Prakriti

In 1866, Gregor Mendel revolutionized the understanding of genetic inheritance by test crossing many different varieties of peas. This discovery fueled the quest for further enhanced understanding of genetics, leading to more discoveries in turn. However, a few questions still remained unanswered — like why doesn't one medicine work for everyone? More than 100,000 people die each year from adverse responses to medications that may be beneficial to others. Another 2.2 million experience serious reactions, while others fail to respond at all. Why are a few people allergic to some foods and medicines? Why do some people remain thin throughout their lifetime while others have a tendency to become obese?

Ayurveda offers a unique approach — Prakriti — for classifying the whole population so as to provide an individualistic approach to health. The concept of Prakriti is unique in terms of its psychosomatic approach. The Prakriti of an individual is determined by the predominance of Dosha (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) in one's body. There are seven types of Prakriti, based on the predominance of one dosha, two doshas, or all the doshas in equilibrium. The predominance of a dosha gives rise to a peculiar type of physical constitution and psychic temperament, which remains so throughout the life of an individual. Any change in the Prakriti is a sign of an imminent death of an individual.

Significance of Prakriti Determination

Prakriti determines one's susceptibility to various diseases. For example, a person of Vata Prakriti is more prone to diseases arising from aggravation of Vata Dosha, viz. arthritis, cracked feet, numbness in the body, paraplegia, tachycardia, insomnia, anxiety disorders, etc. A Pitta Prakriti individual may contract diseases arising due to aggravation of Pitta Dosha, viz. psoriasis, jaundice, stomatitis, hyperacidity, conjunctivitis, etc. Similarly, Kapha Prakriti individuals are susceptible to diseases like anorexia, excessive sleep, indigestion, atherosclerosis, obesity, urticaria, etc.

The knowledge of Prakriti also enables one to design an individualistic lifestyle that will prevent the origin of diseases in the body. For example, a Vata Prakriti person should not take Vata-aggravating dietetics. Prakriti also indicates the prognosis of diseases and the most suited treatment modalities, leading to an enhanced level of drug efficacy.