it is the art of healthy living that embraces the body, mind and spirit. In order to make better use of the practical recommendations outlined later in this book, it will be useful for you to become familiar with the basics of Ayurvedic theory. This first chapter may seem somewhat abstract, but I ask you to be patient and read it carefully, as it forms the basis of everything that follows.

THE UNIVERSE AND HOW WE ARE RELATED TO IT
According to Ayurveda, the source of all things is the universal Cosmic Consciousness, which manifests itself in the form of male and female energy. Purusha, the masculine energy, is indifferent and passive pure awareness. Prakriti, the feminine energy, is active discriminating consciousness. Both Purusha and Prakriti are timeless and are eternal and immeasurable. These two energies are present in all living organisms, in every man and every woman, as well as in all inanimate objects.
Purusha has no form, he is beyond all qualities. Being unmanifested pure being, outside of cause and effect, space and time, Purusha does not take an active part in creation and remains a silent witness.
Prakriti, which has form, color and distinctive properties, is the divine creative will that performs the dance of creation. Prakriti is One that becomes many. Purusha is the lover and Prakriti is his beloved. The creation of this universe comes from their love. All nature is their child, born from the womb of Prakriti, the Divine Mother.
The first in the sequence of manifestation of nature from Prakriti is Mahat - the mind, or cosmic order. (Its counterpart in human beings is called buddhi, the intellect.) Next comes the ahamkara, or ego, the sense of self-identity, the center of our consciousness, from which we think, act, and react. Ahamkara expresses itself in three universal qualities (gunas):
Sattva - stability, purity, vigilance, essence, clarity and light.
Rajas is a dynamic movement that conditions sensations, feelings and emotions.
Tamas is a tendency towards inertia, darkness, ignorance and heaviness. Tamas is responsible for deep sleep and periods of confusion. It also leads to the creation of matter.
From Sattva are born the mind, the five senses and their corresponding organs (ears for hearing, skin for touching, eyes for seeing, tongue for tasting, and nose for smelling), as well as the five organs of activity: the mouth (for speaking).), arms, legs, reproductive and excretory organs.
Rajas is the active principle of the movement of both the sense organs and the organs of activity.
Tamas gives rise to five elements that form the basis of the material world - ether, air, fire, water and earth.
Man, a creation of the Cosmic Consciousness, is regarded as a microcosm of the Universe, a macrocosm. Everything that is in the universe is also present in human beings. Man is a miniature copy of nature.
THE FIVE ELEMENTS: THE BUILDINGS OF NATURE
The concept of the five elements is fundamental to Ayurveda. These five elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) are present in any matter, both organic and inorganic. Because the man is a microcosm of nature, these five elements also exist in him. Our psychic tendencies, our five senses, and various aspects of the functioning of our bodies are directly related to the five elements. According to Ayurveda, these five elements, beginning with ether (space), sequentially manifest from the pure, unified and unmanifested Cosmic Consciousness, which is the source of everything else.
Ether
Ether, который также называют пространством, является пустым, легким, тонким, пронизывающим все, вездесущим и всеохватывающим. It is universal, motionless and formless. Ether — это ядерная энергия. It arises when pure unmanifest consciousness begins to vibrate and is associated with sound and the sense of hearing. We need space to live, move, grow and communicate. Mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, abdomen, chest are body spaces. Psychically, space gives freedom, peace and expansion of consciousness, is responsible for love and compassion, as well as feelings of separation, isolation, emptiness, lack of ground underfoot, insecurity, anxiety and fear.
Air
Air является сухим, легким, ясным и подвижным. Being the second manifestation of consciousness, air moves in space. Air — это электрическая энергия — движение электрона вызывается элементом воздуха. It is devoid of form, but can be perceived by the sense of touch with which it is related. Being the principle of motion, air expresses itself in the movements of the muscles, the beating of the heart, and the expansion and contraction of the lungs. Sensory and nerve impulses move to and from the brain under the influence of the air principle, which is also responsible for breathing, digestion, bowel movement and waste disposal. The flow of thoughts, desires and will are also governed by the principle of air, which gives us feelings of happiness, freshness, joy and excitement. Along with ether, air is also responsible for fear, anxiety, uncertainty and nervousness.
