Yoga Clothes Dictionary

Uniforms

Dreams of uniforms often point to self-awareness. Conformity through clothing is one of the unspoken rules of culture and we often perceive parts of our wardrobes as our "uniform" for particular roles we fill in life. In dreams of uniforms, it does not matter if the uniform is officially recognized or simply identical clothing on numerous persons.

If you are in uniform, and there are others dressed the same way, consider who is with you in the dream and what camaraderie you share with them. It may be that you are recalling a satisfying tenure in military service, employment, or identity with a particular group. If you are in uniform and others are not, it may reflect a feeling that you perceive yourself as more loyal than others.

A 24-year-old man reports dreaming: I am in the Navy. They have not trained me. I report to my ship with my only uniform, which is summer whites. Everyone around me is in dress blues. Nothing on the ship goes right. This dreamer, a college student, was contemplating an officer's commission in the navy. He was excited, but hedging his commitment. This dream reflected those concerns and warned him to examine the situation more closely.

Uniforms can also be a symbol of authority. Note the person wearing a uniform in your dream. Was it a logical situation for that person to be wearing a uniform?

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Uniforms , Meaning of Dreams about Uniforms , Dream Interpretation Uniforms )

Elephant , Riding an Elephant, See Many Elephants, Feeding an Elephant

• To dream of riding an elephant, denotes that you will possess wealth of the most solid character, and honors which you will wear with dignity. You will rule absolutely in all lines of your business affairs and your word will be law in the home.
• To see many elephants, denotes tremendous prosperity. One lone elephant, signifies you will live in a small but solid way.
• To dream of feeding one, denotes that you will elevate yourself in your community by your kindness to those occupying places below you.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Elephant , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Elephant , Dream Interpretation Elephant )

SUFI

("Of wool.") Posers as "sheep?" Apparently not. Sufism is thought of as a "veil" because the student takes what he wants from his teacher (not necessarily the greater truth which the teacher may wish to impart). Thus it is the veil of the wisemen who are teaching ancient esoteric lore. Others wear fine silks, but Sufis are content with wool. Sufis are found most frequently under the umbrella of Islam, but we are told that they exist in all religions as their most mystical or esoteric element. It is said to be the Islamic equivalent of Neoplatonism or Gnosticism. They follow the "Way" or Tariqah, whence, it is believed the Tarot (>tarocchi, or "four paths") derived. Sufism, at any rate, differs from fundamental Islam in being pantheistic and promoting belief in the immanence of God. Omar Khayyam was said to have been a Sufi (though the Rubayyat in translation conveys little that is Sufic). Jesus has also been called a sufi. A typical sufic answer to the statement that "No sufi ever says he is a sufi!" is "How do you know?"

The best way of eliminating a candidate for sufihood, according to Idries Shah's Pefumed Scorpion, is to use a kind of Catch-22. If he will accept an ignorant student just "as he is," he's probably not a sufi. Sufis don't take students from the rank and file of humanity. We might connect the word to Gk. Sophia (wisdom) although Arkon Daraul says "wise one" is not the highest degree of initiation. Safa ("purity") is the most popular derivation in the East. Daraul goes on to say that Sufism is a secret society (the wisdom passed down from Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet) with varying degrees of initiation and promotion through approval of the teacher (if the devotee acquires baraka, i.e., "blessing" or Power (grace). In the Bektashi order (whence the "janissaries" of Turkey) the degrees are: Ashiq (devotee); Muhib (one assigned to a master); Baba ("father" -- one who has mastered a hakma, or wisdom); Khalifa (deputy or prior); Sainthood or illumination (identification with the One power and being -- but not achievable in Islam). The initiate passes through 2 pillars, similar to those at Mecca (Safa and Marwa). Since the caliph is a secular ruler and since the ultimate degree, illumination, is not achievable, that actually leaves the baba (or master of a wisdom) as the de facto "sufi." Anything that can be said about sufis or sufism is probably incorrect. Sufism is described by Idries Shah as not "a" religion, but "religion." Better yet, simply "life." In fact, science, art and atheism may also be Sufic. What is not Sufic is orthodox, traditional or fundamentalistic belief.

(See also: SUFI , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

Naked : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Being Naked or Inappropriately Dressed in Public

Being Naked or Inappropriately Dressed in Public

Definition: You dream of being nude in a public place. You may also dream of being inappropriately dressed in public, for instance, showing up at work in your nightgown or pajamas. A variation of this theme is the appearance of some other dream character being naked or wrongly dressed.

