Prakruti (Prakriti) – Know Yourself Better
Prakruti (Prakriti) – Know Yourself Better
Ayurveda is a very common – sense sort of medical system. It uses very simple principles to determinate one’s unique constitution, inborn metabolic pattern called Prakuiti. Prakruti also means Nature, the set of tendencies which determine how we will instinctively react when provoked by a trigger. It was set up at the time of our conception and is influenced by the parents’ genes, mother’s diet and lifestyle and her emotions when pregnant. Many of the traits we like about ourselves arise from this proneness. Many of the qualities we are not that proud of also depend on these tendencies. Knowing your Prakruti allows you to know your body and mind better. Once you understand that these traits are determined by your constitution you can minimize undesired influences by changing your diet and lifestyle.
You have your Prakruti (unique set of Vata,Pitta, and Kapha qualities) for the rest of your life, like it or not. You can, however learn how to prevent health issues and how to deal with them when they arise. You can understand why other people act how they act and find a way to interact with them to everyone’s benefit. You can plan meals, detoxification and rejuvenation program which work best for you and your family members.
Besides Prakruti (which doesn’t change) Ayurveda speaks of Vikruti – a constitution of the moment, one’s current state of health. Vikruti reflects any aspects of diet, lifestyle, emotions, age, environment, etc. that are not in harmony with one’s Prakuiti.
An Ayurvedic physician can determine the difference between your ideal state-Prakruti – and your current state – Vikruti – and create a program to restore the balance. Or you can find it out filling out ‘What is your dosha’ quiz here on this site. Fill it out twice. First base your choices on what is most consistent over a long period of your life and it’ll be your Prakruti. Then fill it out considering how you have been feeling recently in the last month or two and you’ll have your Vikruti.
If your Prakruti and Vikruti are about the same then you will choose the diet and daily routine for your strongest dosha (the one you gained the most points for in Dosha chart). If your Vikruti shows more points for certain dosha than your Prakruti, you should go for diet and daily routine for pacify the aggravated dosha. (See diet and daily routine for Vata, Pitta and Kapha).
TODAY’S TIP: It sounds more complex than it is. Once you incorporate the Dosha principles into your life it actually becomes easier, since you’ll understand your body and mind so much better.
Hi Larisa,
Based upon your website and other sources it was always my understanding
that knowing one’s dosha constitution is important, that this knowledge is
easy to acquire from an Ayurvedic doctor, and that the concept of Prakruti
is Indian(from India). But recently I came across the website of an
Ayurvedic doctor practicing in California(Vaidya Bharti Trivedi) who
apparently doesn’t agree with this. I have sent you her comments
concerning Prakruti. Do you happen to know why it is she doesn’t agree?
22. I am wondering about my prakriti, my specific Ayurvedic type. Am I
more
a Kapha, Pitta or Vata? Will you tell me more about this?
Answer: Prakriti is actually an American concept. It is not a real thing,
and it is not important. The important thing is not a person’s nature,
temperament and particular features. The important thing is “What is your
problem?” If you are feeling very well, you will never even go to a
doctor.
So, what is the problem that has brought you to see a doctor at all? What
is the cause of that problem? How to balance that problem is more
important
than knowing what your prakriti is.
Prakriti is the nature of the body, but it has nothing to do with the real
problem. From a medical standpoint, what is happening now is more
important
than “Who am I?” That is a very different thing. That you deal with on a
physical, emotional and spiritual level when you do panchakarma. When
those
five weeks of internal cleansing are done, then you know who you are on a
very deep level. A lot of fear and other issues, like suppressed greed,
can
come up during panchakarma. You cannot deal with who you really are until
after that process. When it is over, you are able to deal with these
things. Then there is real balance.
So, because it is not very easy to know prakriti, it is better not to
focus
on that term. Prakriti is very difficult to truly know.
Hi,Steve,
I totally disagree with Dr. Trivedi.
Ayurveda is not concentrating on one’s particular problem at all. Knowing
your prakriti (your ideal individual balance, which is inborn) a doctor
can improve not only the health problems that already have manifested on
the physical level, but also ones, that haven’t shown yet. Removing the
imbalance improves the overall health.
I value Pancha Karma a lot; Pancha Karma MUST be done according to your
vikriti (your current condition), but the goal is – to restore one’s
prakriti. How can we do it without knowing it?
And the last thing: “Prakriti is very difficult to truly know”. This is
not true at all! Praktiti is imprinted in our horoscope. The position of
the 9 Planets in 12 houses of our birth chart gives an exact percentage
of Vata, Pitta and Kapha you have been born with and which are the best
for you. Nothing misterious, just math. This is very easy to find out just
knowing the day and place of birth. There are plenty of websites that give
you the birth chart for free. The future interpretation of your destiny
needs a lot of knowledge, but position of the planets is given and
invariable. That allows us to know our Dosha-passport, we came to this
world with. And this is interesting to know, that exactly this
constitution and body type allow us to fulfil our mission for this life.
For example Sun in Virgo means 5 points for Vata, Venus in Leo – 3 for
Pitta and so on. I am talking here about Vedic astrology (Jotish).
Other Ayurvedic doctors find out prakriti when analizing questionnaire,
when patient answers the same question twice: first, what is true for the
current moment, and when how it was / is the most part of one’s life.
Some other can identify prakriti by pulse.
But all of Ayurvedic professionals can see your prakriti just looking at
you, and listening to how you talk and what you are saying.
Thanks for an awesome question.I might pubsish our dialogue in my blog. 🙂
Larisa.