Ayurvedic concept of immunity is a fascinating topic, covering the different factors that guarantee a balanced physical state.
Vyaadhiksamatva (Sanskrit), which translates into resistance against diseases, is the Ayurvedic term for immunity.
It covers both physical and mental aspects of immunity.
It also has the guidelines to maintain a balanced state that guarantees prevention against diseases and recovery from diseases.
Vyaadhiksamatva (immunity) is the total capacity of the body to prevent diseases of all kinds.
It is about keeping in balance all the three doshas and dhatus so that diseases stay away from the person.
Ayurveda doesn't have recommendations against specific diseases or conditions.
It is all about keeping the physical constituents and bio energies in balance, so that the body will always have the resistance against diseases of various kinds.
Food, lifestyle, etc all have effects on one's immunity.
Bala or strength is another term used in connection with immunity.
It is about the physical strength of the person.
This strength is responsible for the development and functioning of muscles.
It also keeps in good condition the sensory and motor nerves, mind, etc.
Good voice, complexion, good reflexes, physical strength, good digestion, etc are other symptoms of good bala.
Immunity in Ayurveda is not just about prevention against different diseases, but also about strengthening the body to fight the diseases that have already attacked the body.
The medications, food & lifestyle restrictions, etc are all aimed at strengthening body functions.
Anyone can observe the different levels of immunity in any different community or families.
The persons exposed to similar conditions like dust, temperature, etc will exhibit varying levels of resistance against diseases like cough, common cold, etc.
While all the persons are exposed to similar kinds of pathogens, only a few persons develop diseases.
You can easily say the persons who have exhibited resistance against diseases have higher levels of immunity while others have lowered levels of immunity.
Ayurveda explains this condition as the loss of balanced state of the body.
The balanced state is not easily altered for healthy persons, while for others, it is easy to fall in diseases.
The same kind of pathogens like bacteria, but different effects on different persons - it explains the concept of immunity well.
The overall health of the person, his/her tissues (dhatus) and the balanced state of doshas determine the immunity of the person.
Ojas is an Ayurvedic concept, which doesn't have any parallels in allopathic medicine.
It is the essential vital energy present in all cells and tissues.
It permeates the whole body and fills the vacant spaces.
It is the essence of all the tissues combined together, it determines the immune status of the person.
When the ojas is weak, the person is more prone to diseases, while a person with strong ojas will be resistant against all kinds of diseases.
According to Ayurveda scriptures, Ojas is of two kinds - Para and Apara.
Para Ojas is identified as eight drops located within the heart, the loss of which leads to death.
Apara Ojas is spread across the body, the loss of which causes ailments to the body.
The factors that strengthen Ojas include regular healthy lifestyle, wholesome food, regular exercise, good mental condition, etc.
The opposite can lead to loss of Ojas, which leads to suffering in the form of various ailments.
People who have weak Ojas or have their Ojas lost succumb to various diseases.
However, this Ojas is not an easy topic explain.
You can see people who lead a healthy lifestyle, eat wholesome food, yet suffering from different conditions.
You can also see people eating irregularly, taking no exercise, yet not suffering from any kind of diseases.
Ayurveda concept of immunity takes the most interesting twists and turns from this point.
You need to explain various factors that facilitate maintenance or destruction of Ojas, the vital energy responsible for immunity.
Ayurveda considers the factors like karma, reluctance to change lifestyle according to changes in seasons, beliefs, thoughts, mental conditioning, social conduct, exposure to wrong persons or situations, etc while describing the concept of immunity.
These are all factors that have direct control over the immunity of a person and his/her ability to cope with changes.
Ayurveda identifies three types of immunity - Sahaja, Kalaja and Yuktikruta.
1.
Sahaja: Congenital or Natural 2.
Kalaja: Time, Season, Age 3.
Yuktikruta: Acquired Sahaja (Congenital or natural) - this type strength or immunity against diseases is inherited from parents.
There is not much anyone can do to enhance or weaken the Ojas.
However, persons with weak immunity can maintain strength, if the proper guidelines for healthy lifestyle are followed.
