According to Maharishi Ayurveda, diseases arise from the weakening of defense powers in the body and the alteration of homeostatic mechanisms because the immune system is perfectly capable of defending the body against all external aggressions.
Maharishi Ayurveda enhances the body’s defense capabilities by strengthening the body as a whole. Disease arises when the body loses its natural ability to bring itself back into the state of well-being and self-regulation toward health.
Charaka considered factors that lead to the onset of the disease of which the most important is the error of the intellect or PRAGYAPARAD (from Sanskrit).
The individual who adopts a disordered lifestyle with an inordinate diet or characterized by indigestible, polluted or even toxic foods such as alcohol, smoking or drugs and who does not adapt to his or her own bodily rhythms, sleeping little skipping meals and working overtime or exerting efforts that are inadequate to one’s abilities and living for long periods in stressful emotional situations under the sway of fear, anger and reduced self-esteem loses one’s self-control and becomes subject to Pragyaparad whose consequences is the imbalance of the three doshas leading to disease.
According to Ayurvedic medicine, disease follows the following pattern, which is in agreement with our modern science of prevention.
1. Sanchaya (Accumulation)
Doshas accumulate in their own seat.
2. Prakopa (Aggravation)
3.
Prasara
(Diffusion)
Doshas escape from their seat and spread throughout the body.
By intervening on these three levels, especially understood as prevention of risk factors, human physiology has a chance to return to a state of balance and thus full well-being.
4.
Sthana-Samsraya
(Localization)
Doshas localize in the most receptive parts where they develop the disease characterized by the appearance of specific symptoms in relation to affected compartment. At this stage, early diagnosis and subsequent treatment can curb and resolve the disease itself.
5.
Vyakty
(Manifestation)
The disease is overt and manifests itself with all its symptoms.
6.
Bheda
(Complication)
In the absence of treatment, the disease in relation to its severity becomes chronic or if complications occur, these can lead the patient to death. In the latter two stages, action can still be taken by preventing complications and recurrences.
It is clear from this pattern that no chronic disease appears suddenly but is the sum of small and repeated imbalances that gradually set in over time. By intervening in the early stages the disease does not have a chance to settle into physiology on the contrary as the imbalances go deeper the path to recovery will take longer and the disease will be more difficult to eradicate.
