The 7 Dhatus: An Introduction to Ayurveda’s Tissue Layers
- Anji Green
- Aug 7, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 16, 2024
The tissues in our body allow us to experience sensations of pleasure and pain, sense the world around us, and respond according to how we feel. They make up the physical fabric of who we are and how we interact with the world.
In Ayurveda, there are seven tissue layers known as the dhatus, they are a vital component to our overall health. Understanding how to care for each one can be a powerful tool on your journey to vibrant health.
Here I will explore an overview of the dhatus and will dive into the first tissue layer, Rasa Dhatu... stay tuned for an exploration of the other dhatus in the coming weeks, with Rakta Dhatu coming up next.
An Overview of the Seven Tissue Layers
The origin of the word Dhatu stands for root building block. It literally translates to - that which holds, relating to our body’s collection of cells that maintain the potential to nourish, support, and protect us.
Sapta translates to seven, so saptadhatus refers to the seven specialized tissues that are the building blocks of our physical nature. These seven tissue layers include the lymph - Rasa, blood - Rakta, muscles - Mamsa, fat - Meda, bone - Asthi, nerves - Majja and reproductive organs - Shukra. These seven tissues hold our organs in place, construct our structure, and provide the freedom to move around with ease.
Each tissue feeds nutrients to the next tissue, making them an interconnected community of support
Your seven tissues also act as an excretory system to release toxins and to create secondary tissues that are essential parts of your physical make up. These secondary tissues are called the malas (or wastes) of saptadhatu.
For example, your hair, nails, and teeth are made from your bone tissue, and their texture depends on what vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients are available.
This natural flow of nutrition allows your internal state of health to show up through the tissues. If you see something on the surface of the skin that doesn’t make you feel good about yourself, you can understand it as a tissue imbalance, telling you exactly what you need to know.
Your body is so beautifully designed: by seeing and feeling your tissues, you can gather vital information and recognize how to make changes for better health.
Dhatus and the Power of Touch:
Your tissues are what you see when you gaze in the mirror at yourself, and they are intimately related to the feelings you form about how you look. When you are touched, either physically or emotionally, a sensation occurs.
The experiences you take in through your senses create the lustrous light everyone sees in your being when you are happy, as well as the sadness that shows when a situation gets under your skin. Even your tears are made from your nerve tissue, and you produce them depending on how the nerves are affected.
In Ayurveda, one primary form of self-care is established by touching ourselves through the practice of self massage, or abhyanga. This is done by applying sesame oil (like I do during your massage treatments) to the body and assessing how you feel and which tissue needs attention. Abhyanga cultivates embodiment and keeps you connected to yourself through the power of touch. It leads to the cultivation of self-love and helps you to face the truths of what needs to change. As I say, there is no perfect body, life, or person, and everyBODY deserves to be respected and cared for daily.
The quantity, quality, and consistency of food intake are responsible for the quantity, quality, and consistency of our tissues
Dhatus and the Role of Digestion:
You are what you eat, and your tissue strength is governed by the digestion of the food (and emotions!) you choose to take in.
Proper stomach metabolism, known as jatharagni (we've discussed this before), is essential to the proper functions of the tissues. This primary state of digestion affects each and
every layer of the dhatus and is essential to your overall health. In addition, each dhatu is believed to have its own individual digestive process, each one feeding into the health of the following tissue layer.
Every tissue has its own vital action which relates to how you look, feel, and present your truths, through body language and your individual appearance. This is your dhatu agni in action.
So let's move on to the First Dhatu - Rasa Dhatu:
Rasa Dhatu: The River of Life:
Rasa, the first dhatu, refers to the primary waters of the body. The word Rasa means sap, juice, essence, or liquid. But Rasa is more than just fluid, it is the very nourishment that forms all the other tissues. Rasa dhatu supports the essence of who you are, influences what you look like, and affects the strength of your immunity.
Essentially, it is a one-way river that moves water through your system, flushing out debris along the way and ensuring that the river of life does not get stagnant. If the river slows or clogs, bacteria can breed more easily, this is why when you are run down, you tend to get sick more easily.
Keeping the lymphatic river flowing is vital for balancing our immunity and feeding the strength of all the other tissues downstream
In the physical body, Rasa is the liquid exchange of plasma in your lymphatic system, the non-cellular portion of the blood and interstitial fluids. This is well represented by its role in creating and sustaining life itself, it includes breast milk and the ability to release excess hormones through menstruation.
In the energetic body, Rasa Dhatu affects the pituitary gland’s capacity to be excited or calmed down as needed, supporting homeostasis, the ability to handle stress and to go with the flow. Essential electrolytes are what keep your lymphatic river moving and overflowing into the bloodstream, like the waves in the ocean, consistently coming in and going out, the energy of Rasa is supplied through water volume. This also builds your Ojas, or vitality, the nectar of life that makes you feel juicy, look juicy, and have the juice to take action as needed.
Keeping the Lymphatic River Flowing:
Imagine arriving at a river where the waters are flowing effortlessly, the sound soothes your soul, and you feel at ease to rest and replenish your body, letting the world go by for just a little while. This is possible anytime, right within yourself, when your river of life is flowing.
There are several practical ways to nourish the flow of Rasa Dhatu. The following tips are great for all doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha:
Hydrate: Drink plenty of room-temperature water throughout the day
Neti pot: The traditional practice of neti pot helps to cleanse and clear stagnation in the nasal and sinus passages
Self-massage: Practice regular abhyanga, moving from feet to heart and hands to heart
Udvartana Massage: Book a Udvartana Massage at the clinic where a medicated scrub is applied to your whole body with vigorous motions, always moving towards the heart
In addition, here are tips for recognizing how each of the doshas may affect Rasa Dhatu and how to support a balanced and healthy flow.
Vata in Rasa Dhatu:
Signs:
Cold hands and feet, dry mouth, dry skin, tightness in the chest, neck, or jawline, clenched jaw, hard lymph nodes, emaciation, brown moles, feelings of fear, anxiousness, or depletion.
Finding Balance:
Exercise: Swimming, yoga, stretching prior to a strenuous workout; stay warm and take a hot bath after exercise Spices: Basil, ginger, fenugreek, oregano, asafetida Nutrition: Avoid astringent, dry, crunchy, cold, and raw foods
Pitta in Rasa Dhatu:
Signs:
Sensitive glands, tender lymph nodes, discomfort, skin irritation, excessive sweating, red moles, feelings of irritation or defensiveness
Finding Balance: Exercise: swimming, bicycling, break a sweat slowly then stop, finish with a cool shower Spices: Coriander, dill, fennel, anise, mint, cilantro, turmeric Nutrition: Avoid pungent, sour, oily, hot, and acidic foods
Kapha in Rasa Dhatu:
Signs:
Fluid in lymph nodes, weight gain under arms, forearms, or thighs, excessive bodily fluids, feelings of lethargy, low self-esteem, or grief.
Finding Balance: Exercise: swimming, walking, break a sweat vigorously, stimulating cardio workouts Spices: Asafoetida, cumin, rosemary, chili pepper, marjoram Nutrition: Avoid sweet, salty, and heavy foods, processed carbs, and dairy
Keep Exploring the Dhatus:
When Rasa Dhatu is healthy and well, it supports all of the other tissues in the body. Just as a healthy river carries life-giving nourishment as it flows downstream so to do all the Dhatus.
In the next few weeks I will be sharing the other Dhatus and how you can help support each one.
As always, please see me or a qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner prior to self-diagnosing any illness or disease!
Until next time, Namaste and Good Health.
Anji xx
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