Examples:

• I'm in the office when I become aware that people are looking at me in a peculiar way. I look down and am shocked to see I have no clothes on.
• My groom shows up at the altar wearing a weird outfit, a mix of an ethnic costume and a clown suit. I'm mortified.

Source: Patricia Garfield, Ph.D., President of ASD

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Naked , Dream Dictionary Naked )

Manes (Latin) [from manus good]

Deified ancestral spirits, the benevolent class of shades, as distinguished from the larvae and lemures, which were malevolent. The word seems originally to have denoted a class of titans, kabiri, or dhyanis, and to have ranked in the sequence of patriarchs, heroes, and manes, who acted as divine instructors of earlier races.

But far later, in Roman usage, the name became degraded and applied to the better astral shades or denizens in kama-loka, which in so many lands have been propitiated by offerings as is still the case with some peoples. Sometimes they wear a retributive aspect, as in Vergil, where the painful purification of the shades before they can pass to Elysium is described: "Each of us suffers his own Manes" (Aeneid 6:743).

Difficult as it is to distinguish as among the manes, larvae, and lemures, the manes were considered by Roman philosophers and poets equivalent to the human soul or monad; whereas the larvae and lemures were distinctly the shells or shades existent in the astral light and being the cast-off portions of the human monad when it ascends into, or reaches, devachan.

(See also: Manes , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Coat [40]

• To dream of wearing another's coat, signifies that you will ask some friend to go security for you. To see your coat torn, denotes the loss of a close friend and dreary business.
• To see a new coat, portends for you some literary honor.
• To lose your coat, you will have to rebuild your fortune lost through being over-confident in speculations.
• [40] See Meaning of Dreams about Apparel and Clothes.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Coat , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Coat , Dream Interpretation Coat )

Polar Bear [164]

• Polar bears in dreams, are prognostic of deceit, as misfortune will approach you in a seeming fair aspect. Your bitterest enemies will wear the garb of friendship. Rivals will try to supersede you.
• To see the skin of one, denotes that you will successfully overcome any opposition.

[164] See also: Meaning of Dreams about Bear.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Polar Bear , Meaning of Dreams about Polar Bear , Dream Interpretation Polar Bear )

Rising Sign: The ascendant or rising sign reflects your persona – what you choose to show to the world. Whereas the Sun sign is your individuality and does not change a great deal, you have the capacity to choose the nature and level of expression of your Ascendant. You can choose the most destructive expression, or you may choose to show a side of yourself to the world that is full of optimism and promise.

The Ascendant is frequently useful in describing your physical characteristics and general health. Aside from geographical and ethnic realities, the rising sign shows complexion, hair and eye color, stature and weight. A Gemini would be rather taller than average, and Taurus might be on the stocky side, within the range of family tendencies.

The Ascendant offers suggestions for what kind of clothing looks good, what colors will make you seem stronger. The general shape of the head and face are linked to the Ascendant. The sign also indicates a part of the body that you can show off to good advantage. It may not be your favorite part of yourself, but it is one that will respond to careful treatment in terms of clothing, movement, etc. The Taurus may not think about the throat very much, but this is a key area to focus on to create a strong effect on others. Aquarians can benefit from careful selection of shoes, as the ankles are "the thing."

As you learn about your Ascendant, you will find a whole array of new considerations for how to present yourself to the world. Should you be flippant or stern, gregarious or darkly serious? The rising sign can provide a wealth of imaginative possibilities.

Because the Ascendant is the way others see you, physically and in every other way, it pays to understand what they are seeing. You can develop a whole range of clothing, movements, communication styles and general attitudes based on your rising sign. You can overcome limitations in other areas by emphasizing the positives here. In this way you actively participate in creating the impression you want others to have, and you become more influential as you project a well thought-out image.

(See also: Rising Sign , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Dirt

1. Dirt in a garden is a symbol for growth, abundance, and beauty. If you dream of planting a garden, something you’re working on now could blossom into something more successful than you’re even thinking of now.

