The knowledge of one's "Prakruti", or state of balance, body, mind, and soul, is valuable for living a fulfilled and healthy life. Our Prakruti is maintained by more than just diet. Our "best-self" occurs when we develop the wisdom for proper lifestyle and routine for our individual dosha makeup, the health of our personal relationships and overall satisfaction with life. Our Prakruti, or essential constitution is formed at conception and continues with us through our lives. That being said, at any specific moment during our lifespan, our doshic balance may stray from our individual Prakruti.
Our body's response to external fluctuation in our diet, environment, weather/season; and our emotional responses to relationships, work, short and long-term stressors, disrupt what Ayruveda calls "our baseline doshic equilibrium".
Ayurveda defines health as a person at ease, with all doshas working in good balance within them. It's emportant to understand that balance doesn't necessarily mean equal Vata, Pitta, Kapha; but proportionately at their optimal "Prakruti" for the specific person
for example if I am nearly equal Vata/Pitta with the least Kapha, and this mix is where I am always at my best health and true emotioanal/psychological happiness, then this is my own personl Prakruti. Any one of the doshas that shift to too much or to little, excessive or deficient: Vata, Pitta, Kapha out of that balance for me creates Vikruti (Dr. Vasant D. Lad says: "Vikruti reflects the ever-changing current quality and quantitative balance of the doshas. Vikruti may not be disease, but it can create a potential bed for future disease to appear and develop.") That which raises my Vikruti, decreased my ability to remain feeling good, and eventually makes me susceptible to disease that will finally manifest fully through my body. Vikruti goes through several stages when the doshas are out of balance that end with disease manifesting through the bodily tissues, (all diseases are caused by doshas being out of balance, stress, anxiety, cancer, depression,
arthritis, back pain), and eventually death, if rebalance can not ultimately occur through a variety of treatments.
Nancy Adams Thai Yoga Therapist
