Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth, the five basic elements, manifest in the human body as three basic principles, or humors, known as the tridosha. From the Ether and Air elements, the bodily air principal called vata is manifested. (In Sanskrit terminology, this principle is called vata dosha.} The Fire and Water elements manifest together in the body as the fire principle called pitta. The Earth and Water elements manifest as the bodily water humor known as kapha. These three elements . vata - pitta - kapha . govern all the biological, psychological and physiopathological functions of the body, mind and consciousness. They act as basic constituents and protective barriers for the body in its normal physiological condition; when out of balance, they contribute to disease processes. The tridosha are responsible for the arising of natural urges and for individual preferences in foods: their

flavors, temperatures and so on. (See Chapter Vlll for a description of the mechanics of these preferences.) They govern the creation, maintenance and destruction of bodily tissue, and the elimination of waste products from the body. They are also responsible for psychological phenomena, including such emotions as fear, anger and greed: and for the highest order of human emotions such as understanding, compassion and love. Thus, the tridosha are the foundation of the psychosomatic existence of man. The basic constitution of each individual is determined at conception. At the time of fertilization, the single

male unit. the spermatozoon, unites with the single female element, the ovum. At the moment of this union, the constitution of the individual is determined by the permutations and combinations of bodily air, fire and water that manifest in the parents. bodies.

In general, there are seven types of constitutions: (1) vata, (2) pitta, (3) kapha, (4) vata-pitta, (5) pitta-kapha, (6) vata-kapha and (7) vata-pitta-kapha. Among these seven general types, there are innumerable subtle variations that depend upon the percentage of wta-pitta-kapha elements in the constitution.The constitution is called prakruti in Sanskrit, a term meaning .nature,. .creativity. or .the first creation.. In the body, the first expression of the basic five elements is the constitution. The basic constitution of the individual

remains unaltered during the lifetime, as it is generally determined. The combination of elements present at birth remains constant. However, the combination of elements that governs the continuous physiopatho-loyical changes in the body alters in response to changes in the environment. Throughout life, there is a ceaseless interaction between the internal and external environment. The external environment Jcomprises the cosmic forces (macrocosm), while the internal Sfforces (microcosm) are governed by the principles of vata-pitta-JIflpdfl. A basic principle of healing in Ayurveda holds that one iffay create balance in the internal forces working in the individual .Qsy altering diet and habits of living to counteract changes in his fiexternal