In Ayurveda the word Swastha is the Sanskrit term for health, and it translates as being rooted in the self.
Ayurveda gives us the blueprint with which to find our way to health. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. It is about knowing one's unique nature and staying true to that. To stay in health, all the doshas (these are the three energies that define every person's makeup: pitta, vata, and kapha) must be in equilibrium, the digestive fire must be in a balanced state, bodily tissues and waste must function normally, and the sensory and motor organs and mind must be in a balanced state.
Usually this involves calming whatever has become aggravated, clearing what has become stagnant, and rejuvenating what has become intoxicated. It is inner work, and a process that links the physical body to the subtle body, the mind to he senses and the heart.
We know in this age of information and stimulation that our focus is on the external and very little is left for the internal. So we know a lot about a lot of things, our minds are expanding with knowledge and immediate access to it, but do we know a lot about ourselves? And could this endless quest for updating our mental database be getting in the way of looking within? We know that stress is to blame for most chronic diseases in the western world, and the consequent inflammation that it creates in the body. We also know that most of our stress is psychological in origin.
What causes illness?
Caroline Myss in her book “The Creation of Health” talks about the eight dysfunctional patterns that are present in the case histories of those that become ill:
Unresolved emotional/psychological stress
Negative belief patterns
Inability to give and receive love
Lack of humor and an inability to distinguish serious concerns from the lesser concerns of life
Not holding dominion over choice
Absence of meaning in one’s life
Destructive physical habits
Denial and an inability to face life’s challenges
So much of our lives seem beyond our control, and sickness is another experience that affirms this lack of autonomy over our health. But Ayurveda tells us we are the authors of our well-being, and if we look within, the root cause of our imbalance will become clear. Beyond this awareness of the self, what gives us this sense of being rooted in ourselves is belonging and being supported by communities. Sharing common values about health is particularly important at this time given the collective denial of our emotional life that has become synonymous with a world focused on material accumulation.
The Sanskrit word dosha translates as weakness. Knowing our dosha, or our dosha imbalance, is knowing where our bodies and minds can habitually become weak. When we can face our weakness, sorrow, and emptiness, we can also live a life of deeper joy and more expansive freedom because we are no longer paralyzed by fear. We have found the bottom, the roots.
We are not meant to lead shallow lives, defending our hearts with masks of perfection, chasing strategies of avoidance. We need to do this work so that we can reclaim our humanity and our health. I personally have had my share of grief and imbalance and have found many answers in Ayurveda, but the deeper healing comes in the sharing of common values and common wounds with those that I meet along the way.
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