2. Dirty clothes hint that your body isn’t quite what it should be, and a medical checkup is advised.

3. If someone you know is throwing dirt at you, this person is not to be trusted. Do NOT confide in him or her!

Source: Astrocenter, http://astrocenter.astrology.msn.com/msn/DreamDictionary.aspx

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Dirt , Meaning of Dreams about Dirt , Dream Interpretation Dirt )

Ermine

• To dream that you wear this beautiful and costly raiment, denotes exaltation, lofty character and wealth forming a barrier to want and misery.
• To see others thus clothed, you will be associated with wealthy people, polished in literature and art.
• For a lover to see his sweetheart clothed in ermine, is an omen of purity and faithfulness. If the ermine is soiled, the reverse is indicated.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Ermine , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Ermine , Dream Interpretation Ermine )

Rouge

• To dream of using rouge, denotes that you will practice deceit to obtain your wishes.
• To see others with it on their faces, warns you that you are being artfully used to further the designs of some deceitful persons.
• If you see it on your hands, or clothing, you will be detected in some scheme.
• If it comes off of your face, you will be humiliated before some rival, and lose your lover by assuming unnatural manners.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Rouge , Meaning of Dreams about Rouge , Dream Interpretation Rouge )

Naked : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Dream: I am naked or inappropriately dressed in public

Dream: I am naked or inappropriately dressed in public

Description: You are nude or only partly dressed in public, or you may appear in public inappropriately dressed, as in wearing pajamas to work. In another version, you may witness someone else doing the same. You may feel embarrassed, indifferent, and occasionally even proud and free.

Frequency: This is a fairly common anxiety dream among all ages.

Usual meanings: You feel exposed, vulnerable or awkward, or you may fear that you may have revealed too much of yourself in a waking situation. Rarely you may feel free and unencumbered. Many dreams about being inappropriately dressed occur when the person is involved in a wedding ceremony in waking life.

Questions to ask yourself:

If naked in your dream:

• Where are you naked in your dream?
• Who notices you?
• What part of you is exposed?
• How do people react to you?
• How do you feel?
• What do you do?

If partially clothed:

• What does the missing article of clothing do for you?
• What is good or useful about the missing article?
• What is bad or constricting about it?
• What does the missing article remind you of in waking life?
• How can you restore what is missing?

Source: http://health.discovery.com

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Naked , Dream Dictionary Naked )

Actio in Distans (Latin) Action at a distance. Can force be transmitted across an empty space? On the automechanical theory of the universe, such action is inexplicable and yet inevitable, for if the universe consists entirely of matter made of atoms separated from each other by empty spaces, the transmission of force from one atom to another cannot be explained except by supposing some medium to intervene. If this medium is atomic, the old difficulty reappears; if it is continuous, there is no reason for supposing it, since matter might in the first place have been supposed to be continuous.

Thus if we choose to represent reality as a system of points in space, we must assume actio in distans as an axiom. The difficulty that a body cannot act where it is not, may be gotten over by stating that wherever it can act, there it is. Scientific theories, carried to a logical conclusion, support the idea that all things in the universe are connected with each other, so that whatever affects one part affects every other part. Notions of physical space do not enter to the realm of mind, thought, and feeling.

To meet this difficulty of action at a distance, early European scientists invented various kinds of ethers to bridge the supposed gap of nothingness between atom and atom or body and body. These finally were abandoned, with the exception of the luminiferous or light-carrying ether, which remained until the Michelson-Morley experiment, after which it was abandoned.

Nevertheless, theosophy postulates the existence of atomic and subatomic ethers of various degrees of tenuity, ranging from physical to spiritual. Collectively these ethers are the different planes or ranges of akasa, the fundamental substratum of the universe and the garment in which the kosmic divinity clothes itself -- the various prakritis as outlined especially in the Sankhya philosophy. Any scientific ether is not the akasa or aether, but solely the lowest plane of the akasic plenum, some of the ranges of the astral light, which in one sense is the highest principle of the earth's atmosphere -- a subtle ethereal energy-stuff permeant through and interpenetrating physical matter of all kinds.

See also Aether; Ether

(See also: Actio in Distans , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Halloween

(Samhain) The term ÒHalloweenÓ originally referred to All Hallows' Eve, a Catholic observance of the night before All Saints' Day. However, in modern American it has reverted back to its original Pagan roots.

A Wiccan religious high or holy day (see Wicca) . Celebrated on October 31st, children are encouraged to wear costumes and solicit candy door-to-door (Trick-or-Treat).

(See also: Halloween , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

purushartha: (Sanskrit) "Human wealth or purpose."

The four pursuits in which humans may legitimately engage, also called chaturvarga, "four-fold good" - a basic principle of Hindu ethics.