Fire
Fire является горячим, сухим, быстрым, пронизывающим и светящимся. When the air begins to move, friction occurs, which creates heat or fire. Fire — это лучистая энергия. At the micro level, an atom radiates heat and light in the form of quantum waves. Fire активен и способен изменяться. In our planetary system, a source of fire and light the sun serves. In our body, the biological "fire" in the solar plexus regulates body temperature and metabolism - digestion, absorption and assimilation. Fire связан со светом и зрением. Fire — это разум. It is necessary for transformation, attention, comprehension, correct assessment, recognition and understanding. Fire также ответствен за гнев, ненависть, зависть, критичность, честолюбие и дух соперничества.
Water
The next manifestation of consciousness is that water is fluid, heavy, soft, viscous, cold, dense and binding. Water — это химическая энергия. Water связана с чувством вкуса: при отсутствии влажности язык не способен ощущать какой бы то ни было вкус. In the body, water exists in the form of blood plasma, intracellular fluid, serum, saliva, nasal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and sweat. It is essential for nourishment and for sustaining life—without it, the cells of the body cannot live. Water — это удовлетворение, любовь и сострадание, и она же порождает жажду, отеки и тучность.
Earth
Earth является тяжелой, твердой, шероховатой, прочной, плотной, медлительной и объемистой — самой массивной из пяти элементов. She is neither hot nor cold. Earth — это механическая, или физическая, энергия. According to Ayurveda, it is nothing but a crystallized or hardened consciousness. It gives the body strength, structure and stamina. All solid structures of the body (bones, cartilage, nails, teeth, hair and skin) come from the earth element. Earth связана с обонянием. It promotes indulgence, support, grounding, and growth. It also creates attachment, greed and depression, and its absence leads to "out of touch with reality."
In our body, the electrical energy of a neuron becomes the physical energy of muscle movement through a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical substance. In fact, all five elements are present at every level of the body. At the intracellular level, the cell membrane is the earth, cell vacuoles are space, the cytoplasm is water, nucleic acids and other chemical components of the cell are fire, and the movement of the cell is due to the active principle of air. Each cell also has a mind, intelligence and consciousness, due to which it performs recognition and choice. From of all possible nutrients in its environment, each cell chooses its own food - this choice reflects the work of its intelligence.
Both in the environment around us and within our bodies, the ratio and combination of these five elements is always inconsistent and varies depending on the season, weather, time of day and age of the individual. For the sake of health, and often just for the sake of survival, we have to constantly adapt to these changes through changes in what we eat, how we dress, where we live, and so on. This is an act of balancing, opposing elements to each other. We use solid earth to build houses, protecting ourselves from excess air, heat (fire) and water. We use fire to cook food (consisting of earth and water), etc.

THREE DOSHAS: VATA, PITTA AND KAPHA
These five elements combine with each other to form the three basic energies or functional principles that are present everywhere in varying degrees. Ether и воздух составляют вату. Fire и вода образуют pitta. Water и земля — капху.
In our bodies, these three doshas govern the physiological functions of the body. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are present in every cell, tissue and organ. When in balance, they create health. Being taken out of balance, they become the cause of the disease.
The doshas determine individual characteristics and preferences and influence everything we are and do, from our food choices to the way we communicate with other people. They govern the biological and mental processes of the body, mind and consciousness. They regulate the creation, maintenance, and destruction of body tissues, as well as the removal of waste products. In addition, they control our emotions. Being in balance, they give rise to such noble qualities as understanding, compassion and love. When the balance is disturbed under the influence of stress, malnutrition, environmental conditions or other factors, they can give rise to negative emotions: anger, fear and greed.
In Ayurveda, vata is considered as the bodily principle of air - the energy of movement. Pitta is the principle of fire, the energy of digestion and metabolism, while Kapha is the principle of water, the energy of lubrication and structure.
All people have all three doshas, ​​but one of them is usually primary or predominant, another is secondary, and the third is the least pronounced. In this way, each person has his own energy pattern, an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics, which makes up his constitution