What’s my dosha? My true Nature
What is my true expression, my true nature? My dosha?
In this week’s newsletter, I am reflecting on what my true nature is.
In ayurveda we talk about doshas and our prakriti. Prakriti is our unique constitution. It’s our balance. Our prakriti is created by the 5 great elements or the panchamahabhutas; space, air, fire, water and earth which we also know from yoga.
The five Elements forming the doshas*
“Space or ether, ākāśa: all-pervading, expansive, holds everything; clear, light, subtle.
Air, vāyu: movement, dry, light, cold, rough, subtle.
Fire, agni: digesting, metabolic actions; hot, sharp, light, dry, subtle.
Water, āpa, jala: cool, fluid, dull, soft, oily.
Earth, pṛthivī: heavy, dull, dense, hard, cool.
These five elements create the three doshas; vata, pitta and kapha.
Ākāśa (space) and vāyu (air) become vāta doṣa.
Agni (fire) and āpa (water) are pitta doṣa.
Āpa (water) and pṛthivī (earth) are called kapha doṣa.
When we are conceived we are a unique expression of the five elements and the three doṣas. No one is exactly like us. We are unique. This is worth remembering when we teach yoga. No one is the same. We are all completely unique with individual constitutions, which in Āyurveda is called prakṛti.
This specific expression of the doṣas may alter slightly while we are in the womb of our mother. When we are born, we have our prakṛti, our constitution. We might have a lot of vāta, quite a bit of pitta but less kapha. Or something completely different. Our prakṛti is our uniquely balanced state of being.
Life, experiences, where we live, our diet, work, how we respond to stress, trauma, surgery, personal stuff, illness and so on affect our doṣas. For most of us, life will affect our constitution or prakṛti. Whatever we appear to be right now with all these changes is our vikṛti. Finding balance is not to have vāta, pitta and kapha even. It is coming home to our prakṛti.”
*Taken from my book Teaching yoga for the menstrual cycle - an Āyurvedic approach because the doshas also affect the menstrual cycle!
In my newsletter I reflect on these external influences. How we were brought up by our parents or parent figures, school teachers, elders, our culture, religion…
How would we be if we had been completely supported in our uniqueness?
How would you express yourself if you had been accepted 100% in your creative expression? Not just accepted but nurtured in your true nature?
I don’t want to blame anyone because I do think (and hope) that most parental figures do the best they can at the time. We all do what we feel is best. Although that doesn’t always translate to what is best for the individual. We are all unique…
As an adult, we can reflect. We can also go to therapy, have treatments, read, discuss, finding different modalities to heal. Yet, we have to do it. Or rather undo it.
Healing the imbalances.
Coming back to our True Nature
Yoga is one modality which I love. Movement, breath, ritual, meditation or contemplation are parts of how I can move and peel off the layers that have been built up over time. It’s ongoing. And I dive into teachings such as ayurveda and spiritual practices for support and understanding.
Yet, nothing is a magic pill. We need to uncover our Prakriti or our true nature. Our true expression. Part of who we are as we experience life is obviously influenced by our experiences, which is part of our development and evolution.
Digesting our experiences
In ayurveda we talk about ama, or undigested material. It may be the food and beverages we take in. But it is everything we take in. All the sense impressions. Everything we have been told. Much of how we have been supported in during growing up and beyond became nourishment. Some we digested and eliminated. But some may still be in our being as ama. And ama can become “toxic” leading to health issues. Not necessarily physical health. Also, all the challenges we have in our mental or emotional life.
Again we can start to peel off the layers. Take time to rest so we can digest. And digest well so any unnecessary “stuff” can be released and let go off.
Reducing the ama in all its expression so we can come back to our true nature and true expression.
