BASIC PRINCIPLES OF AYURVEDA

Malas - Body Wastes

Another important factor in maintaining good health is the proper elimination of wastes; faeces, urine, and sweat [miscellaneous wastes includes tears (eye), spit (tongue), oily secretions (skin), mucoid secretions (mucus membrane), and smegma (excreta from genitalia). Malas (body wastes) help maintain the proper functioning of our organs.

Faeces (purisha) provide support and tone to the body along with maintaining the temperature of the colon. Improper functioning can lead to Vayu illnesses like worry, fear, a feeling of being ungrounded, nervousness, headaches, gas, distention and constipation. Proper elimination of the faeces is damaged by the excessive use of purgatives, colonics, worry, and fear (fear can create both improper functioning or be a byproduct of this dysfunction). It is also damaged by excessive travel, the wrong foods (such as junk food or foods that are too light or too heavy), oversleeping, coffee, drugs, antibiotics, insufficient exercise and prolonged diarrhea. In Ayurvedic literature, it has been clearly stated that debilitated persons suffering from tuberculosis should not be given any kind of purgatives, as it is the feces that maintain the temperature of such persons.

Urine (mutra) expels water and other solid wastes from the body. Poor urine elimination results in bladder pain or infection, difficult urination, fever, thirst, dry mouth, or dehydration. It is affected by diuretic drugs, alcohol, excessive sex, trauma, fright or intake of too few liquids.

Sweat (sweda) controls the body temperature by expelling excess water and toxins, cools the body, moistens the skin and hair, carries away excess fat from the body and purifies the blood. Excess sweating can cause skin diseases (usually Pitta related) like eczema, boils, fungus, burning skin, dehydration, fatigue or convulsions (caused by Vayu). Deficient sweating can result in stiff hair, skin fissures, dry skin, dandruff, wrinkles or susceptibility to colds and flu (i.e., peripheral circulation). Sweating is damaged by eating too many dry foods, lack of salt, excessive or deficient exercise, and excessive use of diaphoretic herbs or excess sweating.

| Introduction | Pancha Maha Bhootas | Tridoshas | Trigunas | Agni | Dhatus | Malas | Prakriti |