Customer Reviews

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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I was given this book by a friend and absolutely found it amazing. If you're new to it or ayurveda seems to mystical to you, this book explains it. The author is a westerner and is able to communicate his knowledge of ayurveda extremely well. Ive read a lot of books on ayurveda this beats every one of them by far (and is way better than the books Ive read by Deepak Chopra), simply because it digs beneath the superficial understanding of ayurveda to why it makes sense scientifically.

For example, all of the other books I previously read on ayurveda described an individuals health as a natural balance of three elements (wind, fire, and earth). This book made the useful distinction of describing an individuals health as the balance of 3 natural FORCES in your body (vata: catabolism, pitta: metabolism, kapha: anabolism)

I have ulcerative colitis and over a couple of years of my own personal research and experimentation I've come to certain natural methods to help treat my condition. But later on when I got my hands on this book I was suprised to find that most of those recommendations were already described here.

My recommendation is take this book and read it very slowly and carefully digest the points on ayurveda and youll have a really really solid practical understanding of the science that you can use for the rest of your life.

One of the most rewarding and useful books I have ever read

I first read "Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution" by Robert Svoboda eight years ago, and it was in fact the first book on the subject that I had ever read. It is an engagingly written, perfectly organized introduction to a discipline that I call "data dense." That is to say, ayurveda is an extraordinarily complex study of the forces and forms, events and processes, that govern the structure and functioning of the human body in health and disease. Because of Dr. Svoboda's clear and logical elucidation of that study, it is made understandable to the reader willing to invest the time and thought in surveying its breadth and plumbing its depth.

Dr. Robert Svoboda is an American author and an ayurvedic physician who is one of the luminaries of the field: a teacher, writer and practitioner who alone has done more to raise public awareness of the ancient healing art than any other Westerner and one of the dozen leading ayurvedic educators in the world today. He is the author of a dozen books on the subject and countless professional and popular articles. Svoboda graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1972 and in 1973 moved to India to study at the prestigious Tilak Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya (an ayuvedic medical college) in Pune. In 1980, he graduated from the University of Pune with the degree of Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) and was awarded the distinction of "Ayurvedacharya." Svoboda is the first Westerner to graduate from a college of ayurvedic medicine and to be licensed to practice ayurveda in India.

For the individual new to ayurveda, this book is the best introduction available. The author communicates his deep knowledge of ayurvedic science extremely effectively, probing beneath the superficialities and illustrating clearly the reasons that it makes sense scientifically and philosophically.

Dr. Svoboda's work on the role of the "prakriti," the constitutional psychobiological types postulated by ayurveda's theory comes after much research and clinical experience. Prakriti, the individual `s constitution, is the basis of ayurvedic medicine; ayurvedic theory asserts that if an individual (or his physician) comprehends the nature of their own constitution, they can extrapolate with precision what comprises a good diet and lifestyle specifically for them. This emphasis on the unique needs of each individual in maintaining or restoring a state of health is the "crown jewel" of ayurveda and is what makes it distinctive from all other healing arts.

In addition to explaining the theory underlying "prakriti," this valuable work illustrates how best to bring each constitutional type into healthy balance, addressing some of the most commonly encountered health challenges such as obesity and malnutrition, asthma, allergies, rheumatic diseases, tuberculosis and cancer.

Dr. Svoboda does not stop at the fundamentals: he generously gives his readers a small taste of some of the more rarified realms of ayurvedic practice in the concluding chapters of the book on Indian alchemy (rasa shastra) and on the metaphysics that lie behind and beyond the workings of this ancient science. That taste of what ayurveda has to offer leaves the reader hungry for more (and of course, there is very much more).

I unhesitatingly recommend "Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution" for anyone curious as to what ayurveda is all about: the person considering consulting an ayurvedic practitioner, the Western-trained health professional interested in or wishing to augment his or her effectiveness using ayurveda's principles, the student of yoga curious about yoga's "sister science," or anyone inquiring into ancient India's vast contribution to world science.

Dr. Svoboda has done wonderful work in writing this book, and deserves much gratitude for his effort. This is one of the most rewarding books I have ever read, and one that inspired me to continue my study of ayurveda.

This is a really good book, but I would not call it a good introduction to Ayurveda. I would recommend Amadea Morningstar's books for the beginner. The writing style is a bit 'wooly' and vague for the beginner, but if you have a good basic understanding of Ayurveda, it is perfectly clear. Not really a 'how to' manual for living Ayruvedically, but fills in the holes left by the more basic manuals.

