Ayurveda views health as a dynamic balance of physical, mental and spiritual forces. The emphasis here is on the dynamics that are shaped by the various cycles of life.
Life is movement and we are right in the middle of it. The seasons, the hormonal cycle phases and the stages of life - all of this influences our physical and mental balance by causing our doshas to rise and fall. In order to be healthy and stay healthy, it is important to recognize the signs of the individual phases and to engage with them.
The biggest cycle that controls our well-being is the different phases of life:
- Bala - childhood with a natural Kapha dominance
- Madhya - midlife with a natural Pitta dominance
- Jara - old age with a natural Vata dominance
Regardless of our constitution, we tend to have a sniffly nose and a bit of flab (Kapha) at primary school age rather than in our mid-30s when our Pitta is at its highest and we are racing through life at full speed. It becomes critical when we are over 40. Then the Vata forces increase steadily and this brings with it instability and a sensitive nervous system. If you are still on pitta speed, you have to be careful not to blow the fuses and end up in burnout.
As soon as the menopause or andropause sets in, the forces are redistributed: the Vata dosha takes over and shapes the body and psyche with its dry, cooling and sensitive qualities. Our physical strength, stamina and immunity decrease as Vata increases, our skin dries out and we sleep less. Vata sends its regards...
At the same time, however, our mental openness, sensitivity and intuition should also increase, as these - together with other positive Vata qualities such as creativity, spirituality and wisdom - are also typical characteristics that arise from a pronounced Vata energy.
Whether we vegetate in old age as a pain-ridden, anxious, complaining, worrying Vata rice, suffering from typical Vata diseases such as rheumatism, ostereporosis, insomnia and loss of memory, or whether we experience old age in physical sensitivity and mental awakening of the healing, philosophical and spiritual powers of the body as a criminal, philosophical and spiritual powers as the crowning glory of a fulfilled life depends on the quality of our physical (dosha) constitution and mental (guna) constitution.
With the healthy nutritional and lifestyle recommendations of the Ayurvedic health teachings "svasthavritta", the dosha imbalance caused by various influences can be balanced again and again in order to achieve stable health and strong resilience in all phases of life.
For our mental health, we must pay attention to the psycho-mental balance, which depends on the three gunas tamas, rajas and sattva. And these are also subject to the cycles of life: In the first half of life, consciousness evolves from tamas to rajas and in the second half of life from rajas to sattva. In this sense, a healthy and happy old age is characterized by physical vata and mental sattva.
The physical Vata influences of old age are unstoppable and unchangeable. Psycho-mental sattva, on the other hand, must first be acquired through a positive, honest and loving way of life and arises through spiritual transformation.
Let's get started right away....
Article by Kerstin Rosenberg
