How Knowing Your Prakriti Can Prevent Illness

According to Ayurveda the greatest way to prevent illness is through knowing, understanding and accepting one's own Prakriti or natural self. If you act upon this knowledge by living a lifestyle suitable to you and staying in harmony with your true nature, you should reap the benefits of achieving a balanced body and mind, therefore, regaining control of your life. 

How To Know Your Prakriti

The ancient principles of Ayurveda state that your mental and emotional state can deeply influence your life. At the time you are born, you are provided with a unique physical, mental and emotional make-up, also known as Prakriti. When looking in the mirror you can see your physical self, despite the influence of age, illness or other factors. However, have you seen your natural self or "Prakriti"? 

Due to sickness, psychological or physical crises and diseases, your body can change, causing disturbances in your Prakriti. Through external factors such as an unhealthy lifestyle, environmental health hazards, not heeding a work-life balance or perhaps a virus and malnutrition, not to mention natural causes such as age, your body may have seemed to have changed. This can cause an imbalance in your own nature.  As a result, your mind and body will have tried to counterbalance any imbalance, and a failure to do so may have resulted in illness or at least poor health, quite distant from your Prakriti. 

How Does Knowledge Of Your Prakriti Affect You

According to Ayurveda, by having knowledge on your Prakriti you are able to know the characteristics which govern your good health and well-being and so lead a healthy, happy and satisfied life. Conversely, you learn to know what can get you out of balance in your daily life, causing illness or poor health. If you do not know your original self, you may not be aware of how to stay in balance to prevent illness or how to understand and eventually change your imbalance and become healthy and whole again. 

The Connecting Layers Of Prakriti 

Ayurveda has studied not only the human physical constitution, but also the mental constitution over thousands of years. Thus, Prakriti can be broken down into very exact sub-divisions. An example being Deha Prakriti defines physiological and psychological characteristics We know that the Prakriti remains unchanged throughout a person's lifetime, however, your Doshas can change. These may change not only as a result of alterations in the environment or illness but also as a person matures. Janma Prakriti refers to the genetic constitution, which is passed down from parents. Manas Prakriti includes the mental qualities of a person and his or her spiritual development since birth and is further classified in terms of Gunas. 

The Mental Qualities Of Manas Prakriti

The basic Manas Prakriti is stable throughout your entire life. It is composed of three primary mental qualities or Gunas called Sattva, Rajas and Tamas which provide the basis for distinctions in the body's psychological makeup. The Gunas play a very important role in Ayurvedic therapy, the goal being an improvement in the direction of the level of Sattva. A person with a Sattva constitution is sensitive, empathetic and understanding, always seeking balance and harmony. In comparison, Rajas constitutions are turbulent, making them active and aggressive, as well as agitated and restless. Those with Tamas characteristics have a basically negative attitude, and they disturb principles of harmony.