Laws of Nature – Shareer Dharma – AHAR

Shareer Dharma govern every aspect of your physical existence, from birth to death and everything in between. According to the Isopanisad, your body follows a fixed schedule of six changes: birth, growth, maintenance, production of by-products, diminution (Reduction in size), and destruction. This natural progression is unavoidable, however, your choices can significantly impact how these processes unfold.

If you fail to align with these natural laws, the consequences can be severe. In fact, the ancient texts warn that those who neglect to elevate themselves in human form may transmigrate through 8,400,000 species of life – a journey that could take millions of years. Dharma, essentially defined as the fulfillment of your inherent nature, is crucial for maintaining balance in life and health. The Vedas proclaim, “There is nothing higher than dharma. Verily, that which is dharma is Truth.” Moreover, Ayurveda emphasizes that your health is the ultimate product of Ahara (diet) and its proper digestion, which maintains balance among your bodily elements. When you understand these principles, you gain the power to live in harmony with nature’s fundamental laws.

Understanding the Laws of Nature and Sharira Dharma

“Ayurveda states that food should be sharp, balanced, compatible with body temperature, and natural.” – Sushruta Samhita, Classical Ayurvedic text, foundational to Ayurveda

The core philosophy of Ayurveda rests on a fundamental understanding – everything in the universe follows specific patterns and principles. These natural rhythms aren’t merely abstract concepts but practical guidelines that directly impact your wellbeing.

 What are the laws of nature in Ayurveda?

In Ayurvedic wisdom, the laws of nature are embodied in the concept of “Rta” or cosmic order – the underlying principle that maintains balance throughout the universe [1]. This order governs not only celestial bodies but also the functioning of your physical form.

The foundation of these natural laws is the :Panchamahabhutas or five basic elements

• Akasha (Space): Corresponds to the spaces within your body like mouth, nostrils, and abdomen [2]
• Vayu (Air): Governs all movement, including muscular and nervous system functions [2]
• Agni (Fire): Controls enzymatic processes, metabolism, and intelligence [2]
• Jala (Water): Present in all bodily fluids including plasma, saliva, and digestive juices [2]
• Prithvi (Earth): Manifests in solid structures like bones, teeth, flesh, and hair [2]

These elements aren’t static – they constantly interact and change in relative proportions, creating a dynamic flux that keeps your body functioning. Consequently, Ayurveda emphasizes living in harmony with seasonal cycles and daily rhythms. For instance, the hours between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM coincide with the with nighttime pitta period, which is vital for self-repair and restoration [3].

How sharira dharma governs bodily functions

Sharira, or the physical body, serves as the seat of consciousness – composed of Panchamahabhutas and carrying on in a state of equilibrium [4]. The word “Sharira” literally means “that which is subject to destruction,” acknowledging its impermanent nature while highlighting its importance as one of life’s tripods alongside mind and soul.

Your body operates through three fundamental physiological forces called doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas – although they can potentially become imbalanced (hence the name “dosha” or “that which can be vitiated”) – are essential for life to happen [2].

Each dosha governs specific functions:

• Vata controls all movement, from blood circulation to breathing and speech [2]
• Pitta manages digestion, metabolism, intellect, and body temperature [2]
• Kapha provides stability, strength, and immunity while lubricating joints and structures [2]

Additionally, seven dhatus (tissues) form the structural components of your body, from rasa (plasma) to shukra (reproductive tissue), while malas (metabolic byproducts) must be properly eliminated for optimal health [5].

The connection between nature and the human body

Perhaps the most profound aspect of Ayurvedic philosophy is the concept that you are a microcosm of the macrocosm – your body mirrors the universe itself [6]. The same elements that compose the natural world also constitute your physical form in varying proportions.

This interconnectedness means environmental factors directly influence your wellbeing. The seasons, lunar cycles, and daily rhythms all impact your health [6]. Furthermore, your digestive fire (agni) mirrors the transformative quality of the sun in nature, converting food into nourishment just as sunlight transforms a seed into a flower [7].

Living in accordance with these natural principles isn’t merely philosophical – it’s practical wisdom. For example, having your main meal at midday aligns with when your digestive enzymes are most active (between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM), whereas eating heavily at night works against your body’s natural rhythm [3].

Through understanding Shareer Dharmas, you gain insight into how your bodily functions naturally operate and how to support them appropriately through diet, lifestyle, and daily routines. This knowledge empowers you to make choices that align with – rather than oppose – the fundamental laws governing both nature and your physical existence.

The Eight Principles of Ahara Vidhi Visheshayatana

Food is not merely sustenance but a sacred transaction between your body and the universe. In Ayurveda, the concept of “Ahara Vidhi Visheshayatana” outlines eight fundamental principles that determine how food affects your physical being and overall health. These principles form the foundation of proper eating practices that align with Shareer Dharmas.

