Consultation

Prakriti is a commonly used term in Ayurveda. Prakriti means one’s psychosomatic constitution or mind-body type. In Sanskrit, the word prakriti means nature. The concepts of prakriti or psychosomatic constitution is significant in Ayurveda. They are used extensively for examining patients, prescribing Ayurvedic treatments, and helping people maintain overall health and wellbeing.

Ayurveda believes that both our bodies and the entire universe are made up of these five elements. These five elements when combined form the three doshas of the body which are Vata dosha, Pitta dosha, and Kapha dosha. Vata dosha is mainly responsible for movements of the body, whereas the Pitta dosha is responsible for maintaining digestion, metabolism, and body temperature.

The Kapha dosha is mainly responsible for lubrication, cohesiveness, and body structure. Besides these primary functions, the three doshas are also responsible for many other important bodily functions. According to Ayurveda, yourprakritiis what determines your physical and mental characteristics.

A state of complete physical wellbeing is said to be achieved when these three doshas are in equilibrium. Any imbalance in these doshas is considered to be the root cause of diseases and disorders. An individual’sprakriti is determined based on theirpancha mahabhutas and threedoshas. This allows Ayurvedic practitioners to prescribe very specific treatment plans according to the individual’s unique constitution.

Identifying an individual’s physical constitution is an important step in devising a lifestyle and diet plan that is tailor-made for their particular constitution. While a person’s basic prakriti remains the same throughout their life, sometimes, due to drastic changes in physical, emotional, mental, or lifestyle conditions, one’s psychosomatic constitution can change.