"Manasa prakriti - Ayurveda Epigenetics: Why Vata, Pitta and Kapha cannot explain everything

Manasa prakriti - Ayurveda Epigenetics: Why Vata, Pitta and Kapha cannot explain everything
Dr. Hans H. Rhyner
Long before all kinds of trauma, prenatal, birth and later, our basic character is established. Taking this into account, using it, will bring us much faster and further than the constant struggle within us and with ourselves. Instead of letting others impose a predetermined image on you, you prefer to work with the potential that is already invested in you. Where do these forces within us come from? The version of Ayurveda is based on the concept that the subtle body (Manasa) leaves the gross body together with the soul (Purusha) at the time of death. The soul enables the spirit to continue to exist in a subtle state. In doing so, the important information relating to consciousness is retained and can unfold again in the next embodiment as character traits and abilities. Those who have nothing to do with the concepts of karma and reincarnation can fall back on the contemporary thesis of epigenetics. This is based on the assumption that innate character traits are derived from our ancestors and the environment in which they lived. In any case, nature has equipped us with a predetermined character tool. We have to learn to deal with it, learn to use it. This is exactly the purpose of determining the mental constitution (Manasa Prakriti).

I think it is time to pay more attention to this mental constitution, because especially in urbanized cultures the focus has shifted more from illness to psychosomatics and mental illness. Ayurvedic medicine has always relied on exact psychosomatic diagnosis and therapy. It only works if we take the psychic constitution into account.

In contrast to the physical constitution, where a healthy change is not possible, there is room for improvement in the mental constitution towards Sattva. This is possible because Sattva never has a pathogenic effect. An increase in the direction of Rajas and Tamas does. The classics distinguish between (a) constitutional Sattva, (b) appropriated Sattva and (c) temporary Sattva. The former is part of the basic structure of character, the latter has been appropriated over a long period of time and is maintained, the latter can only be maintained for a short period of time, for example during a meditation session.

I just had a new client. Every questionnaire she had filled out so far resulted in a Vata or Vatapitta constitution. This is definitely wrong. She has a clear pitta constitution. Why the difference? Because most questionnaires ask too many questions about psychological and emotional characteristics. This client has a very active and emotional mind. This is raja and this raja will mainly increase Vata on the physiological level. If this young woman now follows the dietary guidelines of Vata, she will become over-acidified and gain significant weight because of her Pitta constitution. Both of these factors will cause lasting damage to her health.