What is Prakruti in Ayurveda?

Prakruti is a term in Ayurveda that reflects human essence or nature.

Prakuti explains the essence of each individual, which is set at birth and is unique.

Without comparing people, because for Ayurveda everyone is a divine creation, Prakruti explains the differences between them.

Prakruti
Visible differences – physical, mental, in mental activity – exist even between people who have developed under the same circumstances, traditions and culture.
Ayurveda perceives these differences as normal conditions, which are explained by the Doshas and their typical common character traits:
• Vata are emotional and sensitive, but often fickle;
• Pitta are pragmatists, usually assertive and easily “go on fire”;
• Kapha are calmer, slower and prone to inertia.
None of these qualities are defined by Ayurveda as good or bad – they are simply different givens.

Thus, prakruti is actually a comprehensive concept of self-awareness of individual characteristics as something unique and defining our needs.

This has a direct bearing on lifestyle guidelines and maintaining health as a unity of body, psyche and mental activity.

Self-discovery and development – the main goal of prakruti

Prakruti is a concept that aims at self-awareness and self-knowledge through self-observation of body processes.

This helps to adapt to changes in the environment and maintain balance with the natural processes, cycles and energies that underlie human health.

Self-awareness is a prerequisite for a person to walk their path and reach Moksha – a higher level of consciousness in which the Divine principle is realized.

And vice versa – if a person does not realize their essence, they makes mistakes in their way of life, and these lead to virkruti – disturbance of balances in prakruti.

From there, the various diseases – of the body and of the spirit – which mutually influence each other, begin.

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The guidelines for following nature’s prescribed prakruti include:
Appropriate behavior at the change of seasons.
Following the daily natural cycles.
Complete daily regime – personal hygiene, work, rest, spiritual activities and sleep.
The appropriate foods and the way we eat, serving to prevent diseases.
One must not just understand one’s personal prakruti energy state, but must also realize it.

Then they get motivation, including to mobilize when treatment is necessary.

What are the categories of prakruti?

Various significant factors are considered in prakruti.

Among the main ones are the universal energies from which everything in the universe is built, destroyed or transformed, according to the set universal balance.

On this basis, we can speak of five categories according to which element has a dominant influence in the body:

• With Prutvi this is Earth;
Jala corresponds to Water;
Vayu corresponds to the element of Air;
• With a strong dominance of the Ether element, we have Akash,
• And Agni – if the Fire element prevails with its qualities.

If we take the Doshas as our starting point, the different Prakruti are according to the dominant energies in the body.

Doshas
As is known, they are mainly three – Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which also determines the prakruti of the same name, but two of the energies can also dominate.
Then the prakruti is also according to the respective dosha determined by the given combination of Vata-Pitta, Pitta-Vata, Vata-Kapha, Kapha-Vata, etc. There is also an option for the influence all three types of energies.

Maintaining prakruti is critical to health

The determination of prakruti of the given person is of crucial importance for their health.

On the basis of prakruti as a state of energy balance in the body, the following are defined:

• The body type
• The stronger and the more vulnerable parts of the body
• Predisposition to certain diseases
• Temperament and attitudes
• Harmful and healthy foods
• Way of eating
• Appropriate and inappropriate medications, etc.

In fact, this is how the healthy lifestyle for a person is determined, which will protect them from diseases.

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Usually, due to conditions and lifestyle, prakruti is not preserved in an absolutely pure form.
Therefore, there is also a definition of “vikriti” – current state of energy balances.

What follows as a process is:
• If in vikriti there is a significant disturbance of the naturally set balances, an unnatural state and confusion of the functions of various organs in the body is reached.
• Since the organs are connected in interdependent systems – the disruption of their functions leads to disease of the whole organism.
• Therefore, the goal is for the current state – vikriti – to come as close as possible to the ideal prakruti pattern for the given person.

• The best option is for prakuti and vikriti to become the same – this is how ideal health and activity is achieved until old age. For Ayurveda, an active 120-year-old life is realistically achievable.
• Therefore, it is necessary for a person to know their naturally assigned body type and to adapt their lifestyle to it.

According to Ayurveda, diseases arise precisely because of a disturbed balance of the Doshas – the increase of one at the expense of another or others.

If prakruti is known, it will be possible to restore the normal balance in the body, one will be able to foresee the body’s vulnerabilities and to protect from them.

Determination of prakruti

For the safe and accurate determination of prakruti, it is best to consult an Ayurvedic specialist.

Firstly, because multiple signs for the various combinations have to be systematized and compared.

And secondly, because an inexperienced person would easily be misled by current characteristics of vikritis, which should also be taken into account.

There are some more characteristic features that can improve the understanding of the main types of prakruti.

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Vata prakruti

• In Vata prakruti, the body is thin and the height is either quite tall or relatively short.
• The bones and fingers are also thin and light, while the neck is thin as well.
• The forehead is narrow and the skin is relatively dark – as if with a sun tan.
• Hair is dry, hard and dark, especially in childhood – in curls.
• When gaining weight, fat deposits are concentrated in the waist.
• All these marks are characteristic since childhood.

Pitta prakruti

• In Pitta prakruti, the body is well built without being large – rather medium, it can be defined as athletic.
• Bones, fingers and neck can also be defined as “medium”.
• Weight gain is distributed evenly throughout the body.
• The skin is relatively pale, often has freckles, is vulnerable to the sun.
• The hair is light and thin, in childhood – markedly blond.

Kapha prakruti

• A person with Kapha prakruti is large, even plump, with massive jaws and a thick neck.
• The forehead is broad, the bones are dense and heavy, and the fingers are relatively short.
• Fat accumulations are mainly in the thigh area.
• Skin tone is even.
• The hair is thick, heavy and wavy, especially in the childhood years, which are also characterized by fullness.
In general, people are hardly objective in their judgments about themselves.

Therefore, if you still decide to navigate your prakruti state without specialized help, it is good to seek the opinion of relatives and friends who know you well.

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