PCOS - An Ayurvedic View
Understanding the body - The four aspects
There are four aspects of the body that need to be kept in balance in order to maintain good health – these are the doshas, the dhatus, malas and agni.
We must examine Ayurveda’s understanding of how the body works in order to learn how we can maintain our health. In this blog we will see how Ayurvedic scriptures describe the structures and functions of the body and show you how your own body fits into that system.
A system of balance
Ayurveda teaches that the central principle of health is balance. Each of the four components here must be in a state of harmony- neither too strong, nor too weak- for the body to be healthy. This provides vitality by allowing greater capacity for prana (life energy required for all the body’s functions) and immunity from disease.
The four components
Doshas:
There are three doshas (energies) in the human body and mind. They are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Maintaining the balance of each dosha allows the body systems to work effectively.
Vata: It is the force of movement, activity and sensation.
Pitta: It is the source of all transformative processes.
Kapha: It is the body’s strength and stability.
Dhatus:
There are seven dhatus (tissues) that make up the body’s physical form. Healthy dhatus allow the body to produce Ojas, a form of energy that helps the body support prana (vital energy) and protects the tissues from damage.
The seven dhatus are namely Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Medha, Asthi, Majja and Shukra
Agni:
The main type of agni is the body’s digestive fire. Healthy agni allows food to be digested so that strong tissues can be formed. It also prevents the build-up of ama, undigested food that acts as a toxin and leads to disease.
Malas:
The body’s excretions- urine, stool and sweat- are called malas. Passing them in a timely manner helps keep the body balanced, as otherwise they build-up and can cause disease.
In Ayurveda, it's called “Sarvam panchabhautikam”. There is a concept of panchamahabhutas, which are the five elements of which every matter is made of. They are Pritvi (Earth), Aap (Water), Teja (Fire) and Akasha (Space).
Ayurvedic concept of PCOS
According to Ayurveda, the disruption in healthy ovulation is attributed to kapha and vata dosha imbalances. The hollow space of the reproductive cavity represents Akasha Mahabhuta ( Space) in the female body. Vata is in charge of follicular movement, the rupture of the ovarian wall that releases the mature ovum, and the movement of fimbriae (the finger-like projections that guide the ovum through the fallopian tubes and into the uterus during the ovarian cycle). Kapha nourishes the uterus, promotes follicular growth, and aids in the development of (a fertilized) egg into a fetus. In Ayurveda, hormones represent the 'fire' elements of human tissue, and thus Pitta Dosha, which stands for transformation; similarly, Vata stands for mobility, and Kapha stands for settlement.
In PCOS, the imbalanced Kapha Dosha affect digestive fire, or agni, which in turn affects the metabolic rates of the tissues, or dhatus. It affects Rasa dhatu (lymph and plasma), medha dhatu (adipose tissue), and artava dhatu (reproductive system).
Following Ayurveda in your daily life helps you to balance the Doshas, rejuvenate the Dhatus, excretion of Malas and maintain proper Agni.
Ayurvedic interventions take time because their benefits are profound and long-lasting. They are designed by nature to rebalance and strengthen your body's orchestration with Nature. You can expect a qualitative difference and a deep sense of peace and enrichment if you choose to incorporate Ayurveda into your journey of understanding, introspection, and everyday healing. Choose an authentic Ayurveda Health care team who make you understand the concepts of Ayurveda, support you to practice and make it a long-lasting habit. We, team Curate (www.curate.health) provides you authentic Ayurveda in PCOS reversal journey.