I've read several books on ayurveda, done a couple of the self analysis charts and even had an ayurvedic consult but the concepts have remained elusive. I had rejected ayurveda as a system of self knowledge and potential healing for myself. However, when I picked up this book and started to leaf through it I could instantly relate to the descriptions of the doshas, how they express in people, including myself. This is the first book I've come across that spells it out so simply and therefore makes the knowledge applicable. In regards to how food relates to and affects the doshas this book again, quite simply, lays out the information. From the westerners point of view it is a little hard to fully appreciate the aspects of food (taste) and how that affects our doshas but with a little faith you can kind of see how foods do affect us.
The book is a quick read, well written to keep you moving through the subjects and understandable.
I would recommend this book to someone who wants to learn about ayurveda.

As a yoga practitioner since 1995 and a yoga teacher since 2000 I've read a lot of books on everything about yoga. I also run a yoga book club at the studio where I teach. My students are always curious about eating more yogicly and taking their yoga to the next level. I had a few requests on yoga and diet so I started researching the best books that would be readable for all levels. This is how I stumbled upon Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution.
I read most of it over one weekend. It was so interesting and the knowledge that Mr Svoboda imparts really sinks in, better than other books that seem to hold Ayurveda at arms length. I've known what my dosha was for years but never really connected the dots. I immediately started thinking about how I eat, what tastes I like best and when. When I got to the last page I went right back to the beginning and reread it to go over what I didn't get on the first pass. Three months later it's still on my night stand. I learn something new every time I pick it up. I consider it a little jewel, jammed packed with good info. It took my understanding to the next level. I've read two other books on Ayurveda since then but this is the one that made it all make sense for me.
You don't have to practice yoga to enjoy this book. Ayurveda is the medicinal branch of the yoga. It helps. Ayurveda like yoga is done in levels - practice, observe and adjust appropriately. It can change your life.

This is a very well written, interesting, comprehensive and outstandingly original interpretation of Ayurvedic knowledge that I have returned to consult again and again and which occupies a prominent position on my bookshelf. Written by the first Westerner to take a full course on Ayurveda in India, it bears the mark of singular accomplishment in the field. I fully agree with Sam (the earlier reviewer) that this book goes way beyond Deepak Chopra's books in its understanding of the physical Nature of the human constitution.

In this book, the author presents an unusually clear and detailed portrayal of the three doshas, the characteristics of people where one or both of these doshas predominate, the appropriate nutrition and lifestyle for them to follow, and the kind of imbalances that would lead to diseases for each type. Disorders like cancer, consumption, obesity and rheumatism are treated in detail. The analysis on obesity is very sensitive and that alone is worth the price of the book.

Some of the remedial treatments considered in this book appear a touch impractical and outdated. The reason, perhaps is, because Ayurvedic practice is based on a worldview that is very different from the Western Occidental way of life. One senses in the book, a thinking that is based on the assumption that all things are connected and designed to promote optimal health and where disease is more the exclusion rather than the norm.

I give this book five stars because it is so readable.

I brought couple of books on Ayurveda and this is the best book by far. Excellent, indepth, comprehensive, yet simple material...highly recommend it.

The author knows and practices his subject, you can tell by his ease with it. It is easy to read and understand. It is useful information you won't find in many other places, ancient information. It is one of my favorite self-care guides.

"Prakruti" - the first edition of "Prakriti" - was recommended to us by a Sri Lankan ayurvedic physician. His own copy of "Prakruti" was full of comments. He used it to explain the original texts in Sanskrit to us Westerners. We immediately read it eagerly.

With "Prakruti" you get a solid introduction with the eyes of a western physician and a complete college level ayurvedic background. Great! And maybe sometimes a little over idealistic as is often found in converts. The western medicine is sometimes a bit dated in line with the publication date of this book. Therefore not every analogy in western medicine is still a good one, but the analogy still improves understanding.

This second edition is extremely close in text to the first edition Prakruti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution. I do like the printing of the illustrations in the first edition better.

In total this is the best introduction I have found so far and I do heartily recommend it.

If you are just curious - or want to learn more about Ayurveda - Dr. Svoboda is a great resource, both in his books and on his website.. I especially like his "Aghora" series - which I didnt buy here but I would recommend as "THE books to read..." for anyone interested in Hinduism.