1. Prakriti (Nature of food)

Prakriti refers to the inherent qualities of food – whether it’s heavy (guru) or light (laghu), cold (sheeta) or hot (ushna), dry (ruksha) or unctuous (snigdha). Each food substance possesses specific properties that affect your body differently. Black gram is naturally heavy to digest, whereas green gram is light. Understanding these inherent qualities helps you select foods compatible with your digestion capacity and constitution, thereby supporting your body’s natural functions.

2. Karana (Processing methods)

Karana involves transforming food through various processing methods to enhance digestibility and nutritional value. This principle recognizes that raw food sometimes needs modification to become suitable for consumption. Processing techniques include toya sannikarsha (water contact), agni sannikarsha (heat application), shoucha (cleaning), manthana (churning), and bhavana (impregnation). Through proper processing, heavy foods can become lighter – as seen when rice boiled with water becomes easier to digest than raw rice.

3. Samyoga (Food combinations)

Samyoga examines how combining different foods creates entirely new properties that weren’t present in individual ingredients. Some combinations nourish the body, while others can be detrimental. For instance, milk combined with fish is considered toxic, as is mixing honey and ghee in equal quantities. Generally, foods with compatible qualities enhance digestion, whereas incompatible combinations can lead to indigestion and disease formation over time.

4. Rashi (Quantity of food)

Rashi addresses both the total quantity of your meal (sarvagraha) and the proportion of individual components (parigraha). Ayurveda recommends filling your stomach with 33% solid food, 33% liquid, and leaving 33% empty for proper digestion. Even the healthiest food becomes harmful when consumed in excessive quantities, highlighting the importance of mindful portion control aligned with your individual capacity.

5. Desha (Geographical influence)

Desha encompasses both where food originates and where it’s consumed. Foods grown in different regions possess varying qualities based on soil and climate. Ayurveda classifies regions into three types: jangala (dry/arid), anupa (marshy/wet), and sadharana (balanced). Ideally, you should consume locally grown foods, as they naturally harmonize with your local environment – nature wisely provides cooling foods like dates in desert regions and warming ones like saffron in colder climates.

6. Kala (Time and season)

Kala relates to when food should be consumed, considering both daily timing and seasonal appropriateness. It comprises nityaga (natural time cycles) and avasthika (situational time). Your digestive fire peaks around noon, making midday ideal for your main meal. Seasonally, cooling foods suit summer while warming foods benefit winter. During transitions between seasons, particular attention to diet helps prevent imbalances as your body adapts to changing environmental conditions.

7. Upyoga Samstha (Rules of eating)

Upyoga Samstha outlines practical guidelines for the eating process itself. These include consuming warm food (ushnam), eating in a peaceful environment, chewing thoroughly, eating neither too quickly nor too slowly, and maintaining complete attention on your meal without distractions like television or intense conversation. Following these rules enhances digestion and ensures proper absorption of nutrients from your food.

8. Upyokta (The consumer)

The final principle acknowledges that ultimately, you – the consumer – are central to food’s effect on health. Your individual constitution (prakriti), digestive capacity (agni), current imbalances, age, and even emotional state while eating all influence how food affects your body. Understanding your unique needs allows for personalized dietary choices that support your Shareer Dharmas and overall wellbeing.

Together, these eight principles form a comprehensive framework that connects the laws of nature with your daily sustenance, offering practical wisdom for maintaining harmony between your body and the universe through mindful eating practices.

How Ahara Influences Dosha, Agni, and Sharira

“Ayurveda advises us to choose our food wisely to harmonize both taste and nourishment.” – Sushruta Samhita, Classical Ayurvedic text, foundational to Ayurveda

Your daily food choices directly shape the functioning of your bodily systems, determining whether they operate in harmony or discord with natural laws. In Ayurveda, ahara (food) serves as both medicine and potential poison, depending on how it interacts with your unique constitution.

 Role of food in balancing Vata, Pitta, and Kapha

Each dosha responds distinctly to different food qualities. For Vata, which tends to be cool, dry, and light, foods that are warm, slightly oily, and nourishing create balance. Cold beverages, raw vegetables, and dry foods typically aggravate Vata, leading to bloating, constipation, and joint stiffness.

Pitta dosha, characterized by heat and intensity, responds best to cooling, energizing foods with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes. Spicy foods, sour fruits, and fermented items can increase Pitta, potentially causing inflammation, rashes, and irritability.

Meanwhile, Kapha individuals benefit from light, dry, and warm foods that counter their naturally heavy, oily qualities. Sweet, salty, and oily foods tend to increase Kapha, potentially resulting in lethargy, congestion, and weight gain.

