The Avatar, Ayurveda, and Disease.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Space? Almost a perfectly executed introductory scene of Avatar the Last Airbender. The ancient Ayurveda medicine and its practices base itself on the proclaimed truth that all the universe originates from these 5 elements. Each of these elements represents balance beyond its physical meaning, and each is associated with its own qualities, foods, senses, emotions, and Chakras. What better way to learn about the balance between these elements than to learn from he who mastered all of them: Avatar Aang. I consider Avatar the Last Airbender not only a great show but a decent depiction of some of these values and beliefs which I intend to explore. In fact, one of its episodes features a guru from whom the Avatar learns about the Chakras of the body and how to open them. Disease can be considered in the context of the principles of Ayurveda to be an imbalance of many sorts, and I intend to explore the imbalance relative to these Chakras.

Chakras are explained to be “wheels” of energy within us. They are not physical; they are not anatomical like our organs and systems. Again, they are “pools of energy” which are opened and closed by maintaining and expressing certain emotions. Having them open equates to having a balanced self and yields power and health.

The first Chakra is Muladhara, the Root Chakra. Located at the base of the spine, it is associated with safety and survival. It is connected with the Earth. This Chakra is antagonized by feelings of fear. Opening this wheel requires one to acknowledge their own fears, but not letting them overwhelm you. The second Chakra: Swadhisthana, associated with Water. It represents sensuality and pleasure. It is opposed by guilt. Guilt can be a powerful burden and a poison to our own self. Next, the Fire Chakra, Manipura. It is in the stomach and represents courage and willpower and opposes shame. Anahata, the Heart Chakra is love. It’s blocked by grief. Vishuddhi¸ the Throat Chakra is opened by trust. Ajna is opened by intuition. Sahasra¸ represents mortal transcendence and divinity.

In terms of contemporary Western medicine, all of this information can quickly fade into irrelevance. Surely, “opening” all these Chakras cannot scientifically be proven to be the cure for any disease, but the significance of a healthy mind has been increasingly tied to a healthy body. Especially in today’s prevalence of depression and anxiety, it has been observed how an unhealthy mind can quickly affect the rest of the body and its health. The effects of stress are known to be detrimental, and the physiological consequences of excessive distress are detrimental to the body, even leading to increased risks of disease. So, while we may not understand the mechanisms yet, it’s plausible that other emotions and manifestations of the brain have a greater effect on the body than we currently understand. Just as a conscious thought in our mind provokes a muscle contraction through a physiological cascade, and just as a distressed mind and its associated hormones take an effect upon the body, so can other emotions positively and negatively play a large role in the balance of the bodily systems.

In regard to a specific disease like diabetes, these practices may not be a cure, but it’s curious to wonder about the efficacy of prevention that they provide. Important to remember is that Ayurveda is much more than Chakras. The balance of diet plays a great role. And the excess or lack of certain foods would definitely contribute greatly to the incidence of a disease like diabetes. Still, I think that the mind must be a significant factor in this and any other disease. A balance of the mind can prevent excessive stress. I think researchers must not be far from discovering just how important mental health is in regard to the overall health of our body. And when, or if, they do, we’ll know that the ancient practitioners of Ayurveda were on to something thousands of years ago.