Imbalance in the nadis
For most of us, total health, which ultimately leads to spiritual awakening, cannot be obtained. We constantly experience a fluctuation of energies, moods, periods of health and ill health, and the general ups and downs of life. This is the normal life process and is explained in yogic terms by the continual shift of energies from ida to pingala and back again in an approximately 90 minute cycle. The normal individual becomes ida predominant for 90 minutes and pingala predominant for 90 minutes. We are rarely in the balanced, sattwic state for more than a few minutes at a time. The balance occurs at the crossover point of each cycle.

A disease situation arises when an extreme shift in energy occurs outside of the normal range of flux experienced by relatively healthy individuals, or if the rhythm of shift is broken. For example, if we dwell excessively on our thoughts or on some event in our life, we evoke a continuous stream of mental energy which may inappropriate. This is a neurotic situation. An extreme accentuation of internal mental pressures can cause an already imbalanced or weakened mind to break; the psychotic situation.

It is possible through our lifestyle to live in a predominantly pingala, extrovert existence or in a predominantly ida, introvert existence. Though there is no extreme or acute stress, this situation invokes a generalized, chronic and weakening imbalance which can eventually lead to an acute breakdown and the manifestation of true illness later in life. At the same time, such imbalance is detrimental and not conducive to a happy existence.

1. The pingala dominant individual: A person who is mainly extrovert has very little access to internal experience, seeking to fill the inner void with external pleasures, desires and ambitions. Constantly grabbing outward for external securities and happiness cannot satisfy the inner needs. This leads to more frustrations and inner tensions which motivate more outward seeking behaviour. Such pingala dominant individuals tend to overactivate their sympathetic nervous system, secreting too much acid and causing ulcers, producing angina pectoris or raising blood pressure beyond normal limits. They are constantly in a state of preparation for 'fight or flight', secreting too much adrenaline and performing too little exercise in order to burn up the excessive chemical 'secretions. Diseases manifest from the imbalance of endocrine secretions and metabolic processes. Such individuals may be restless and irritable, suffering 'dis-ease' in interpersonal situations