Impact on digestive fire (Agni)

Undoubtedly, Agni stands as the cornerstone of health in Ayurveda. As Acharya Charak states, “After stoppage of the function of Agni, the individual dies, and when the Agni is balanced, that person would be absolutely healthy.”

Jatharagni (digestive fire) particularly influences all other types of Agni. Food consumed at improper times or in incompatible combinations can create either:

• Manda Agni: Weak digestion causing toxin accumulation
• Tikshna Agni: Excessive digestion leading to depletion
• Vishama Agni: Irregular digestion creating inconsistent energy

Consequences of improper ahara on sharira dharma

Specifically, when food choices contradict your constitution or natural cycles, they create Viruddha Ahara (incompatible food), which disrupts Shareer Dharmas. Chronic consumption of incompatible foods can lead to numerous conditions including skin disorders, digestive disturbances, and even infertility.

Beyond immediate symptoms, improper ahara affects tissues at the molecular level. Studies show that certain fast food combinations create inflammation and oxidative damage, particularly relating to zinc deficiency. Ultimately, these imbalances can affect gene expression through epigenetic modifications, altering how your body functions at its most fundamental level.

Through mindful eating aligned with your constitution, you support rather than undermine your body’s inherent intelligence, allowing Shareer Dharmas to function unimpeded.

Modern Lifestyle and the Disruption of Natural Laws

Modern living continuously pushes your body away from its natural rhythms. Studies show that  artificial circadian disruptions can cause weight gain and metabolic problems in just 10 days[8]. When modern habits contradict Shareer Dharmas, health degradation soon follows.

Processed food and its effect on health

Ultra-processed foods fundamentally oppose Ayurvedic principles of ahara. These industrial formulations contain additives and preservatives that weaken Agni (digestive fire), leading to poor gut health and accumulation of Ama (toxins) [9]. Subsequently, refined sugars and unhealthy fats contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress. Research indicates individuals with the highest ultra-processed food consumption face a  58% higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality[9].

Indeed, these foods disrupt the tridosha balance by:

• Disturbing Agni (Pitta), negatively affecting metabolism
• Creating digestive issues including bloating and gas
• Reducing nutrient absorption and promoting chronic problems

Skipping meals and irregular eating habits

Irregular mealtimes create metabolic instability while magnifying food cravings [10]. When your eating schedule lacks consistency, your blood sugar levels fluctuate unpredictably, often leading to poor food choices [11]. Despite being a seemingly minor habit, skipping meals more than twice weekly is reported by 36.10% of people surveyed [10].

This pattern especially aggravates Vata dosha. People who eat at different times each day make it difficult for Agni to establish a predictable rhythm, reducing its efficiency in breaking down food [12].

Stress and its impact on digestion and body rhythms

In our fast-paced world, stress directly disrupts the gut-brain axis [13]. When stress levels rise, your body shifts into ‘fight or flight’ mode, redirecting energy away from digestion [14]. Simultaneously, cortisol levels increase, slowing digestion and altering gut microbiota [14].

Chronic stress particularly affects your circadian rhythms. Researchers have documented that disrupted circadian cycles lead to decreased leptin (the fullness hormone), prediabetes conditions, and cognitive problems [8]. Furthermore, these disruptions extend beyond metabolism – studies link circadian misalignment with serious conditions including higher rates of miscarriage [8].

Ultimately, restoring alignment with natural laws requires recognizing how these modern patterns contradict the fundamental principles of Shareer Dharmas.

Restoring Balance through Ahara and Dharma

Restoring harmony between your body and nature requires practical implementation of Ayurvedic wisdom in daily life. After understanding how modern lifestyle disrupts natural laws, the next step involves actively realigning with Shareer Dharmas through mindful food choices and daily practices.

Aligning diet with natural and seasonal cycles

Nature provides exactly what your body needs in each season. Accordingly, seasonal eating (Ritucharya) supports optimal health by harmonizing your inner environment with external changes. As seasons shift, dominant doshas fluctuate – Kapha rises in spring, Pitta in summer, and Vata in fall/winter.

Your seasonal food choices should counterbalance these shifts:

• Spring (Kapha season): Favor light, dry, warming foods with bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes to combat heaviness
• Summer (Pitta season): Choose cooling, sweet, and juicy foods to pacify heat
• Fall/Winter (Vata season): Embrace warming, grounding, moist foods with sweet, sour, and salty tastes

Each seasonal transition serves as an opportunity to reset your digestive system and preemptively address potential imbalances before they manifest as disease.

