Sixth Dathu – Majja Dhatu (Nerve Tissue and Bone Marrow)
Bone marrow is a soft jelly like tissue within the cavity of the bone. Every bone has a little foramen, a small hole, through which the nerves and blood vessels enter the bone tissue. Therefore, the bone tissue has a sense of pain, pressure, and position of the joint. Whenever your joint is flexed or extended, you know its position because of Majja Dhatu. Majja Dhatu is present in the brain and across the whole nerves system of the body. It is the seat of the conscious and subconscious mind. The main function of Majja Dhatu is communication; Majja Dhatu connects all the organs together through conscious awareness. Understanding is subtle neurological digestion and a process of assimilation governed by Majja Agni. Majja Agni is composed of enzymes, amino acids and neurotransmitters necessary for the nourishment, function, and metabolism of nerve cells. Every experience and sensation carried to the brain is unprocessed. In the brain, these unprocessed sensations are processed and transformed into understanding.
Dreams are a discharge of nerve cells, the drainage of incomplete thoughts, actions, and feelings. Any thought that comes to our mind without out our total awareness is an incomplete thought. Our brain has to complete thoughts to restore order, so dreams are necessary to finish unfinished business. Majja Dhatu also discharges emotions in the form of tears, so tears are liquefied crystals of emotions
When Majja Dhatu is optimal, it is called Majja Sara. When Majja Dhatu is absolutely healthy, there is clear perception, understanding and comprehension. A Majja Sara person is bright, brilliant, and intelligent.
Purpose: communication
Element: Water
Attributes: Oily, Soft
Action: lubricating, bone filling
Superior by product: tears
Inferior by products: oily secretions from the eyes, mucosal secretions that help discharge the bowls
Causes of Majja disorders:
- poor diet, especially Vata provoking food, dry foods, legumes, leftovers
- excess sexual activity or excess strain
- anxiety, sadness
- excess cleansing diets and depleting life habits
- excess bathing
- depression of natural urges
- day sleep
- Phlegm
- incompatible food combining
- physical trauma such as bone fracture
- hectic lifestyle and emotional stress
- conflict
- unresolved deep emotions
- extreme climatic conditions
- lack of sleep
- high fever
- bacterial or viral infection
- cerebral concussion
- heavy metal toxicity
- radiation exposure
- alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other drugs
Majja Dhatu disorders due to Excess Vata
Due to aggravation of Vata in the nervous system, especially the Dry quality of Vata, the following symptoms may appear:
- anxiety, anxious, fear of the unknown, insecurity
- fainting
- tingling or numbness of the extremities
- muscle twitching, nervous twitching of the eyelids
- cold hands and feet
- dizziness
- hypertonia (rigidity) or hypotonia (flaccidity) of the muscles
- lack of coordination
- limping
- paralysis
- pain
- mental illness such as schizophrenia
- confusion
- exhaustion
- insomnia
- nightmares
Majja Dhatu disorders due to Excess Pitta
Due to aggravation of Pitta in the nervous system, inflammation of the nerve may result. The following symptoms may appear:
- weakness, numbness and a burning sensation of the hands or the feet (in conditions such as polyneuritis or neuropathy)
- pain along the track of a nerve (such as trigeminal neuralgia or sciatica)
- inflammatory and burning pain along a tract of a nerve (herpes zoster)
- herpes simplex
- stroke
- multiple sclerosis
Majja Dhatu disorders due to Excess Kapha
Due to aggravation of Kapha in the nervous system, Kapha blocks the normal function of Vata, resulting in different nerve diseases with symptoms of excess Vata, or Pitta, as mentioned above.
Signs of excess Kapha only:
- excess sleep
- heaviness of the eyes
- general heaviness and sluggishness
- hydrocephalus – accumulation of fluid in ventricles of the brain
- tumors of the nerves system
- thickening of the nerves, causing loss of sensation