Air head - vāta doṣa
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
Within āyurveda¹ there is one affliction that called vāta doṣa : that blemish (doṣa) that is grounded (niṣṭha) is wind/air ( vāyu) based.
When we think of the wind, it moves from here to there, it is always on the move; sometimes quick, other times not. Sometimes
from the north, then south, then north east, etc. etc. Like that the mind that has this blemish takes on this quality of substantial movement,
fleeting, it barely alights on to something and it is off again on to another thought, feeling, observation, only to remain there momentarily.
For some they have taken this a ~normal~ , ‘ oh, that is just how I operate’. For many this blemish can cause spaciness, excessive thoughts
to the point of feeling on edge or ungrounded. If not addressed then one may find increased instability, feeling on edge , some would call
this high-strung. A vāta ‘trade mark’ is quick to remember and quick to forget ( compared to kapha people who are slow to remember and slow to forget).
So, this quickness is also exacerbated with excess vāta. The mind quickly grasps an idea and then just a fast it is forgotten and a re-learning needs to occur, or
for some it is just passed up and forgotten all together.
The āyurvedic vaidya ( doctor or expert) will know of the proper upakarma or upakāra-s ( treatments, ‘doing good’) for this…
What we can do ourselves is to get the right balance of foods and the 6 tastes¹ within our diet. There are also things we can add to our diet:
- vāta cūrṇa (some write churna) – a blend of powered spices used on food that balance vāta.
- vāca rasāyana-s ( some write vacha rāsayana) - vāca is a species of plant; in this case as a rasāyana it is many plants ( and ghee) that is ‘the best or finest or prime part of anything’ which is the term for rāsa. Yet rāsa also means ‘6’ as in 6 tastes, it too is defined as taste or flavor, or essential part.
- sāmana (pacifying or quieting) vāta - this can be done by one’s actions, and also by intake. Here is a list of the blended ingredients found together in this type of product ( from Banyan Botanical web site ):
- Ashwagandha root
- Shatavari root
- Vidari Kanda root
- Brahmi leaf
- Guduchi stem
- Kapikacchu seed
- Cardamom seed
- Pippali fruit
What is key is the quality of the ingredients no doubt, but the ability to blend these ingredients successfully and according to the āyurvedic
methods offered in the caraka-saṃhitā and suśruta-samhitā.
Why do I mention this ? There is no doubt this can affect one’s sādhana, the ability to sit quietly, not to be pulled here-or-there; things
like this are viloma ( opposite) to what one wishes to accomplish.
Also , and just a side note when mentioning ‘intake’ of that which can be consumed, this consumption is not only what occurs
via the mouth and food-stuffs, but that too which is consumed via the other senses of seeing, hearing , touching and the like.
A simple example would be loud staccato-like noises that aggregate vāta, or excessive cold, irregular routines vs. a balanced schedule of events,
excessive exercise etc. All of this can be researched, there is plenty on the web regarding this knowledge.
iti śivaṁ
words
- āyus –vital power , vigor , health , duration of life , long life
- niṣṭha - being in or on , situated on , grounded or resting on
- doṣa – fault, deficiency
- vā = wind , air
- 6 tastes or rāsa-s = madhura - sweet , amla -sour, lavaṇa -salty, kaṭuka - pungent, tikta - bitter ,and kaṣāya - astringent
Last edited by yajvan; 14 October 2015 at 06:20 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
Bookmarks