• • The Five Elements of Ayurveda;
• • The Three Doshas of Ayurveda;
• • The principle of accumulating elements; and
• • The principles of Prakriti and Vikriti

1. The Five Elements of Ayurveda

According to Ayurvedic principles, you are made up of five elements; i.e. ether, air, fire, earth and water. Each element is responsible for a different function of the body which helps to keep it healthy in it's natural state. In this post, we'll discuss what each element means and how they work together to keep you balanced!

Ether - Is the essence of emptiness. The space the other elements fill. Without form or boundaries, ether has no limits. In our body ether is expressed within the empty spaces. The hollow of the empty intestines, blood vessels, bladder and lungs are filled with ether. 

Air - Is the element that represents the capacity for motion and change. In our body it is the force that allows blood to circulate, breath to move, nerve impulses to glide, thoughts to flow and joints to propel movement.

Fire - Is the element that represents the capacity for heat and light. It is the generator of energy in the body to digest food, to ignite intellect, to energise and invigorate.

Water - Is the element that represents fluidic matter. It is cohesive and the protector of the body. In our body water protects the mouth as well as the mucous membranes of the throat and stomach. It stabilises flow of nerve impulses and protects the joint surfaces from friction.

Earth - Is the element that represents solid matter and structure. It represents stability and groundedness. In our body the earth element facilitates the digestion process including consumption and elimination.

2. The Three Doshas of Ayurveda

So what is a Dosha anyway? Although Dosha is often referred to as constitution, it translates more accurately as fault.

This means that when you identify your Dosha, you are identifying the elements that have the tendency to become unbalanced within you under stress or at different stages of your life.

An element becomes unbalanced because you have a natural tendency to accumulate that element. Understanding this tendency will help you to identify which area of your mind, body and spirit to focus on to return to a state of balance and thereby return to health.

The three Doshas are a combination of the 5 elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. However, each Dosha is made up of two primary elements that have the most influence on them. The Doshas are:

Vata: (Ether and Air)
Pitta : (Fire and Water)
Kapha: (Water and Earth)

You are born with a unique combination of these three! Some people may be born with one dominant Dosha (they could, for example, have a Pitta Dosha) and others may even have a dual Dosha (they could, for example, have a Pitta-Vata Dosha).

3. The principle of accumulating elements

Two important points to understand about Doshas:

1. • Elements are continuously being replaced in our bodies. Faults happen when we don’t replace old elements with new elements. This may lead to health issues.
2. • Balance means all elements are constantly renewed and you stop accumulating an element when it isn’t required.

We naturally renew elements in our bodies for example, we drink water to replace the water we lose through normal bodily functions; and we breathe in fresh air and breathe out used air.

If this cycle of renewal is disturbed it creates a fault that leads to dis-ease in the body.

4. Principles of Prakriti and Vikriti - Two states of Dosha

Now that you understand the elements and what the term dosha means, it's time to learn about the concept of Prakriti and Vikriti, an integral part of Ayurveda that helps you understand who you are.

Prakriti is the original nature of your mind, body, heart, and soul. It's what makes you unique and gives meaning to your life. It is your ‘constitution by birth’.

However, as we progress through life, our true nature is influenced by choices in relation to diet, lifestyle and environment. Factors such as stress, poor eating habits, insufficient sleep and learned behaviours can alter your true nature and in turn the balance of the Doshas that will manifest in a mental or physical form. This ‘altered constitution’ is called Vikriti.

Vikriti is the current state of your constitution that has been imbalanced due to these environmental or lifestyle factors.

By understanding how these terms relate to each other you can strengthen what's good about yourself while you change what isn't working. Knowing your Vikriti is essential for devising a treatment program which could involve making changes to diet, lifestyle and environment.

In order to keep the elements of your body balanced and aligned to your prakriti you need to understand what your Dosha is.

Take our Dosha quiz to find out  #WHATSYOURDOSHA and then head over to our next blog to learn about why you should consider incorporating Ayurveda into your daily routine. 

Trying to get to grips with all the new terms that you have learned about? Make use of our dictionary until you are Ayurvedic fluent!

In the next blog series, we will profile each Dosha; provide practical ways to incorporate Ayurveda into your daily life and understand how to bring your Doshas back into balance when imbalances occur during various stages of life. Also keep an eye out for a future blog series on African Botanicals where we will profile each of our skincare products and highlight the benefits of the African botanicals featured in each product. In the meantime, sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on Ayurvedic lifestyle tips and be the first to know about exclusive promotions.