pancha-bhuta-shuddhi

Our universe is made up of five elements – Space (Akasha), Wind (Vayu), Fire (Agni), Water (Apas), Earth (Prithvi). In the Universe, approximately 72% consists of water and reaming 28% consist of four elements. Similar to the human body which is also made up of five elements and with approximate numbers as above, naturally, disasters are happening in universal because of the imbalance of elements and so does humans get diseases because of the imbalance of elements. These elements are placed in the subtle body.

According to Ayurveda and Yoga, Pancha bhuta is associated with the overall health of a human being

Element	Chakra	Sense Organs	Associated Sense	Perception mode	Associated Finger	Mantra
Space(Akasha)	Vishudda	Ear	Sound	Heard	Middle Finger	Ham
Wind (Vayu)	Anahata	Skin	Touch	Heard, Felt	Index Finger	Yam
Fire (Agni)	Manipura	Eye	Sight	Heard, Felt, Seen	Thumb Finger	Ram
Water (Jal)	Swadhishthan	Tongue	Taste	Heard, Felt, Seen, Tasted	Little Finger	Vam
Earth(Prithvi)	Muladhara	Nose	Smell	Heard, Felt, seen, Tasted, Smelled	Ring Finger	Lam

Due to the imbalance of Elements Dosha or Tri-Dosha will form in the body. Dosha is Vata, pitta, Kapha.

Dosha	Elements	Function	Collection Of Qualities
Vata	Air + Ether	Movements	Dry, Light, Cold, Rough, Subtle, Mobile, Clear
Pitta	Fire + Water	Transformation	Hot, Sharp, Light, Liquid, Spreading, Oily
Kapha	Water + Earth	Binding	Heavy, Slow, Cool, Oily, Smooth, Dense, Soft, Stable, Gross, Cloudy (Sticky)

Imbalanced Vata

Vata is considered as a leader of other doshas. It is the only dry dosha. The other two doshas are moist and unctuous. Vata regulates and coordinates with all the other components in the living system. During out of balance, Vata tends to cause fear, anxiety, isolation, loneliness, and exhaustion. It can lead to both physical and energetic depletion, disrupt proper communication. It is the principle of kinetic energy in the body, is mainly concerned with the nervous system, and controls all body movement.

Diet recommended for Vata Prakruthi:

Eat:

Warm foods, both energetically and in temperature.
Foods that are naturally sweet, sour, and salty in taste.
A generous amount of high-quality oils or ghee in your daily diet.
A limited selection of legumes, including mung dal, tofu or tempeh that is well-cooked and warm soy milk spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, and cumin, but not extremely hot spices like cayenne pepper.
Sweeteners are good (in moderation), especially jaggery, honey, maple syrup
Sip hot water throughout the day to flush out impurities and balance Vata

Avoid:

Vegetables are not cooked.
Foods that are cold in temperature.
Foods those are bitter, astringent, and pungent.
Most beans, including cold soy products, Dry and light foods (e.g. popcorn and crackers).
Cold or carbonated drinks.
Avoid stimulants such as coffee and alcohol.
Avoid sprouts and cabbage

Asanas For Vata Prakriti: Cat-Cow, Sun Salutation, Warrior I, Warrior II, Tree, Crocodile, Cobra.

Mudras: Mudras like Vata-kaarak mudra and Vayu-vardhak mudra are useful to increase Vata humor within the body. Mudras like Vata-nashak, Vayu mudra, and Pran mudra are useful to decrease Vata humor within the body.

Pranayama: Nadi Shodhana

Imbalanced Pitta

Pita is the only dosha that is hot in nature. The energetic force of pitta is mainly associated with digestion and it’s responsible for generating the body temperature. It provides the complexion and luster to the skin and softness to the body. Its function is to digest the nutrients being transformed into energy for cellular function. When out of balance, pitta causes fiery, reactionary emotions such as frustration, anger, jealousy, and criticism.

Diet recommended for Pitta Prakruthi:

Eat:

Cold foods, both energetically and in temperature.
Drink cooling herbal teas such as peppermint, spearmint, rose, coriander or licorice.
A nourishing breakfast to balance pitta could include cereal, toast and apple juice
Foods those are naturally sweet, bitter, and astringent.
Raw foods, Most beans.
A moderate amount of high-quality olive, sunflower and coconut oils or ghee in your daily diet.
Cooling herbs and spices like coriander, cilantro, fennel, and cardamom.

Avoid:

Red meat and chicken or fish
Always avoid over-eating, especially in the evening.
Warming foods, both energetically and in temperature.
Foods those are pungent, sour, and salty.
Caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants.
Chili and cayenne peppers.