-       dharma: "Righteous living." The fulfillment of virtue, good works, duties and responsibilities, restraints and observances - performing one's part in the service and upliftment of society. This includes pursuit of truth under a guru of a particular parampara and sampradaya. Dharma is of four primary forms. It is the steady guide for artha and kama.

-       See: dharma.

-       artha: "Wealth." Material welfare and abundance, money, property, possessions. Artha is the pursuit of wealth, guided by dharma. It includes the basic needs - food, money, clothing and shelter - and extends to the wealth required to maintain a comfortable home, raise a family, fulfill a successful career and perform religious duties. The broadest concept of wealth embraces financial independence, freedom from debt, worthy children, good friends, leisure time, faithful servants, trustworthy employees, and the joys of giving, including tithing (dashamamsha), feeding the poor, supporting religious mendicants, worshiping devoutly, protecting all creatures, upholding the family and offering hospitality to guests. Artha measures not only riches but quality of life, providing the personal and social security needed to pursue kama, dharma and moksha. It allows for the fulfillment of the householder's five daily sacrifices, pancha mahayajna: to God, ancestors, devas, creatures and men.

-       See: yajna.

-       kama: "Pleasure, love; enjoyment." Earthly love, aesthetic and cultural fulfillment, pleasures of the world (including sexual), the joys of family, intellectual satisfaction. Enjoyment of happiness, security, creativity, usefulness and inspiration.

-       See: Kama Sutras.

-       moksha: "Liberation." Freedom from rebirth through the ultimate attainment, realization of the Self God, Parasiva. The spiritual attainments and superconscious joys, attending renunciation and yoga leading to Self Realization. Moksha comes through the fulfillment of dharma, artha and kama (known in Tamil as aram, porul and inbam, and explained by Tiruvalluvar in Tirukural) in the current or past lives, so that one is no longer attached to worldly joys or sorrows. It is the supreme goal of life, called paramartha.

See: liberation, moksha.

(See also: Purushartha , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Silk

• To dream of wearing silk clothes, is a sign of high ambitions being gratified, and friendly relations will be established between those who were estranged.
• For a young woman to dream of old silk, denotes that she will have much pride in her ancestors, and will be wooed by a wealthy, but elderly person. If the silk is soiled or torn, she will drag her ancestral pride in the slums of disgrace.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Silk , Meaning of Dreams about Silk , Dream Interpretation Silk )

MISTLETOE

The Encyclopedia Britannica cites Pliny the Elder as the authority for Druidic mistletoe lore. As a tea it was considered both an antidote for poison and a cure for sterility and barrenness. Thus, to kiss someone under the mistletoe is symbolic of its purpose. Some scholars call mistletoe the golden bough of classical legend.

In the French comic strip, Asterix le Gaulois, the tribal wizard, Panoramix, using his golden serpe, collects mistletoe for potions. These potions faithfully confer superhuman strength on the drinker, much as spinach does for Popeye. It's inevitable that we should think of physical strength as virility (maintaining erection) and from virility to fertility is a matter of course.

The word is Anglo-Saxon misteltan (the -tan being a "twig") from German Mistel, "mistletoe", a diminutive of Mist, "dung". For the mythic mind, excretion and birth are synonymous. Mistletoe was assumed to be the oak's product - hence, fertile. This also reflects, as we've seen many times before, the association, by the Unconscious, of supernatural powers with any "product" of the body.

We nature-deprived postmoderns should bear in mind that mistletoe is botanically unique. It is the only highly-evolved flowering plant that is parasitic; this unusual botanical fact should automatically alert the M/magic(k)all mind to the possibility that it must have unusual pharmaceutical properties as well. A cure for barrenness, of course, and an aphrodisiac are two entirely different things. There is no known chemical substance that has a specific, predictable aphrodisiac effect on human beings. We have too many complicated and individual reactions for that. Everyone knows, for instance, that alcohol isn't really an aphrodisiac. It simply releases inhibitions, some of which may be sexual, but not necessarily. Most drugs don't stimulate the sexual centers at all. They cause fatigue as they wear off and it is the fatigue (or lactic acid) so generated that acts as the stimulant.

