, the rhythm of the seasons and conduct, and understands the human being as body, mind and consciousness at the same time.
The five elements
The theory is based on five elements: ether or space, air, fire, water and earth. They make up everything that exists, and in the body they are associated with different functions. From this perspective, the human being is a reflection of nature: the same elements are present in the environment and in each person, and what changes outside is reflected within.
Tradition also links them to the mind and to food. Ether and air are associated with creativity and adaptability, fire with intelligence and passion, water with emotions and empathy, and earth with patience and stability. In food, the elements determine its effects: those dominated by air and ether are light and dry, those dominated by fire are hot and pungent, those dominated by water are juicy and refreshing, and those dominated by earth are heavy and nourishing.
| Element | Function in the body |
|---|
| Ether (Akasha) | Spaces, cavities and channels |
| Air (Vayu) | Movement, breathing and circulation |
| Fire (Agni) | Transformation, digestion and metabolism |
| Water (Jala) | Fluids, lubrication and cohesion |
| Earth (Prithvi) | Structure, bones and solid tissues |
Qualities or gunas
The elements are described through their qualities, the gunas. Ancient texts organize these qualities into ten pairs of opposites, twenty in total, and use them to describe anything: a food, a climate, an action or a mental state. The table shows the ten pairs with their Sanskrit names.
| Pair | Quality | Opposite quality |
|---|
| Guru - Laghu | Heavy | Light |
| Manda - Tikshna | Slow | Sharp |
| Shita - Ushna | Cold | Hot |
| Snigdha - Ruksha | Oily | Dry |
| Shlakshna - Khara | Smooth | Rough |
| Sandra - Drava | Dense | Liquid |
| Mridu - Kathina | Soft | Hard |
| Sthira - Chala | Stable | Mobile |
| Sukshma - Sthula | Subtle | Coarse |
| Vishada - Pichchhila | Clear | Sticky |
Each quality is defined in relation to its opposite. An object is heavy compared with another that is lighter, and cold is perceived according to one's point of reference: someone who lives in Ushuaia and visits Buenos Aires in winter experiences it differently from someone arriving from Posadas at the same time of year. That is why Ayurveda asks us to consider the context and prior circumstances before saying that something is a certain way.
A central principle is based on these qualities: like increases like. According to this logic, something that shares qualities with something else tends to increase it, while something with opposite qualities tends to reduce it. A cold and dry season intensifies cold and dryness, which is why, in this tradition, it is accompanied by warm and moist foods and habits. This is a description specific to this system, and it is the starting point for understanding the doshas, which are groupings of these qualities.
The three doshas
The five elements manifest in the body through three basic principles, the doshas, sometimes called humors: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata is formed from ether and air, Pitta from fire and water, and Kapha from earth and water. All three are present in every person; what varies is their proportion.
Each person has their own constitution, called prakriti. According to tradition, it is established at the moment of conception and remains throughout life, describing the proportion of doshas with which each person is born. The current state of the doshas is called vikriti, and it can change due to diet, climate, lifestyle and stress. The difference between the two is what an Ayurvedic consultation seeks to observe.
Ayurveda recognizes seven types of constitution. Three in which a single dosha predominates (Vata, Pitta or Kapha), three in which two predominate (Vata-Pitta, Pitta-Kapha and Kapha-Vata, in any order), and one in which all three are present in similar proportions, called tridosha.
| Dosha | Elements | Principle | Qualities |
|---|
| Vata | Ether and air | Movement | Dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile |
| Pitta | Fire and water | Transformation | Hot, sharp, light, slightly oily, liquid |
| Kapha | Earth and water | Stability | Heavy, slow, cold, oily, smooth, soft, stable |
Vata is the principle of movement. It governs breathing, heartbeat, muscle movement, nerve impulses, perception and communication. Its seat is the region below the navel, especially the colon and pelvis. In balance, it is associated with creativity, enthusiasm and flexibility; in excess, according to tradition, with restlessness, anxiety, fear, dryness, light sleep and irregular digestion. Vata is divided into five currents named after the vayus we discussed in the yoga articles: prana, udana, samana, vyana and apana.
Pitta is the principle of transformation. It governs digestion, absorption, metabolism, intelligence, understanding and courage. Its seat is the area between the navel and the heart: the small intestine, stomach, liver, blood, skin and eyes. In balance, it is associated with clarity, determination and the ability to communicate precisely; in excess, with irritability, anger, jealousy, a sensation of heat and acidity.
Kapha is the principle of structure and cohesion. It governs growth, lubrication, regeneration, fluid balance, endurance and memory. Its seat is the region above the heart: the chest, throat, head and joints. In balance, it is associated with calmness, patience, affection and consistency; in excess, with attachment, resistance to change, heaviness, drowsiness and slowness.
All three doshas are necessary, and none is better than the others. Vata is mobility, Pitta is metabolism and Kapha is structure; without them, there would be no life. Imbalances can affect one, two or all three at once, and manifest in different ways in the body, emotions and mind. To determine a person's constitution and current state, tradition relies on a detailed consultation with an Ayurvedic physician, who may recommend diet, herbs, massages, physical activity or meditation to restore balance.
Agni, the digestive fire
Agni is the biological fire that, according to Ayurveda, governs digestion and metabolism. It is considered part of the Pitta system and is described as an agent of transformation: it converts food into energy and nutrients, regulates the body's processes, and enables the absorption of what is useful and the elimination of what is unnecessary. Tradition also attributes a mental function to it: digesting experiences and emotions, in the same way that the body digests food.
When agni is weak, Ayurveda describes indigestion, fatigue and the accumulation of ama, the residue of what has not been properly digested. When it is excessive, it describes intense hunger, acidity and heat. Maintaining it in balance is, from this perspective, the foundation of overall health, and is achieved through an appropriate diet, orderly daily routines and purification practices.
How balance is maintained
Ayurveda proposes different areas of practice to maintain the balance of the doshas, which will be explored in upcoming articles:
- Personalized diet: choosing foods and eating habits according to one's constitution and current state.
- Daily routines (dinacharya): an organized sequence of activities throughout the day.
- Seasonal rhythms (ritucharya): adapting diet and lifestyle to each season.
- Purification techniques (panchakarma): procedures carried out under professional guidance.
- Yoga and meditation: practices that integrate body and mind, which we have discussed in the articles in this series.
The relationship between the doshas and yoga practice is explored in other articles in the series.
Ayurveda questionnaire
The questionnaire helps explore one's constitution through questions about the body, habits and character. It is a guiding tool: the result shows tendencies and does not replace a consultation with an Ayurveda professional or a healthcare professional.
