Ayurveda teaches us that we have a set of possibilities since birth which are divided in three equal parts, one third comes from the mom and one third comes from the dad and these would partly be translated as our genes. The last third however comes from the environment we were born into combined with the one we live in for the rest of our lives. This is the third that I use as a practitioner to advise my clients and it is of uttermost importance to be aware of the expression in each one and all our parts (body, mind and energy) and how the surrounding affects us and how we affect it back. This is the Prakriti (nature) we are born with, the set of possibilities that will express in one way or the other. If we deviate from that first nature the balance or homeostasis is thrown off and this is expressed as Vikriti (deviation from our nature) hence the person has already fallen or could fall ill. It’s all about staying in balance with our environment and to do that we need to understand what our nature is and what we live in.
Nature and our whole environment will be described with the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. I see the usage of the elements as an easy way to describe things without a bunch of adjectives. We know that water is wet and fire is hot. The last one Ether, and sometimes (maybe wrongly) translated as space, is an interesting concept for a Westerner as it is often a forgotten one although the Greeks, the Vikings, the Aztecs and most other ancient philosophies of life, health and nature saw the Ether as what we call a bit plump ‘unified consciousness’. I prefer to be more precise and call it unified thoughts, emotions and feelings as it represents the unified field of all those, whether it’s conscious or not. However I don’t believe it’s limited to humans as I see and feel the energetic power plants and animals have on their surroundings, although some of us humans might be stronger as influensers than some insects or animals.
Picture attributed to phys.org/NASA listens in as electrons whistle while they work.
When we feel imbalanced and notice it by catching ourselves with a behavior we aren’t familiar with or doesn’t feel right, we should notice it and as best act upon it without self doubt and judgement. If we don’t notice it or if we neglect our behavior it might materialize in stressing ours or another’s body (in particular those we live with) and a specific organ causing a full on disease.
Our minds only translates what our bodies are feeling and we most often use words for that.
Ray – educator and facilitator for the Mind Cleanse at Olive
An example could be someone who can’t say what they really want or who has lived many years oppressing their many thoughts and needs. This person could get problems in the neck area such as thyroid disease or a horse voice. If the need is sexual it might manifest as low libido and stiff hips.
It’s seldom as simple as this but it’s an important part to consider the whole of you, to heal naturally, not just the physical. Ayurveda separates us in five parts. The body is giving us information and the mind is barely explaining and expressing it. To find our way back to balance we have to figure out what we want, really want, beyond convention and tradition and asking the body is the first step, using the mind is the second step and the third is to try it out. In the above case we just have to speak our truth but if our truth is not worth speaking out as the cost is too high can’t get it, (jail, divorce, etc) we are at least aware of what we want and that we chose wisely to not get what we want. It’s when we lie to ourselves that we take a big risk with our health. Finding solutions to our needs (Prakriti) and avoid doing any harm on the way is where the O-method comes in handy to minimize Vikriti (dissonance).
Read how taste (Rasa) is important for healing in previous blog.
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