Amongst the Germans the decorating of trees for religious effects goes back to pagan times. The Teutonic religions, however, borrowed much from the more advanced Celts and "tree-worshipping" is always associated with the latter. In the 8th Century it was St. Boniface who dedicated the fir tree to X, thus profaning the sacred oak of Odin (we see how the Teutons and the Druids had already joined forces). But the custom of bringing greenery into the house during the winter solstice is an ancient custom, long preceding Xtianity.

(See also: MISTLETOE , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

A Dream Dictionary including dreams about:

Cries, Criminal, Crippled , Crochet Work, Crockery, Crocodile, Cross, Cross Roads, Cross-bones, Croup, Crow, Crowd, Crown, Crucifix, Crucifixion , Cruelty, Crust, Crutches, Crying , Crystal, Cuckoo, Cucumber, Cunning, Cupboard , Curbstone

For more dream interpretation, see: Dream Dictionary

For more about dreams, see: Dreams.

Ahriman (Persian) (from ah (Avestan) conscious life + riman the corruptor, disturber of order in the cosmos, the corruptor of mind)

Personification of the evil spirit in the world. According to Mazdean philosophy, life originates from two principles: Ahura Mazda (the light principle) and Ahriman (darkness). Shahrestani, 12th century Islamic scholar, in Al-Melall Va Al-Nehal (Nations and Sects) writes that "Magis were of three sects: Geomarathians, Zurvanians and Zoroastrians. They all shared the view that two principles govern the universe: Ahura Mazda and Ahriman. Ahura Mazda is the being who pre-existed and Ahriman the created one." He further narrates allegorically that "Ahura-Mazda wondered how it would be if he had a rival. From this thought Ahriman, the evil spirit, was born, who revolted against the light and declined to abide by its laws. A battle took place between the armies of the two.

 The Angels came forward as mediators and agreed upon a truce that the underworld be given to Ahriman for seven thousand years and then to the Ahura-Mazda for another seven thousand years. The creatures who previously existed all vanished. Then Man, Gaeo-Marth, and an animal, taurus, appeared. They both died. From man's head, sprouted a rhubarb and from rhubarb male and female, Mashia and Mashiana, were born, who were mankind's progenitors. From the head of the taurus all animals originated.

Their belief is that light gave mankind two choices: to remain as bodiless spirits keeping away from Ahriman, or to clothe themselves with bodies to fight against him; mankind chose the latter. The destruction of Ahriman's army would be the day of resurrection. Man's reason for clothing himself in a physical body was to enable him to battle against Ahriman; and his salvation depends upon defeating him."

In later Pahlavi writings we find the progeny of Ahriman, six opponents who in their turn stand up against the Amesha-Spentas (the six immortal benefactors).

See also ANGRA MAINYU

(See also: Ahriman , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

AMMA/ANMA

Amma (sometimes spelled anma) is the traditional word for massage in the Japanese language. It comes from the Chinese tradition of massage, anmo. This form of bodywork is based on the principles of Chinese medicine and is more than 5,000 years old. When anmo was brought to Japan, the technique was further refined into its own therapeutic art form, amma.

The amma techniques encompass a myriad of pressing, stroking, stretching, and percussive manipulations with the thumbs, fingers, arms, elbows, knees, and feet on acupressure points along the body’s 14 major meridians. Amma brings to Western culture the ancient art and wisdom of traditional Japanese massage.

Through the structure of kata (choreographed movement), amma teaches the importance of rhythm, pacing, precision, and form in massage. Shiatsu - a style of bodywork popularized after World War II - was developed from the amma tradition. Unlike Western massage, amma utilizes no oils and can be done through clothing with the client either sitting or lying. This makes amma an extremely flexible style of massage suitable to a wide variety of client needs and environments.

(See also: AMMA , Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Telepathy [from Greek tele far off, at a distance + pathos feeling]

The transference of thought or feeling from mind to mind independently of ordinary modes of communication. This very interesting and common fact may be noted as not only existing between human beings, and humans and animals, but likewise between animals and insects -- the last being one of the commonest phenomena of natural history -- and in the plant kingdom. People have always known that they talk to each other through the air, or through air vibrations, and that these strike the ear and are conveyed to the brain. The notion of transference from one mind to another across a distance is a physical conception, and its applicability to minds is questionable. Mind can hardly be regarded as physical, and though our brains are physical and separated by distances, the mind is not synonymous with the brain, for if it were telepathy would be impossible because brain does not physically touch brain in the transference of thought, therefore it is not brains which send and receive except as instruments, but it is minds which touch or interpenetrate along the inner planes.

