Vata—The Power Of Movement
Ayurvedic medicine has always had a very thorough understanding of the human body and its
intricate functions. Thousands of years ago, Ayurveda proclaimed that the main cause of ill health and
premature death is located in the bowel. The ancient healers considered the large intestine to be an
extremely important part of the body due to its vital roles. These include the synthesis and absorption of
certain essential nutrients for the nervous system and the elimination of waste matter. When you think of
it, without the internal motion (Vata) of fluids, waste and nutrients, the body would be dead.
Vata translates as “air” or movement, and as such, is present throughout the body. Think of your body
as a network of different canals, tubes or vessels through which it transports food, air, water, blood,
lymph and waste. The nervous system, circulatory system, lymphatic system, digestive tract, bronchi and
lungs, bile ducts, hormonal pathways, and cellular ducts are all part of this enormously complex network,
sustained by the movement and power of Vata. Diminished or excessive motion in the body makes it ill,
whereas balanced motion keeps it healthy and strong. So you can easily imagine that the most commonly
found symptoms of “dis-ease,” such as pain, nervousness or fatigue, naturally occur when such motions
become uneasy or difficult. If Vata (movement) is excessive, hyperactivity and hypertension may result; if
Vata slows down and comes to a halt, constipation or bile duct blockage may occur. Congestion of the
coronary arteries, blood vessel walls, lymph nodes, urinary ducts, prostate gland, uterus, sinuses, thyroid
gland and other areas of the body all result from disturbed Vata activity. The blocked flow of Vata is
responsible for the hundreds of diseases that conventional medicine tries to treat away with drugs or
medication without giving due attention to what causes the congestion.
Vata, which is one of the three principal forces (doshas) that control all the functions in the body, is
especially and most directly in charge of proper bowel activity. Vata’s primary seat is in the colon. If the
large intestine is clear of obstructions, Vata is able to perform its important activities throughout the rest
of the body. This guarantees that all the systems function at their best. On the other hand, a buildup of
fecal matter and hardened layers of mucus (AMA) in the large intestine drastically slows down Vata’s
eliminative functions in the colon and also in the rest of the body. Similarly, the accumulation of
gallstones in the liver and gallbladder hinder Vata’s transportation of bile and thus impairs AGNI, the
digestive fire. Congestion in both of these important parts of the body directly and indirectly increase the
retention of harmful substances in the intestinal tract. Consequently, healthy cells which constitute the
intestinal tract, no longer have enough “space” to breathe. Cut off from their life support system, many of
them simply die off and are replaced with residues of toxic, undigested food. Other, more resilient cells,
mutate into cancer cells.
Important Note: Sitting on a Western style toilet seat forces one to strain, making waste elimination
difficult and incomplete. Human beings were designed to perform their bodily functions in the squatting
position, as seen in all native populations. In order to be squeezed empty, the colon needs to be
compressed by the thighs. Furthermore, for complete elimination of the fecal mass, the puborectalis
muscle must be relaxed and the ileocecal valve from the small intestine needs to be closed. By ignoring
these requirements, the sitting toilet makes it nearly impossible to empty the colon completely. In the
sitting position, the puborectalis muscle forces the rectum out of its natural position and “chokes” it. Thus,
Vata becomes blocked. This leads to fecal stagnation and the development of hemorrhoids, appendicitis,
polyps, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease and colon cancer. On the other
hand, squatting relaxes the puborectalis muscle and straightens the rectum. Infants of every culture
instinctively adopt this posture to relieve themselves. As research has shown, if they don’t get “retrained”
to sit on Western style toilet bowls, they rarely develop these intestinal disorders, unless their dietary and