How It Works In Ayurvedic philosophy all of creation is made up of the five essential elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. These elements are also the subtlest aspects of human life. Each person is made up of a combination of these elements, establishing their basic constitution or dosha. This is the level on which Ayurvedic healing works. When the elements are strong and balanced within a person, they support healthy functioning on the concrete physiological level. Illnesses are regarded as aggravations of the doshas in the human body. An Ayurvedic practitioner will look to see what part of the patient's life is creating the imbalance, be it diet, lifestyle, work, emotional states, etc. Based on the nature of the imbalance, there are several basic therapeutic strategies employed. For quantitative changes in the doshas, such as gas, hormones, mucus and calcifications, elimination therapies (Panchakarma) are used. When there is excessive material present, Panchakarma elimi...