Astrology and Spirituality- Ayurveda-Secret of Healthy Living 2

By KVRK Bhargav

(Bhargav is a student of Swami who after completing his B.Tech graduated with an MBA from the the Sri Sathya Sai University in 2001. Ever since, he has had the great fortune of waiting for Swami’s direct guidance. He pursues astrology as a hobby to understand how it complements and dovetails spirituality. He shares his insights on how the planets are not causes of fear; rather they all serve the common goal of prodding man towards his spiritual destiny of Self Realization)

I hope all are ready with their scores of Vata Pitta and Kapha  of their constitution based on the previous article on Ayurveda- Nature's secret for healthy living-1 . Let us understand in depth these three humours (types) and how they affect a person's overall health.


Vata type: Vata denotes the element of air. The planets influencing Vata constitution are Mercury and to some extent Saturn and Rahu. Vata predominant people are quick thinkers, very active and restless individuals. Vata influences the nervous system and performs the process of elimination. Their main issue is lack of rest and danger of overworking. It is very necessary for these natives to have a regulated routine i.e. going to bed and getting up at regular times. The time before sleep should be spent in a calming and pacifying activity like prayer or meditation.
Pitta type: Pitta predominantly denotes the element of fire. The planets mainly responsible for this humour are Sun, Mars and Ketu all fiery in nature. This humour gives a person a square frame, a ruddy complexion, a keen insight, good power of endurance, intense concentration and a pioneering quality.  Pitta is responsible for digestion, metabolism and energy production. The imbalance of this humour results in fevers, heartburn, acidity and blood related diseases. These natives are moderately active and have good stamina.

Kapha type: Kapha represents the element of water and earth. Jupiter, Venus and Moon govern this humour. Kapha is responsible for our body structure. It  keeps the cells intact and forms the muscles, bones, fat and sinew. These natives have large frames, sturdy bodies with high stamina. It provides lubrication and sustenance to the body parts. These individuals are the healthiest of all. They have fertile imagination, are loving and compassionate. They have an easy going, relaxed  nature. They are slow learners and slow thinkers. They have a tendency of putting on weight and generally suffer from ailments like cold, congestion, asthma and allergies.     
The purpose of the Ayurvedic diet is to balance your doshas. Balancing your dosha type does not mean you should try to have equal amounts of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Rather it means maintaining the proper balance of doshas that you were conceived and born with.That’s why it is extremely important to follow the right diet according to your constitution.  As a result, balancing your doshas often requires pacifying or decreasing a dosha that you have acquired in excess.
 
In ayurveda there are six different tastes: sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and acid. Everything we eat or drink falls under one of these six tastes.
·  Vata is stimulated by pungent, bitter and acid, and weakened by sweet, sour and salt. Therefore it is advisable for a vata predominant person to eat food that is sweet, sour or salty.
·  Everything that stimulates vata weakens kapha and vice versa. Kapha then is stimulated by sweet, sour and salty and is weakened by pungent, bitter and acid.
·  Pitta is stimulated by pungent, sour and slightly salty and weakened by sweet, bitter and acid. For e.g. if we have an individual X with predominant vata-pitta constitution. An anti-vata diet consists of the tastes sweet, sour and salt. However, sour and salt stimulate pitta. The emphasis in the diet of someone with a vata-pitta constitution will then be on sweet tastes. This will stimulate kapha, which X lacks. In a large number of foodstuffs such as potatoes and rice, we can find sweetness. Eating sweet food will decrease the chance of sicknesses developing which are connected with too much vata and pitta. 

TASTE	STIMULATES	WEAKENS
sweet	kapha	vata and pitta
sour	kapha and pitta	vata
salt	kapha and pitta	vata
pungent	vata and pitta	kapha
bitter	vata	kapha and pitta
acid	vata	kapha and pitta

Ways to Balance Vata
-Eat a Vata-balancing diet- wet warming foods like rice, soups, hot beverages, dhal etc...
-Eat in a peaceful environment.
-Engage in wholesome and contemplative activities (like spending time in nature).                                                                                                          
 -Follow a regular daily routine.                                                                                    
-Go to bed early.                                                                                                                   
   -Meditate daily.                                                                                                                    
  -Do gentle physical exercise like yoga, swimming or walking.

Ways Vata Becomes Imbalanced
 -Exposure to cold, dry and windy weather. Long exposure to A/C also imbalances Vata.
-Eating Vata-aggravating foods like breads, grains, packaged foods, refrigerated foods.
-Eating while anxious or depressed                                                                                          
 -Following an irregular daily routine
 -Going to bed late at night                                                                                                         
 -Eating on the run                                                                                                                    

Ways to Balance Pitta
-Eat a Pitta-balancing diet like eating cool, dry and heavy foods.                                        
 -Eat in a peaceful environment.                                                                                                       -Control on emotions like aggressiveness, impulsiveness and anger                                                 
-Work in a selfless manner                                                                                                                 
 -Avoid artificial stimulants.                                                                                                                    -Engage in calming activities, like spending time in nature.                                                           
-Meditate daily.                                                                                                                                    
 -Do calming physical exercise, such as yoga, swimming, tai chi, or walking.

Ways Pitta Becomes Imbalanced
-Eating Pitta-aggravating food like hot, spicy, oily and fried foods. Eating less of fruits and vegetables.                                                                                                                                
-Eating while angry                                                                                                                                 -Being overly competitive
-Over-working

Ways to Balance Kapha
-Eat a Kapha-balancing diet like cold, dry foods and fresh fruits.                                                
 -Eat in a loving environment.                                                                                                               
 -Do more physical activity                                                                                                              
 -Avoid a luxurious, leisurely lifestyle                                                                                               
-Focus on non-attachment in daily life.                                                                                            
-Do emotional housekeeping regularly.                                                                                                
 -Make time for introspective activities, like meditation and writing.                                           
-Make a distinction between being nice and being taken advantage of.                                              
 -Go to bed early and rise early, with no daytime naps.

Ways Kapha Becomes Imbalanced
-Eating Kapha-aggravating food like ghee, cheese and unctuous foods                                                  -Overeating                                                                                                                                              
-Eating to offset emotions (like indulging in sweets when depressed)                                                             -Spending too much time in cool, damp climates                                                                              
-Not engaging in physical activity                                                                                                              -Spending most of one’s time indoors (especially on the couch watching  TV)                                               -Avoiding intellectual challenges

All the three doshas are aggravated by smoking, drinking alcohol, coffee and black tea. Hence they have to be totally avoided.
Let us follow all these dictums of Ayurveda passed on to us by our ancient seers and sages and lead a healthy, harmonious and spiritual life.