Kalaja (Age & Season) - young people will have higher levels of resistance against diseases, while children and people of old age are more prone to diseases.
Everyone will have higher levels of immunity or physical strength during seasons like spring, as against seasons like monsoon or summer.
Ayurveda also takes into account the time of the day and the season in which a person is born.
Another significantly important Ayurvedic concept of immunity is the effect of the place where a person is born and brought up.
Places with abundance of water bodies and pleasant climate will have persons with high levels of immunity.
Yuktikruta (Acquired or Learned) - people can develop their immunity by practicing good lifestyle, right food habits, exercise, meditation, preventive healthcare and modifying lifestyle according to seasonal variations.
The different factors that affect immunity include exercise, food and preventive medicines.
Vyayama (exercise) - daily exercise according to one's capacity can improve immunity by enabling better digestion and strengthening of organs and organ systems.
Rasayana chikitsa is preventive healthcare measure, aimed at strengthening the physique of the person.
Certain herbs are used to revitalize the cells and tissues of the individual.
Another thing to consider about immunity is the mental strength of the person.
A person with good willpower and mental strength can face major illnesses as minor ones and he/she can easily get out of the diseases or conditions.
Yoga meditation is one method of disengaging your mind from worldly tribulations and uniting it with the center of the universe.
It can bring in greater sense of self awareness, it also enhances Ojas, the vital energy responsible for immunity.
Certain choices in food and lifestyle can also determine the immunity of an individual.
Everyone falls into specific food and lifestyle choices, which may or may not be healthy.
Such things can be classified into three - Universally Beneficial, Universally Harmful, Beneficial or Harmful.
Drinking fresh water and having regular night time sleep are beneficial for everyone, eating food items of contradicting characters, irregular sleeping patterns, etc can lead to loss of immunity.
There are things that are harmful for everyone, while things that are (in most times) beneficial for everyone.
There are also exercise patterns that are beneficial for a group of persons, while it is harmful for another group.
There are also food items that are good for people with specific constitution, while they cause diseases in others.
Food can also be good or bad according to the season and time of the day someone is taking it.
Ayurvedic concept of immunity is a curious one and some of the factors listed below may not go well with everyone.
Health of mother - the health condition of the mother during conceiving and child bearing can determine the strength of immunity of an individual.
A healthy uterus can bear a healthy child.
Equally important is the nourishment a pregnant woman gets before, during and after conceiving and child bearing.
Nutrition after birth - babies that get adequate nutrition during early days of infancy will grow into healthy individuals with strong immunity.
Physical Constitution (Dosha type) of the person - Kapha type individuals are least prone to disease, while Vata type individuals are most prone to diseases of various kinds.
Mental Constitution - a strong mind with positive thoughts has strong positive vibrations, which can help in developing and strengthening his/her immunity.
Practitioners of medicine from across the world bear testimony to this, irrespective of the type of medicine they practice.
Karma - sometimes persons choosing healthy lifestyle choices too can fall ill.
The reason is attributed to the influence of Karma.
The law of Karma states that what you send across will come around.
The diseases can be due to bad karma you have performed in this life or in any of the previous births.
Rasayanas to Enhance Immunity There are several herbs and herbal formulations that can develop and enhance your immunity.
Rasayana formulations are all a great combination of vehicles, assimilators, antidotes, etc.
Rasayanas of various kinds are the primary means of enhancing one's immunity.
The type of rasayana is determined according to the physical constitution, age and other factors of the person.
The aim of rasayanas is to ensure physical strength to fight diseases of all kinds and not against any one particular disease.
Here is a parallel between vaccination and rasayana chikitsa - while vaccination ensures immunity against a specific disease, rasayana ensures better physical strength to ensure vitality for the whole body.
The common types of compound rasayanas include Chyavanaprash, Balasava, etc.
Single herb rasayanas include herbs like Ashwagandha, Satavari, Garlic, Gooseberry, Licorice, etc.
There are also certain single herb rasayanas like Brahmi, which are aimed at ensuring the better functioning of mind.
Thus you have seen the different angles in which Ayurveda approaches immunity.
While some factors are under one's control, others are not.
