When the winds of thought becomes still your true identity is revealed directly.

1.      Drastuh – direct perception
2.      Svarupe – SELF
3.      Rupa – the essence of an object. Nama rupa.
4.      Swarupa – to live within or remain established within in a deep knowledge of one’s self or essence.

The Cause of Disease

If we guide our lives not from our internal intelligence but based on the external stimuli around us, then we begin to believe that something besides our deepest nature will bring us happiness. When we become imbalanced this is called “Vikriti.” Vikriti or imbalance can arise because of disturbances within the doshas. Prior to these disturbances is the primordial cause of disease. This is internal and it is called Pragna parad. Pragna parad is when we over identify with the needs of the body and mind and lose track of the meaning and purpose that connects us with the root of our life and our soul. This desire leads to stress. Stress is now considered by medical science as the primary cause of disease. Stress is created when our external desires are unfulfilled.

Our choices are a result of our cravings and aversions to external stimuli. This desire and fear creates a groove in the mind that limits our responsiveness to situations. As we are constantly hustling to try and receive more pleasure and reduce pain we can’t see the big picture of our lives and our choices are limited to only a few options. Each one of us will have a unique way in which we react to stress based on our elemental makeup. The three primary ways to respond to stress are fight, flight, and freeze. These short sighted responses would never arise if the connection to our soul had not been broken. This cause of disease comes from within in that we have created disease by not honoring our internal environment and connecting with what serves our highest good.

One additional cause of disease is the allurement of the senses. When we consciously choose bad food, bad water, and bad company or are exposed to trauma or an inappropriate climate, each of these factors can create imbalance from the outside in. Each one of these five factors disrupts the digestive fire which is the primal line of defense within the body that determines how we digest and process our external environment. Often you will hear that the heart of health lies in digestion and this is the reason why. By cultivating healthy digestion or Agni, our bodies and minds can easily adapt to the stress we are exposed to.

Ultimately Ayurveda aligns us with the underlying intelligence and energy of the body called prana. When we come into a deep relationship with the pranic intelligence we begin to respond to stress through the intelligence and are no longer caught by our beliefs, perceptions, and senses. This alignment with prana allows us to experience and recognize our own divinity. It is through this recognition of the soul that we become established in ourselves and resilient towards disease. Ayurveda cultivates and restores prana which is health promoting. By seeing the ways in which prana is obstructed in the body and mind we determine where disease may develop and we can maintain our health by restablishing the flow of prana.
 
The ultimate goal of Yoga is the same as Ayurveda in that the final aim is the recognition and establishment in our true selves. Then we come to know with certainty the truth that underlies all things.

Ayurvedic Definition of Health

The ayurvedic definition of health is composed of the root word sva- self and stha- established in. The common definition of Svastha is someone who
·        Is maintaining their Prakriti (physical and mental constitution)
·        Has balanced functions of Doshas, Agni, Dhatu, and Mala
·        Has clear thoughts, sharp sense organs, a calm and peaceful mind

The ultimate goal of svastha is to create individuals who are balanced who are constructive contributors to society and are keeping their communities and society healthy. Although the yogi/yogini may contribute to benefit of all beings their activities are less tangible in terms of community involvement. Svastha is often considered the realm of Ayurveda whereas svarupa is considered the ultimate goal of Yoga. Svarupa is when we are established in our divine self. These could be considered rungs on a ladder, but they often occur simultaneously.