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Asthi Dhatu: A closer look at the bones from theayurvedic perspective

Advanced Ayurvedic Theory (the seven dhatus part V)

Introduction

Asthi means bone. The asthi dhatu gives solid structure to the body.

In the physical body asthi dhatu is formed as posaka (unstable) medas dhatu flo!s into the purisha dhara kala

and is digested by the asthiagni. In addition to the formation of the bones of the body teeth are formed

through this process and are thus the upadhatu (secondary tissue) of the production of asthi dhatu. The !aste

products (malas) of this metabolic process are the hair and nails.

The purisha dhara kala is the membrane that holds the asthi agni. "urisha means #feces$. The term is also

used to describe the large intestine as in the purishavaha srota. %ere lies an important clue of the relationship

bet!een health of the large intestine and that of the bones. The large intestine is the home site of vata dosha.

The close relationship bet!een these t!o tissues reveals the susceptibility of the bones to vata disorders.

&hen there is pathology in the large intestine (gas constipation) the pathology is transferred to the bones

!hich become more porous and air filled. 'uch is the case of osteoporosis.

ones are made up of a solid structure organied as a matri*. This matri* can be visualied as the letter +. The

lines that form the letter are solid and made of earth. The space bet!een the lines are filled !ith air. Thus

bones create a solid but light structure allo!ing the body to easily move. ,ong bones have a hollo! core that

is filled !ith hemopoetic tissue called the marro!. This is an aspect of the ma--a dhatu.

&hen the asthi agni is lo! asthi dhatu is produced in e*cess. &hen this occurs the tissue produced is denser.

Those !ith a kapha nature having lo!er agni produce thicker and denser bones. Those !ith a pitta nature

having higher agni produce bones that are not as dense but are more metabolically active. This can lead to

narro!ing and !eakness in the bones as !ell as inflammation if pitta becomes vitiated. Those !ith a vata

nature having a variable agni produce less asthi dhatu and that !hich is produced is of poorer uality. It is

thinner and more fragile.

In order to produce healthy asthi dhatu adeuate earth and air must be consumed in the proper balance

through the diet. /arth is present in s!eet foods such as grains and nuts and astringent foods such as beans.

Air is present in bitter and pungent foods such as most vegetables. 0onsumption alone does not guarantee that

healthy asthi !ill be formed. The t!o elements must be properly digested so that their ualities can be used

to build bones. Thus -atharagni (main digestive fire) must be healthy. If it is not healthy rather than forming

healthy bones these same foods !ill produce ama and to*ify the body and mind.

"athology and the Asthi Dhatu

one pathologies can be simple or comple*. Vata vitiation leads to !eak or fragile bones that become

osteoporotic and fracture easily. "itta vitiation leads to bone infections (ostoemyelitis) and inflammation.

1apha vitiation leads to e*cessively thick dense bones. 2ther diseases of the bones are more complicated.

2steoarthritis is a combined vata3kapha condition in !hich vata (age motion and stress) is responsible forprovoking gro!th in an irregular fashion leading to bone spurs. 4heumatoid arthritis is a sannipatika condition

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!hereby vata pushes kapha to cause irregular bone gro!th. Vata fans the flames of pitta causing inflammation

and bone destruction. Ama is also present. 2steoblastic bone cancer is a sannipatika condition !hereby vata

simultaneiously pushes kapha (bone gro!th) and fans the flames of agni !ithin the affected tissue creating a

high metabolic state for gro!th. 2steoclastic bone cancer has a dual dosha pathology !hereby vata combines

!ith pitta resulting in a high metabolic state that destroys bone tissue.