Asanas For Pitta Prakriti: Child’s, Chair, Cobra, Locust, Half Boat, Bridge, Half Shoulder Stand

Mudras: Mudras like Prithvi mudra, Prana mudra, Apaan mudra, and Apaan-Vayu mudra are effective mudras to decrease Pitta deficiency. Mudras like Surya mudra, Linga mudra, and Pitta-kaarak mudra are effective mudras to increase Pitta.

Pranayama: Sitali Pranayama.

Imbalanced Kapha

Kapha is a builder of the body. Gross, Stable and all the structural material of the living body is a product of Kapha. It is responsible for the growth, repair, and nutrition of the body. It maintains the integrity of the joints. It controls all the anabolic functions of the body and ensures the nutrition of all tissues. When it gets out of balance, Kapha triggers emotions of attachment, greed, and possessiveness and can also create stubbornness, lethargy, and resistance to change.

Diet recommended for Kapha Prakruthi:

Eat:

Drink One liter of hot water with lemon and/or ginger daily
Foods that are pungent, bitter, or astringent in taste.
Heating spices—like chili, black or cayenne pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and cumin.
Light, dry, and warm foods, Honey. Honey is excellent for reducing Kapha but generally, reduce other sugar products.
Only room temperature or warm drinks.
Most beans and Mung dal
A minimal amount of high-quality corn, canola, sesame, sunflower oil, or ghee in your daily diet.
Some vigorous exercise each day – running, cycling, tennis, squash or rugby.

Avoid:

Cooling foods, both energetically and in temperature.
Avoid low-fat products as these are highly processed and usually high in sugar.
Foods those are sweet, sour, and salty.
Heavy and oily foods (e.g. cheese, pudding, nuts, cake).
Overeating or eating heavy meals.
Cold or carbonated drinks.

Asanas For Kapha Prakriti: Sun Salutation, Cow Face, Cobra, Bow

Pranayama: Kapalabhi Pranayama

Mudras: Kapha Naashak Mudra

The 6 tastes and their effect on dosha

Sweet: Earth & Water (decreases Vata and Pitta, increases Kapha)

Sour: Earth & Fire (decreases Vata, increases Pitta and Kapha)

Salty: Water & Fire (decreases Vata, increases Pitta and Kapha)

Pungent: Fire & Air (increases Vata and Pitta, decreases Kapha)

Bitter: Air & Space/ Ether (increases Vata, decreases Pitta and Kapha)

Astringent: Air & Earth (increases Vata, decreases Pitta and Kapha)

Following Signs Or Symptoms For Vata, Pitta, Kapha:

Signs Or Symptoms	Vata Prakriti	Pitta Prakriti	Kapha Prakriti
Body Type	Slender in build	Medium in build	Heavy in build
Breathing	Fast, light	Deep abdominal, active inhalation	Deep abdominal, slow and relaxed exhalation
Appetite and Digestion	Variable, scanty, better for small but frequent amounts, don’t mind skipping a meal	Good, sharp and can be excessive, eat large meals, the tendency to overeating	Moderate hunger, slow digestion, can have the sluggish metabolism
Dreams	Active violet, vivid	Fear, anger	Of swimming, of lakes of beautiful panoramas
Elimination	Dry, hard, irregular, often constipated	Regular, soft, can be loose	thick and heavy, slow
Emotional tendency	Fear and Anxieties	Anger, frustration, irritability, impatience	Grief, sadness, depression, holding
Eye Color	Grey, violet, slate blue	Hazel, green, light blue.	Milk-chocolaty brown
Intrinsic disposition	Friendly, calm, dependable, grateful, honest, joyful etc.	Bold, aggressive, violent, intelligent	Friendly, calm, dependable, grateful, honest etc.
Movement	Light, fast and quick	Confident, active and controlled	Slow, grounded and relaxed
Nails	Hard, brittle	Rubbery	Strong thick, pyramidal, large
Physical activity and energy levels	Very active, fast and restless, gets tired easily	Active but moderate, focused, manage Energy well	Steady, balanced Energy levels and good endurance
Taste you prefer	Sweet and sour, salty, soft soupy warm meals	Oily and spicy, sour, sweet and hot	Sweet mostly, fatty, pungent, dry and light
Temperature	Cold hands and feet. Craves warmth	Feeling warm or hot, flushing cheeks	Cool and moist dislikes damp
Thirst	Variable	Quite a lot	Moderate
Sleep	Disturbed, Light and Sensitive	Little	Deep sound
Urine	Scanty, colorless, often difficult	Profuse, yellow or red, often burning	Moderate, white or milky.
Voice and Speech	high pitched, talkative, fast speech, likes to talk	Medium pitched, concise and to the point, can be sharp	Deeper, low pitched, slower and can be more intellectual

Conclusion: To avoid elements imbalances, we should maintain proper diet. According to Prakriti, practice yoga, pranayama, and mudras for healing the body and Stay healthy.