VATA IMBALANCE VERSUS VATA AGGRAVATION

In one of the previous blogs, I explained about how Vata, Pitta and Kapha can be explained in simple layman language using blood flow and basic principles of electricity (click here to go that blog). In this blog we shall understand the difference between Vata imbalance and Vata aggravation.. Here we go…

As you would learn more, you will realize that each one of us has some amount of Vata imbalance already present in the body right from the birth and also acquired later due to food habits/lifestyle(with the extent varying from person to person). While Vata is bound to go high in everyone due to deposition of plaque and narrowing of blood vessels, our efforts should be to keep Vata as well as Vata imbalance as least as possible. This is because if Vata imbalance goes too high, especially if Vata is higher in upper body (especially brain) vis-a-vis lower (as shown in figure 2.3 and 2.4) then it leads to high Prana Vata (or say imbalanced Prana Vata). And once Prana Vata is high, it leads to brain/upper body going overactive pushing one to take wrong decisions and eating wrong foods which further increase Vata imbalance taking one into a vicious circle of higher and higher Vata in the upper body and lesser in lower. This situation creates a serious confusion in the body leading to issues like dent in physical/mental/spiritual health thereby slowing down the person and leading to reduced Pitta. And once Pitta reduces, Vata increases as shown in figure 2.6. This means that Vata imbalance leads to Vata aggravation in the long run. Conversely, even Vata aggravation can lead to Vata imbalance. This is because Vata aggravation means poor/weak communication between different body parts/organs, due to poor/obstructed circulation of blood. And lack of communication again leads to ingesting wrong foods which in long run lead to Vata imbalance (the how part of this will be discussed in detail in Prana Vata imbalance section). On the contrary, one could also have reverse of figure 2.3 and 2.4 i.e. higher Vata in the lower body vis-a-vis upper as shown in figure 2.5. In such a case the person’s brain is likely to be higher on Kapha and related virtues. In fact, Vata could go imbalanced in so many different ways.

*** A very interesting point to note upfront is that when Vata goes too high towards upper body leading to obstruction of blood in the upper body, one tends to subconsciously increase Pitta (through foods and activity) to keep the blood reaching the brain in absence of which one would feel depressed. Overall, Vata imbalance is an extremely important aspect of one’s life which determines difference in level of Vata in different parts of the body and is the reason for all the chronic disease. Exactly the same goes with Vata aggravation which has a cause and effect relationship with Vata imbalance. Higher the Vata imbalance, higher the Vata aggravation and the other way round which leads to more aberrations (mental/physical) and more difficulties to regain normalcy. Both can be avoided/controlled by wise use of something called as “potentially imbalancing foods and medicines” right from the beginning of one’s life. From Astrology viewpoint, Vata imbalance is determined by Rahu-Ketu axis whereas Vata aggravation (i.e. figure 2.6 or old Vata) is referred as Saturn.