It is beneficial to have a deep knowledge on the working of immunity.
Vyaadhiksamatva (Sanskrit), which translates into resistance against diseases, is the Ayurvedic term for immunity.
It covers both physical and mental aspects of immunity.
It also has the guidelines to maintain a balanced state that guarantees prevention against diseases and recovery from diseases.
Vyaadhiksamatva (immunity) is the total capacity of the body to prevent diseases of all kinds.
It is about keeping in balance all the three doshas and dhatus so that diseases stay away from the person.
Ayurveda doesn't have recommendations against specific diseases or conditions.
It is all about keeping the physical constituents and bio energies in balance, so that the body will always have the resistance against diseases of various kinds.
Food, lifestyle, etc all have effects on one's immunity.
Bala or strength is another term used in connection with immunity.
It is about the physical strength of the person.
This strength is responsible for the development and functioning of muscles.
It also keeps in good condition the sensory and motor nerves, mind, etc.
Good voice, complexion, good reflexes, physical strength, good digestion, etc are other symptoms of good bala.
Immunity in Ayurveda is not just about prevention against different diseases, but also about strengthening the body to fight the diseases that have already attacked the body.
The medications, food & lifestyle restrictions, etc are all aimed at strengthening body functions.
Anyone can observe the different levels of immunity in any different community or families.
The persons exposed to similar conditions like dust, temperature, etc will exhibit varying levels of resistance against diseases like cough, common cold, etc.
While all the persons are exposed to similar kinds of pathogens, only a few persons develop diseases.
You can easily say the persons who have exhibited resistance against diseases have higher levels of immunity while others have lowered levels of immunity.
Ayurveda explains this condition as the loss of balanced state of the body.
The balanced state is not easily altered for healthy persons, while for others, it is easy to fall in diseases.
The same kind of pathogens like bacteria, but different effects on different persons - it explains the concept of immunity well.
The overall health of the person, his/her tissues (dhatus) and the balanced state of doshas determine the immunity of the person.
Ojas is an Ayurvedic concept, which doesn't have any parallels in allopathic medicine.
It is the essential vital energy present in all cells and tissues.
It permeates the whole body and fills the vacant spaces.
It is the essence of all the tissues combined together, it determines the immune status of the person.
When the ojas is weak, the person is more prone to diseases, while a person with strong ojas will be resistant against all kinds of diseases.
According to Ayurveda scriptures, Ojas is of two kinds - Para and Apara.
Para Ojas is identified as eight drops located within the heart, the loss of which leads to death.
Apara Ojas is spread across the body, the loss of which causes ailments to the body.
The factors that strengthen Ojas include regular healthy lifestyle, wholesome food, regular exercise, good mental condition, etc.
The opposite can lead to loss of Ojas, which leads to suffering in the form of various ailments.
People who have weak Ojas or have their Ojas lost succumb to various diseases.
However, this Ojas is not an easy topic explain.
You can see people who lead a healthy lifestyle, eat wholesome food, yet suffering from different conditions.
You can also see people eating irregularly, taking no exercise, yet not suffering from any kind of diseases.
Ayurveda concept of immunity takes the most interesting twists and turns from this point.
You need to explain various factors that facilitate maintenance or destruction of Ojas, the vital energy responsible for immunity.
Ayurveda considers the factors like karma, reluctance to change lifestyle according to changes in seasons, beliefs, thoughts, mental conditioning, social conduct, exposure to wrong persons or situations, etc while describing the concept of immunity.
These are all factors that have direct control over the immunity of a person and his/her ability to cope with changes.
Ayurveda identifies three types of immunity - Sahaja, Kalaja and Yuktikruta.
1.
Sahaja: Congenital or Natural 2.
Kalaja: Time, Season, Age 3.
Yuktikruta: Acquired Sahaja (Congenital or natural) - this type strength or immunity against diseases is inherited from parents.
There is not much anyone can do to enhance or weaken the Ojas.
However, persons with weak immunity can maintain strength, if the proper guidelines for healthy lifestyle are followed.
Kalaja (Age & Season) - young people will have higher levels of resistance against diseases, while children and people of old age are more prone to diseases.