We live in a common mental atmosphere, taking in and giving out thoughts and feelings, which must often pass from mind to mind, though we may not be aware of the fact. The undoubted fact of our having separate minds does not mean that these minds are closed systems, and not mutually penetrable. The experiments which are made to prove thought transference defeat their object to a great extent, because the mind of the transmitter is not concentrated on the idea to be transmitted, so much as on the idea that he is trying to transfer it. The most conclusive proofs, and curiously enough the most common, are unpremeditated, and actually are daily occurrences.

A thought entertained by one person may pass inwardly through planes of consciousness until it reaches a point where minds are no longer separate, and from thence it may travel outwardly to the brain of another person. It may even be said that what we require is not so much an explanation of thought transference as an explanation of why thoughts are so seldom transferred -- why our minds are so separate; and the explanation is the concentration of each individual's normal daily consciousness upon affairs immediately concerning himself. This clothes the individual in a mental shell of interests, around which rush the radiatory influences emanating from the thinker. Universality of sympathy therefore is the key to successful telepathic communication.

(See also: Telepathy , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Diagnosis

Indian medicine names three main causes of disease – 'overuse', 'disuse' or 'misuse’ of faculties; 'errors in judgement'; and influence of seasonal changes. According to Ayurveda all human diseases can be classified into the seven broad categories, namely:

1. Genetic (Adibalapravritta)

·      Consists of ailments as obstinate skin diseases, hemorrhoids, diabetes, tuberculosis and asthma that arise primarily due to defects in the sperm (sukra) of the father – when it is called pitrija or the ovum (sonita) of the mother – when it is termed matrja.

·      Undigested food, abnormal behaviour, addiction of any type and stressful situations affect the reproductive elements of both the male and female, resulting in a defective foetus.

2. Congenital (Janmabalapravritta)

·      Caused essentially due to nutritional disorder (rasakrita) and unfulfilled cravings of the mother during pregnancy (dauhrdya)

·      If diet and / or conduct of the mother aggravates vata, the foetus might end up with deformities as kyphosis (hunchback), blindness and dwarfism; increased pitta may cause alopecia and yellowish pigmentation of skin; and enhanced kapha might result in albinism.

3. Constitutional (Doshabalapravritta)

·      Arise out of any dietary or behavioural disturbance brought about by an imbalance in any one of the three vital physical energies (Tridoshas) or the three vital mental energies (Trigunas).

·      Thus constitutional disorders are of two types: somatic (Sharirika) & psychic (Manasika).

4. Traumatic (Sanghatabalapravritta)

·      Undergoing any trauma causing experience – external or internal – leads to this.

·      External trauma is induced by injuries inflicted by sharp instruments and bites of animals or venomous insects.

·      Stress and overstrain lead to internal trauma.

5. Seasonal (Klabalapravritta)

·      Brought about by changes in the nuances of seasonality.

·      Sometimes the body fails to adjust itself to the sudden and abnormal climatic changes – extreme cold might lead to frostbite and rheumatic disease. While extreme heat may cause sunstroke or fever.

6. Infectious and Spiritual (Daivabalapravritta)

·      Either born out of natural calamities as lightning, earthquakes, floods and the invisible, malignant forces of nature.

·      Or contacted through sexual & physical intimacy and sharing of food, plates, bed, clothes, towels and cosmetics with effected friends & relatives.

·      Or as a result of sheer jealousy.

7. Natural (Swabhavbalapravritta)

·      Even the healthiest of people are struck by hunger, thirst, sleep, death or senility.

·      Brought about by functional, organic and natural changes in the body.

In Ayurveda, physicians try to assess the symptoms of these diseases as much as the nature of ailment and its root causes (nidana). This is of utmost importance in ensuring correct choice of remedial & preventive measures for treatment of the disease. For otherwise, even after therapy, one might not get the desired response and there would remain a chance of recurrence.

The early signs and symptoms (purvaroopa) provide useful warnings and the opportunity for taking necessary action before a disease can assume dangerous magnitudes. The main signs and symptoms (roopa) reflect the true nature and intensity of the disease. Another oft used method of diagnosis is exploratory therapy (upasaya) which uses diet, medicines and routines to detect diseases otherwise difficult to diagnose. Acting either against the cause of disease or the disease itself or producing relief. For example a swelling that is alleviated by an oily & hot massage, is obviously caused by an imbalance of vata.

(See also: Diagnosis , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)