Ayurveda and Emotions
By Nina Elliot (Ayurveda Counselor Student)
In one of our first classes we were introduced to the Shad Darshan (6 philosophies of Life) as the foundation for Ayurveda. The Sankhya philosophy detailed the journey of Consciousness into Matter. Simply put, Purusha (pure consciousness) just IS, and when Prakruti (latent matter) and its three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) are added, we have our existence as we know it.
The human being is made of three components: Manas-the Mind, Atma-the Soul and Sharira-the physical body, and according to Ayurveda, wellness depends on the balance of these three. We covered our Sharira in the first months, and we are now expanding our knowledge to include the Mind. Just like the Sankhya concept that everything in creation is in movement, the mind is the same thing, in this case it is thoughts moving through consciousness.
The mind is a layer of energy, which, when combined with Ahamkara and Intelligence, form the seat of Consciousness, and makes us knowledgeable. The basic components of the Mind are Atman (soul), Ahamkara (ego), Buddhi (intellect), and Manas (mind). If the mind is disturbed, all the aspects of the mind will not thrive, and functioning normally is not possible.
Manas is our unique door to reality, as well as a unique door in structure. It swings both ways, as it is an organ of both reception and expression, making it an Atindriya, or the 11th Indruya (the others are the 5 knowledge-acquiring senses and 5 working senses). On either side of this Atindrya, we have two more ‘panels’ which make up the door; one side is the subtle Anutva, which makes the mind unmeasurable, yet inferred, while the other is the Ekatva, describing One, but made up of many Ones. All of our perceptions are taking place in the mind and all the actions originate in the mind. This doorway’s location is in the heart, yet its power can permeate throughout our subtle and physical body. Another interesting metaphor for the mind brought up in class, is to think of the mind as the Central Processing Unit, as it connects our external world to our inside through the senses.
Basic functions of the mind are as follows:
To think
To judge
To decide
To keep control of self
To keep control of organs
To set goals
Similar to the concept of the 5 elements creating the doshas, which are the groundwork for our physical bodies, the three gunas (Sattva, Raja and Tama) are the essential components of the mind. And just like we are made up of combinations of Vata, Pitta and Kapha, all three Gunas are needed to provide the mind’s structure. Sattva represents intelligence and light of knowledge, Rajas represents activity and turbulence and Tamas represents darkness and inertia.
The gunas can show up as predominance in the mind; ie much like a person can be Vata dominant, a person can also be considered Sattvik, yet still having Rajas and Tamastic qualities. A person who has cultivated Sattva guna has intelligence, compassion, full awareness and speak with non-offensive truth. People with Rajas tend to overpower others, and show dynamic energy. They can be hot tempered, creative, ambitious. Lastly, one who is considered Tamastic may be lazy, ignorant, excessively indulge in food, sleep and sex, health or hygiene may not be top-priority. Though we should strive to be more Sattvik, we should also honor and witness the Rajas and Tamas part of ourselves. A hopeful aspect is that unlike our physical Prakruti, which tends to be more fixed, is that our Manas prakruti can change and evolve over time.
Emotions can be tasted determined by the mind; these Rasas are associated with mood, personality, or motivation of an individual. Just like the Shad (6) Rasa in our Ahara, there are 9 rasas associated in the mind: Shringara (love/beauty), Hasya (laughter), Karuna (sorrow), Raudra (anger), Veera (courage), Bhayanaka (fear), Bibhatsya (disgust), Adbutha (wonder, awe) and Shantha (peace). When we ‘eat’ our emotions, our mind acts like a digestive enzyme, and can offer either nutrition in good mental health, or destruction if unbalanced.
Ayurveda, in its holistic approach to health, can help with maintaining balance in the soul and body; the mind is no exception.