"sychology and the Asthi Dhatu

Asthi dhatu is more than the structural tissues of the body. 2n a psychological level it is !hat allo!s a person

to stand up for them selves !ithin the !orld. 2nes stature is not a function of sie but uality. &hen the asthi

dhatu is !eak so is one5s ability to stand solid in the face of adversity or controversy. This should not be

mistaken as courage. It is steadfastness. It is the ability to be un!avering in one5s convictions. &hen the asthi

dhatu is healthy there is a healthy confidence in one5s ideas decisions and beliefs. As the asthi dhatu

increases and becomes e*cessive the ualities of the earth element increase and a person becomes overly

attached obstructive and stubborn. It becomes difficult to move or shift directions. &hen the asthi dhatu is

deficient the ualities of the earth element decrease and there is little attachment causing a person to shrinkto the background flo!ing !ith the !ill of others. 1apha dosha is responsible for e*cesses in asthi dhatu. Vata

dosha is responsible for deficiencies. 'hort term pitta imbalances do not greatly affect the psychological

aspect of the asthi dhatu. %o!ever long term vitiation burns out the dhatu resulting in deficiency.

In the subtle body the health of the asthi dhatu is dependent upon the flo! through the muladhara chakra.

"rana flo!ing through this chakra carries the ualities of the earth element throughout the subtle body and

creates a solid sense of self. The flo! of prana through anahata and vishuddha chakras are also important.

Through these chakras the ualities of air and ether are circulated respectively. As the flo! of prana increases

through these chakras so too do their respective elemental ualities and this results in a !eakening of the

asthi dhatu both physically and psychologically.

/valuating the Asthi Dhatu

As you can not assess the health of the asthi dhatu directly e*cept through medical testing it is necessary to

assess the asthi dhatu via the upadhatus and malas of its production. Thus by e*amining the hair nails and

teeth the practitioner can infer the state of the asthi dhatu.

&hen the asthi dhatu is deficient hair density becomes scant. %air loss may be distributed throughout the

scalp or in patches. In addition palpation of the nails reveals that they have become thin and break easily.

The teeth !ill appear crooked or become darker (gray) than usual. These findings are consistent !ith

deficiency due to vata vitiation.

&hen the asthi dhatu is in e*cess hair density if full. In addition the nails are thick and the teeth large

straight and !hite. These are the signs of kapha vitiation !ithin the asthi dhatu. %o!ever these findings are

more difficult to discern than deficiency as a person !ith a kapha prakruti !ill also e*hibit these same

findings. Thus secondary signs of kapha vitiation should also be observed most especially those !ithin the

digestive system such as sluggish digestion and the mind such as stubbornness. &hen these findings are present

in addition to dense hair thick nails and !hite teeth it can be assumed that kapha has entered the asthi

dhatu.

&hen pitta has entered the asthi dhatu the teeth and nails !ill become a pale shade of yello! and the hair

!ill lose its color and turn gray. 2ver time the nails !ill nails !ill become !eaker and the hair may fall out as

deficiency sets in due to burn out.

"roper Treatment of the Asthi Dhatu%ealing the asthi dhatu means restoring the proper uantity and uality of earth and air in the body and

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normaliing the flo! of these ualities through the chakras. The proper uantity varies !ith the constitution

of the individual. Those !ith more kapha in their constitution !ill naturally have strong asthi dhatu. This

makes depletion less likely and e*cess more likely. Those !ith more of a vata constitution tend to have a

naturally lo!er amount of asthi dhatu and are the most susceptible to depletion. Those !ith a pitta nature

tend to have a moderate uantity of asthi dhatu and are prone to depletion only !hen e*posed to e*cessive

heat for an e*tended period or !hen affected by a vata imbalance.

Diet and the Asthi Dhatu

&hen vata dosha has entered the asthi dhatu the best treatment is to increase the uantity of earth element

in the diet. /arth is found in the largest amount in s!eet tasting foods such as grains meats nuts and bones

and to a lesser degree in root vegetables. It is not found to any significant degree in fruits or leafy green

vegetables. Thus these should be deemphasied in the diet.

&hen kapha dosha has entered the asthi dhatu the best treatment is to decrease the uantity of earth

element and increase the uality of the air element. 6oods that are high in air include most fruits and leafy

green vegetables. 7ote that e*cessive fruit may aggravate the !atery aspect of kapha and so caution should

be taken. The pungent and bitter tastes are best for increasing the ualities of air in the body. Thusincreasing the use of spices is important. In general the diet should be light.

