Vata dosha

Vata dosha

This is the Dosha with complete liberty for endless movements inside the body. This is the quotient of the movement of human body, because it is presenting the principal of the movement in universe- the Air (Vayu Mahabhoota). Nothing is moveable inside the body except the Vata Dosha, rest all traits inside the body are moveable due to the Vata Dosha alone so wherever there is some movement inside the body- that will be all due to the Vata Dosha. This movement might be that gross as movement of the food stuff inside the human body and this might be that subtle as movements of micronutrients through pores of a cell membrane- doesn’t matter what sized of things and traits are moved inside the body- everything will be moved by the Vata Dosha, alone.

All the senses or perceptions inside the body are also part of the movement. Once we look at something- this sensation should move to the brain for interpretation and analysis and this movement is also done by Vata. So this is the reason Vata is also known as “Gyan”- the knowledge.

These movements, all kind of, should be controlled and directed in right direction when these movements are normal and directed well this condition is known as health. When these movements are misdirected and irregular the condition will represent the diseases. Here are some of the examples of the diseases related to the movements:

Excessive Movements:

Excessive/ Uncontrolled and movements of the fluids and food in GIT represents Diarrhea, Irritable bowel Syndrome and conditions alike.

When these uncontrolled movements occur in muscles: this is known as Parkinsonism/ Tremors / Movements and Gait Disorders.

Lesser Movements:

When movements of the Intestines are low: this will cause Constipation!

Nerves are when slow to carry the impulses to the desired location this will be known as Alzheimer’s Diseases and all other similar diseases.

No movements at all:

Paralysis!! This is the result of no movements inside the body, when there are no movements inside the body- this will be known as Paralysis and we can find example of the paralysis in all systems of the body.

Due to this basic nature of the Vata, there are certain properties of the Vata, which define rest of its activities inside the body and these are-

Vata (Vayu + Akash) properties	description
Light	Movement means- burn of energy! Burn of energy means the consumption of the stored foods and result will be the lightness! Secondly, if you want to fly/move always you should be light enough to do so. This is the second factor which decides the lightness of the Vata! Air (Vayu Mahabhoota) is the main principle and air has weight but comparatively not that much, so is Vata.
Cold	Whenever there is a movement the temperature regulation is done. With the movement the heat energy contained in the body is dissipated thus giving cooler effect in comparison.
Dry	It is the main post-effect of all types of movements. Whenever, wherever there will be movement, there will be friction and this friction will be leading to the dryness of the moving parts. These moving parts might be the tiers of a vehicle or your joints!
Rough	Movements bring—Dryness and dryness results in the roughness. This is the reason why in case of Vata diseases like osteoarthritis- there will be rough surfaces of the bones. This roughness is the result of one more passive activity of the Vata, as discussed above- Vata consumes the fats for production of the energy to move. Fats give oiliness and that oiliness gives us the smoothness. Once there is no smoothness- that condition will be known as roughness. There is nothing perfect and perfect smooth- everything can be counted in terms of relativity only.
Subtle	Vata is capable for the movement on the subtlest level of the body and governs these movements. This is only possible for a thing with subtleness to do so. If we talk about knowledge- that again is the subtlest form of the movement, it is too subtle to record under a microscope. We can see the results of the movements; even we are not able to see these movements to happen.
Mobile	Since it is having air element in predominance, vata dosha shows the character of movement.

The main reservoirs or pre eminent locations of the vata dosha are –

Main location – large intestine

Main dhatu or location in tissue – Asthi (bones and cartilages)

Other locations are – hips, thighs, ears and skin.

The 5 types of vata doshas are also known as the five Pranas,  which are as follows-

s. no.	Type of vata	Seat	Functional area	Functions
1	Prana Vata	head	Head , throat, chest	Supports mind, heart, sense organs and intelligence. Expectoration, sneezing, belching, inspiration and swallowing of food.
2	Udana Vata	chest	Nose, throat, umbilicus	Initiation of speech, effort, enthusiasm, strength, color and memory.
3	Vyana Vata	heart	All over the body	Walking, bringing the body parts downwards, lifting the body upwards, opening and closing of eyes etc. Generally all activities concerned to the body.
4	Samana Vata	Agni / navel	Kostha i.e. GIT (Gastro- Intestinal Tract)	Keeps the food in the alimentary tract for some time, cooks, separates the essence and waste and eliminates.
5	Apana Vata	pelvis	Waist, bladder, genitals, and thighs	Elimination of semen, menstrual fluid, feces, urine and fetus.

Prana – prana is not only the air that we breathe; we also get prana from the food we eat, water we drink and from “agni”. Thus the prana we breathe is only incidental.

Prana vayu brings life and vitality to our cells, our tissues and our thoughts. Prana is the regulator of all physiological functions and maintains our balance and equilibrium. Imbalances of Prana often result in nervous system disorders.

v  Among the five types of Vata, Prana and Apana are two most important Vayus in the body. Among them Prana moves in and out of the body through inhalation and exhalation; whereas Apana remains seated within the body without any movement. Prana and Apana are inter-related. One is depending on the other. The function of prana is in upward direction and that of Apana is the downwards direction. They control each other. Like a kite is maintained on a tight leash by a person playing with it, and is released and held back. Similarly prana moves in and out of the body under the control of the Apana. Such can be seen in the case of Heart Attack ( MI).

v  The functions of all other vayus are based on the Prana and Apana . Yogis do the practice of Pranayam , which means the union ( control) of the prana and apana, and not just the Prana. “Moola bandha” is used to bring the apana upwards , while “Jalandhar bandha” is used to press the prana downwards and thus bring the prana and apana closer to each other.