Jun 13, 20225 min read

SIX STAGES OF DISEASE IN AYURVEDA

Both health and disease are processes. Disease is the process of abnormal movement of the doshas, while health is the process of their normal functioning. Or to put it more simply, the disease process begins with a disorder of the dosha ratio. In Ayurveda we talk about the order in the body, but in the West, we say that we are healthy. When we say we are sick, Ayurveda speaks of disorder. Only the terminology is slightly different, but it characterizes the same state. When the body is under physical or mental stress for a long time, discomfort occurs at the physical level. Certain channels close and stop the flow of prana and nutrients.

There are six stages of the disease:

1. Accumulation Due to various causes such as diet, weather, seasons or emotions, doshas begin to accumulate in their homes. Vata in the large intestine, pitta in the small intestine and kapha in the stomach. This is the easiest stage at which we can already treat the emerging problem. We experience the accumulation of vata as constipation, abdominal bloating, or gas in the large intestine. We feel the enlarged pitta as a fever around the navel or we recognize it by a slightly yellowish tint in the whites of the eyes (sclera) or by dark yellow urine. Such person will be very hungry and will crave sweets. The accumulated kapha leads to a feeling of heaviness, loss of appetite and lethargy or inactivity.

At this stage, a person is still quite healthy. When dosha begins to accumulate, the body's intelligence will generate resistance to the causative factor and look for opposite qualities that can restore balance.

2. Deterioration The enlarged dosha still accumulates in its home. These accumulated doshas try to move from their seats. Kapha tries to get into the lungs, pitta in the stomach and vata in the hips. Excess pitta manifests itself as heartburn, increased kapha as mucus, as a result, a cough is triggered, and vata will cause pain in the hips.

3. Dissemination The dosha begins to move out of its home, overflowing the bloodstream and looking for a place to enter. At this point, the disease crosses the point where the mere elimination of the causes will not be sufficient. A panchakarma or other basic regimen is needed to detoxify the body so that the doshas can return to their homes.

4. Localization The exacerbated dosha enters a weakened or damaged organ, tissue or system due to previous trauma, genetic predisposition, accumulated stress, suppressed emotions or other environmental causes. These weakened areas in the body can be described as negative locations, like holes in the road. The newly arrived dosha creates confusion in the cellular intelligence of weaker tissues and overwhelms them, thus altering their normal properties and functions. Changes occur in the structure and function of some tissue. In this way, the "seeds" of the disease begin to sprout.

5. Manifestation At this stage, qualitative changes are observed. Signs and symptoms of a particular disease appear on the surface, and the person becomes ill. It can be the lungs, liver, joints, heart or brain. The disease is expressed in the area of the affected tissue.

6. Chronicity (or Disruption) The pathological process is in full swing, and the disease is fully expressed. Structural changes and complications occur in other organs, tissues and systems. It is most difficult to treat this stage of disease.

Treatment and restoration of balance and normal functioning is much easier in the early stages. It is more effective to treat diseases at the seed stage, before the latter sprouts and grows.

Ayurveda uses panchakarma and other purification programs to eliminate the amo - toxins from the body. In addition, it has rich pharmacology, which uses thousands of drugs for treatment, many of which are herbal. In addition to herbal therapies, crystals, metals and colors are also used. Classical Ayurvedic records - Charaka Samhita, claim that all substances found in nature have medicinal value when used in the right way. The purpose of these drugs is to balance the imbalanced factors into harmony once again. The purpose of Ayurvedic medicine is to eradicate the disease, not just eliminate the causes and signs of the disease.

Our kitchen can be a home pharmacy because most herbs, spices and other foods carry a record for healing in themselves. These are ashwaganda, trifala, neem, aloe vera, cinnamon, honey, garlic, onion, mustard, gotu kola, ginger, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, castor oil, baking soda ...

However, when the disease is in full swing, Ayurveda takes advantage of the healing properties of metals, crystals and stones, in addition to using herbs as medicines. Ayurveda teaches that everything that exists is surrounded by the energy of Universal Consciousness. All forms of matter are simply an external representation of this energy. Prana, the life force, flows from this universal energy, which is the essence of everything. Physical performance depends on cosmic influences as well as on the spiritual and mental state of the individual. All metals have extraordinary healing energy. Heavy metals such as mercury, gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc are used in the treatment. However, even pure metals can contain certain impurities that are toxic to organs such as the kidneys, liver, spleen and heart. Therefore, Ayurvedic tradition prescribes certain methods for their purification. The metal is heated and treated with oil, cow urine, milk, ghee, whey or sour cereal porridge. These ancient methods achieve much finer purification than chemical procedures and allow tissues in the body to receive the influence of metal without the effects of toxins.

Bilka Baloh is an independent researcher and a counselor for a healthy and balanced diet, a scholar of Ayurveda, a lecturer and mentor for therapeutic fasting. She is committed to mountains, climbing, yoga, and meditation. She is a visionary who sets her goals high. Her life motto is " Never give up!” She believes that there are no coincidences and that everything in the universe is “on the key.” That life is a predetermined plan we receive at birth and cannot be avoided.

“But we can partially amend it, improve it – by a healthy lifestyle and by ethically sound action towards fellow human beings, animals, nature, and the whole creation. Working on personal development is a healing of past wounds as well as a remedy because all diseases derive from unresolved conflicts that are deeply rooted in our subconsciousness. When we make them aware, when we express our fears, repressed feelings, anger, and distress, we do not only redeem ourselves but also redeem our loved ones. And the key we are all looking for is love for ourselves.''

With inner light and sound...