Ayurveda and the five senses
The body perceives through its five senses. The mind interprets according to its culture and experience. So how can we navigate this? Ayurveda offers answers based on the elements of our planet (air, ether, fire, water, earth), whose origins are based on Sankhya philosophy. This philosophy identifies a relationship between the five elements, the sensory organs and the organs of action. The five elements represent ideas, our intimate connection with our planet and with Nature itself. The subtle therapies (Tanmatra Chikitsa) offered by Ayurveda aim to rebalance the sensory pathways of the five senses. Ayurveda explains in a very concrete way the relationship between our sensory perceptions, the body, and the mind. From a philosophical concept, emerges the physical and spiritual connections of humanity:
• Earth, through its solidity and stability, supports the sense of smell, which is connected to the nose, the anus, physical structure, and mental stability.
• Water represents the idea of flow and liquidity, connected to the sense of taste and the urogenital system. Water represents the body’s fluids and the emotions of love and compassion.
• Fire represents the idea of light, warmth, and transformation, connected to the sense of sight and the feet (sense of direction). Fire illuminates truth and disposes of ignorance. I t governs digestion, and for the mind, perception and motivation.
• Air represents the idea of movement, with the sense of touch connected to the hands. Air represents nerve impulses, breathing, and the limbs; for the mind, air is the movement of thoughts.
• Ether represents connectivity and space, connected to the sense of hearing and verbal expression. Physically, these are the body’s cavities, and for the mind, these are presence and consciousness.
All our perceptions are filtered through the pathways of the five senses, not forgetting the sixth sense, intuition, which I would define as a symbiosis of the five senses… or déjà vu… But let’s return to Ayurveda, the causes of imbalance and the health connections arising from the sense organs and their actions.
For example:
• An imbalance in the sense of smell would lead to a loss/diminished connection with the earth, a loss of solidity and stability, both physical and mental. Which systems will be impaired: ENT… and intestinal problems of rejection or retention…
• Imbalanced vision, vision being a form of mental digestion, will disrupt ideas, opinions, and criticisms, affecting the ability to discern…
• Imbalanced touch/hands, being the function of holding, grasping, embracing and the ability to move, to let go or not, will result in physical accumulation and mental procrastination…
• Imbalanced hearing which corresponds to the expression of our ideas and listening to others… will impact the ability for self-expression, understanding, and harmonious thought…
Simply put, our senses/perceptions are the gateway to the world around us and the exit, i.e., the expression of our being in relation to a situation. Through its philosophy, Ayurveda helps us understand how our senses/perceptions affect our body, our thoughts, our emotions, and our health. The senses can become dulled, weakened, listless, limited, and depressed as a result of substance abuse or addictive behavior. How can this be remedied? Ayurveda’s all-natural and harmonious healing approach relies on sensory therapies involving hearing (mantra, music, and consultations), touch (marma, abhyanga), vision (chromotherapy), smell (aromatherapy), and, of course, taste (the six flavors). The summer blog will explore the Ayurvedic healing approach of the 5 senses!