Chitta Vritti Pariksha

Chitta Vritti Pariksha—the examination of mind patterns—extends Patanjali's foundational practice of observing mental modifications into clinical Ayurvedic assessment. By distinguishing between rajas (agitation), tamas (inertia), and sattva (clarity), practitioners identify which doshas dominate consciousness. This framework recognizes that vata imbalance creates scattered thoughts, pitta excess generates criticism and judgment, and kapha stagnation produces lethargy and attachment. Rather than suppressing these patterns, Ayurvedic mental health uses observation to prescribe targeted interventions: grounding practices for vata, cooling practices for pitta, and stimulating practices for kapha. Patanjali's emphasis on witness consciousness becomes a diagnostic lens, transforming psychological assessment from pathology-focused to constitution-conscious.