&hen pitta has entered the asthi dhatu it is important to decrease the uality of the fire element. Thus the

diet should be cool and de3emphasie hot spices and cooked oils. 0ooling foods that also nourish asthi dhatu

such as !hole milk !heat and other grains should be taken. eans may be taken if they are digested !ell and

gas does not form..

/*ercise 8oga and the Asthi Dhatu

/*ercise increases the asthi agni supporting the formation of high uality boney tissue. 0are should be taken

!hen e*ercising ho!ever as !eakness in the asthi dhatu makes the bones more likely to fracture. Thus !hen

significant !eakness is present the patient should begin !ith mild !eight bearing e*ercises. &alking is a

healthy place for most patients to begin. %o!ever in the most severe situations as often occurs in the elderly

it may be best to begin !ith a reduced !eight bearing e*ercise such as !ater aerobics. As time goes on

e*ercise can become more !eight bearing and may be practiced for longer periods of time. &eight bearing

e*ercises are particularly beneficial for the spinal column hips and legs but do not benefit the !rists and

shoulder. Additional e*ercises that place stress on these -oints are also important. A properly designed yoga

practice can place appropriate stress on each of the -oints of the body strengthening the asthi dhatu !hile

providing the additional benefits of deep rela*ation and mindfulness.

9editation 0hanting and the Asthi Dhatu

9editation for spiritual realiation increases the ualities of the ether element in the body and mind. Thus

meditation for healing the asthi dhatu must be modified. 9editaiton !hile sitting on the floor creates a closer

connection !ith the earth and is better than in a chair. Attention on the muladhara chakra and its connection

to the earth also supports building the ualities of the earth element. Visualiation of earth energy entering

from the base of the spine during meditation and being circulated by the muldhara chakra creates a greater

sense of feeling grounded and steady. This supports asthi dhatu. The mantra of the 9uladhara chakra is lum.

uietly chanting lum !ith attention on muladhara chakra enhances the ualities of earth in the body and

mind.

9editations that increase ether and air are beneficial !hen asthi dhatu is in e*cess and the earth element is

too strong. Air fills the space created by ether and this purifies the asthi dhatu. 9editations on the anahata

chakra and vishuddha chackras and chanting their respective bi-as mantras; yum and hum increase the

ualities of air and ether respectively.

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%erbs and the Asthi Dhatu:

'everal herbs are beneficial for treating bone !eakness (osteoposis) and support healing due to fractures.

These conditions are most commonly due to vata dosha vitiation. 6or these conditions comfrey oatstra! and

amalaki are all e*cellant. 0omfrey has long been used for supporting the healing of bones follo!ing fracture.

It is cooling and moist and blances vata and pitta doshas.. 2atstra! is a cool tonic that also also balances vata

and pitta and has been sho!n to stimulate bone gro!th. Amalaki an outstanding general tonic for the body is

also traditionally used to support bone development. hringara- is a important herb that can be used for both

tonfiication of the bones and purification. It is most benefical for pitta dosha. <uggul and kutki are t!o herbs

that are specific for purification of the bones and best for treating kapha dosha in the asthi dhatu.

In summary a healthy asthi dhatu leads to strong bones capable of carrying us though our lifetime. They allo!

for motion !hen movement is necessary and steadiness in the face of adversity. In order to keep the dhatu

healthy it is important to kno! one5s prakruti and vikruti and then to take the appropriate actions to restore

balance.

Dr. 9arc %alpern is the founder and "resident of the 0alifornia 0ollege of Ayurveda. An internationallyrespected e*pert in the field of Ayurvedic medicine Dr. %alpern received the a!ard for est Ayurvedic

"hysician from the Indian 9inister of %ealth and 6amily &elfare Dr. A. 4amdas. %e is a co3founder of the

7ational Ayurvedic 9edical Association and the 0alifornia Association of Ayurvedic 9edicine. %e is on the

advisory board of ,ight on Ayurveda =ournal in the >nited 'tates and the =ournal of 4esearch and /ducation in

Indian 9edicine in Varansi India. %e can be reached

at !!!.ayurvedacollege.com or drh?ayurvedacollege.com. 2r by phone at @3BB 3C@3 BBEE