Using food as preventive and curative medicine

In Ayurveda, food is considered mahabhaisajya – the most superior medicine. Straightaway, this concept transforms your kitchen into your first pharmacy. Food functions as poornabrahma, satisfying body, mind, and spirit simultaneously while influencing gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms.

The ancient texts detail specific food protocols (pathya) for various conditions. For instance, pomegranate and amla are recommended for iron deficiency, primarily because they enhance iron absorption while supporting digestive strength. Even commonly problematic foods can become medicine through proper processing – buttermilk, when properly prepared, transforms from aggravating to therapeutic for certain digestive disorders.

Living in harmony with the laws of nature

“Without proper diet, medicines are of no use. With proper diet, medicines are of no need,” states an Ayurvedic proverb. This principle underscores how fundamental alignment with nature’s laws becomes for maintaining Shareer Dharmas.

Basic practices include eating your main meal at midday when digestive fire peaks (between noon and 2:00 PM), avoiding cold beverages with meals which diminish Agni, and filling your stomach only two-thirds full – one-third food, one-third liquid, one-third space.

Beyond eating, tongue scraping stimulates taste buds and elimination pathways, while drinking warm water upon waking flushes accumulated toxins. These simple yet powerful practices correct prajnaparadha (crimes against wisdom) that occur when you knowingly choose harmful habits despite understanding their effects.

The ultimate goal isn’t perfection but mindfulness – becoming increasingly aware of how your choices either support or undermine the natural intelligence within your sharira.

Conclusion

Throughout this exploration of Shareer Dharmas and Ahara, one truth emerges clearly – your body operates according to fundamental natural laws that cannot be ignored without consequence. Therefore, understanding these principles becomes essential for maintaining optimal health. When you align your diet with these natural laws, your body responds with balance, vitality, and resilience.

Indeed, the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda offers practical guidance through the eight principles of Ahara Vidhi Visheshayatana, showing how food selection, preparation, and consumption directly influence your doshas, agni, and overall wellbeing. These principles remain remarkably relevant, especially amid modern challenges that increasingly disconnect you from natural rhythms.

The disharmony created by processed foods, irregular eating patterns, and chronic stress ultimately manifests as disease – a signal that your body’s natural intelligence has been overridden. Consequently, restoring balance requires deliberate choices that honor rather than contradict these biological laws.

Your journey toward health begins with simple yet powerful adjustments: eating seasonally, respecting your natural digestive rhythms, and treating food as medicine. These practices help correct prajnaparadha (crimes against wisdom) and reestablish harmony between your internal environment and the external world.

Above all, remember that alignment with Shareer Dharmas isn’t about perfection but mindfulness. Each meal presents an opportunity to support your body’s innate intelligence. The wisdom contained in these ancient principles transcends time – offering you a roadmap for navigating health challenges while honoring the sacred relationship between your physical form and the universal laws that govern it.

FAQs

References

[1] –https://www.shankara.in/blogs/shankara-blogs/ayurveda-and-the-environment-a-combination-of-wholeness?srsltid=AfmBOoqe6kFHM3DEC3WWDOejv6MPRAhqAPp59OrPjKfgAO34Zi3icJ0P
[2] –https://ayush.delhi.gov.in/ayush/fundamental-principleshttps://price-pottenger.org/journal_article/the-science-of-ayurveda-living-in-balance-with-natures-laws/
[3] –https://price-pottenger.org/journal_article/the-science-of-ayurveda-living-in-balance-with-natures-laws/
[4] –https://www.carakasamhitaonline.com/index.php/Sharira
[5] –https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5198827/
[6] –https://ayurvedopedia.in/definition-of-sharir/?srsltid=AfmBOopvZ6ZuqwSLy0BD0Ta6gYGmD9SlftbIn8ezxUFza6uHW_EtZv9R
[7] –https://www.jana-ayurveda.com/news/the-connection-between-ayurveda-and-nature-ayurveda-reflects-the-idea-that-all-elements-found-in-nature-are-also-found-in-the-body
[8] –https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/out-of-sync-how-modern-lifestyles-scramble-the-body-s-rhythms/
[9] –https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/why-ayurveda-recommends-whole-food-ingredients-over-processed-ones/articleshow/119850902.cms
[10] –https://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/symptom/Skip-meals-more-than-2x-week/475
[11] –https://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/symptom/Irregular-meal-times/476
[12] –https://himalayaninstitute.org/online/looking-at-diet-through-the-lens-of-digestion-an-ayurvedic-perspective/
[13] –https://ayutherapy.com/news/ayurvedic-remedies-stress-digestion/
[14] –https://sandu.in/how-stress-affects-digestion-and-ayurvedic-solutions-to-heal/?srsltid=AfmBOoqAmT7JYu77slY3PLxB1_FH5hP5htrXB5Ei803kcQ7ifRDc9-38