Everyone will have higher levels of immunity or physical strength during seasons like spring, as against seasons like monsoon or summer.
Ayurveda also takes into account the time of the day and the season in which a person is born.
Another significantly important Ayurvedic concept of immunity is the effect of the place where a person is born and brought up.
Places with abundance of water bodies and pleasant climate will have persons with high levels of immunity.
Yuktikruta (Acquired or Learned) - people can develop their immunity by practicing good lifestyle, right food habits, exercise, meditation, preventive healthcare and modifying lifestyle according to seasonal variations.
The different factors that affect immunity include exercise, food and preventive medicines.
Vyayama (exercise) - daily exercise according to one's capacity can improve immunity by enabling better digestion and strengthening of organs and organ systems.
Rasayana chikitsa is preventive healthcare measure, aimed at strengthening the physique of the person.
Certain herbs are used to revitalize the cells and tissues of the individual.
Another thing to consider about immunity is the mental strength of the person.
A person with good willpower and mental strength can face major illnesses as minor ones and he/she can easily get out of the diseases or conditions.
Yoga meditation is one method of disengaging your mind from worldly tribulations and uniting it with the center of the universe.
It can bring in greater sense of self awareness, it also enhances Ojas, the vital energy responsible for immunity.
Certain choices in food and lifestyle can also determine the immunity of an individual.
Everyone falls into specific food and lifestyle choices, which may or may not be healthy.
Such things can be classified into three - Universally Beneficial, Universally Harmful, Beneficial or Harmful.
Drinking fresh water and having regular night time sleep are beneficial for everyone, eating food items of contradicting characters, irregular sleeping patterns, etc can lead to loss of immunity.
There are things that are harmful for everyone, while things that are (in most times) beneficial for everyone.
There are also exercise patterns that are beneficial for a group of persons, while it is harmful for another group.
There are also food items that are good for people with specific constitution, while they cause diseases in others.
Food can also be good or bad according to the season and time of the day someone is taking it.
Ayurvedic concept of immunity is a curious one and some of the factors listed below may not go well with everyone.
Health of mother - the health condition of the mother during conceiving and child bearing can determine the strength of immunity of an individual.
A healthy uterus can bear a healthy child.
Equally important is the nourishment a pregnant woman gets before, during and after conceiving and child bearing.
Nutrition after birth - babies that get adequate nutrition during early days of infancy will grow into healthy individuals with strong immunity.
Physical Constitution (Dosha type) of the person - Kapha type individuals are least prone to disease, while Vata type individuals are most prone to diseases of various kinds.
Mental Constitution - a strong mind with positive thoughts has strong positive vibrations, which can help in developing and strengthening his/her immunity.
Practitioners of medicine from across the world bear testimony to this, irrespective of the type of medicine they practice.
Karma - sometimes persons choosing healthy lifestyle choices too can fall ill.
The reason is attributed to the influence of Karma.
The law of Karma states that what you send across will come around.
The diseases can be due to bad karma you have performed in this life or in any of the previous births.
Rasayanas to Enhance Immunity There are several herbs and herbal formulations that can develop and enhance your immunity.
Rasayana formulations are all a great combination of vehicles, assimilators, antidotes, etc.
Rasayanas of various kinds are the primary means of enhancing one's immunity.
The type of rasayana is determined according to the physical constitution, age and other factors of the person.
The aim of rasayanas is to ensure physical strength to fight diseases of all kinds and not against any one particular disease.
Here is a parallel between vaccination and rasayana chikitsa - while vaccination ensures immunity against a specific disease, rasayana ensures better physical strength to ensure vitality for the whole body.
The common types of compound rasayanas include Chyavanaprash, Balasava, etc.
Single herb rasayanas include herbs like Ashwagandha, Satavari, Garlic, Gooseberry, Licorice, etc.
There are also certain single herb rasayanas like Brahmi, which are aimed at ensuring the better functioning of mind.
Thus you have seen the different angles in which Ayurveda approaches immunity.
While some factors are under one's control, others are not.
It is beneficial to have a deep knowledge on the working of immunity.
SHARE
