The 13 Natural Urges from "The Ayurveda Encyclopedia" of Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha

Áyurveda, we have already said, emphasizes gentle and natural methods. To highlight this, Áyurveda notes that certain bodily urges are natural and necessary for proper health and functioning of the mind, emotions, and body. The result of suppressing these natural urges creates serious health problems.

13 Natural Urges and the Results of Suppressing Them 

1. Sleep: Insomnia, fatigue, headache, deranges the vital force.

 2. Cry: Eye disease, allergies, light-headedness, heart disease (suppressed emotions). 

3. Sneeze: Headache, facial nerve pain, numbness, weak senses, lung disorders, and respiratory allergies. 

4. Breathe: Coughing, asthma, shallow breath, low vitality, heart disease.

 5. Belch: Cough, hiccups, anorexia, difficult breathing, palpitations. 

6. Yawn: Tremors, numbness, convulsions, insomnia, harms nervous system, deranges Váyu. 

7. Vomit: Nausea, anorexia, edema, anemia, fever, skin diseases, damages Kapha. 

8. Eat: Low appetite and digestion, malabsorption, light-headedness, deranges the whole body and mind, suppresses the agni fire and Pitta.

 9. Drink: Dryness, deafness, fatigue, heart pain, bladder pain, lower backache, headache, damages Kapha and Váyu.

10. Urinate: Kidney and urinary system derangement, difficult or painful urination, bladder pain, lower backache, headache, deranges Váyu and Kapha.

 11. Ejaculate: Weakens the reproductive and urinary systems, penis and testes pain, swollen prostate, difficult urination, cardiac pain, insomnia, malaise, Váyu derangement.

 12. Defecate: Weakens the colon, excretory and digestive srotas, causes constipation, abdominal weakness, abdominal distention, headaches, muscle cramps, deranges Váyu. 

13. Flatulate: Causes constipation, difficult urination, abdominal pain, distention, weakens Váyu, air wastes are absorbed into the bones and marrow, aggravating arthritis and nerves.

 It is for these reasons that Áyurveda advises that people follow nature’s call, living naturally and gently, without straining or forcing