In the early 70's Yoga in the west was in its infancy. As one Yoga teacher stated, when interviewed by Huffington Post: "It was a time when people confused yoga and yogurt".
Rasayana means the therapeutics, which promotes dhatus – tissues of body and increases strength and immunity against diseases. Charaka has divided the line of treatment in two types. One is to protect the health – promote tissues and increase defensive mechanism of the body in healthy individuals and second is to cure the diseases in ill individuals.
The value of any spiritual discipline can be measured by the degree to which it is capable of transforming not only one’s way of life but also one’s personality. In the current century, humanity pursues the physical sciences so as to master matter, but only the future will reveal whether we become matter’s master or slaves to technological convenience. Perhaps we will end up becoming more technologically sophisticated, but lacking the personal inner resources necessary to actualize our inherent divinity.
Now we shall try to understand which of the three humors in a given body is predominant, and which is imbalanced according to the natural Prakriti, or disposition. Dosha means body-mind disposition.
The indicators that Āyurveda utilizes in these tests include careful examinations of the pulse, urine, stool, tongue, eyes, facial luster, voice, and the texture of the skin. Now let us examine each of these in some detail.
Examination of the Pulse
The Yogi first strives to control the body, and thereafter proceeds to subdue the mind. His initial goal is to achieve a healthy body (Nirāmaya Deha), which is conducive to the practice of Yoga meditation. Thereafter, he strives to transcend such limitations as cold, heat, sleep, fatigue, thirst, and hunger.
Impure and aggravated conditions of Vāt, Pitt and Kaph have following characteristics.
1. Vāt Abnormalities
The primary indicators include the following:
Numerous research studies are now shedding an increasingly bright light on the dietary and lifestyle factors related to disease. Today, most physicians recognize the significance of poor diet in the development of top diseases causing death in modern societies including heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and strokes. Furthermore, health care costs continue to escalate to the point that drastic measures are now being taken in a number of countries across the globe.
1. Yam & Niyam
Those who intend to follow the path of spiritual enlightenment must first purify the body, mind, and heart; the tri-fold abode of Spirit. The first two limbs of Yoga help to achieve this goal by establishing a code of ethics that includes truthfulness, love, celibacy, honesty, simplicity, austerity, and devotion to God.
Karma, Gyan and Bhakti Yoga and its Compliancy With Patanjali’s Eight Fold Path of Ashtang Yoga
