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Doshas
Dosha is a Sanskrit (ancient Indian word) which although literally translated
as blame or sin, in the context of health care it would be more appropriate
to translate Dosha as the forces in the body that easily go out of balance.
The Doshas are an intricate part of the ancient Hindu science of health and
medicine: Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India thousands
of years ago. Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine i.e. a system that emphasizes
the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.
Ayurveda is not only a system of medicine but also a way of healthy living,
aiming to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people
can stay healthy and those with health challenges can improve their health.
The ideas of Ayurveda present the notion that there are energetic forces that
influence nature and human beings. These forces are called the Doshas and there
are three of them.
In Ayurveda every person is considered a unique individual made up of five
primary elements: ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. When any of these
elements are present in the environment, they will in turn have an influence
on us through the foods we eat, the weather and many other examples.
Ayurveda teaches us that we are a composite of these five primary elements
and that certain elements have an ability to combine to create various physiological
functions. The combination of these elements create the three Doshas: Vata,
Pitta and Kapha.
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