Are Your Tissues Really Nourished?
When we think about health, we often focus only on the basics: eat well, sleep enough, move your body. But Ayurveda goes a few steps deeper. It teaches us about the 7 Dhatus, the seven fundamental tissues of the body. These are like the building blocks that keep us alive, nourished, and thriving.
The 7 dhatus are:
Rasa (plasma/lymph) – your first layer of nourishment, carrying hydration and nutrients
Rakta (blood) – giving oxygen, vitality, and color to your body
Mamsa (muscle) – providing movement, strength, and structure
Meda (fat) – storing energy, keeping you warm, and lubricating your system
Asthi (bone) – forming the strong framework that holds everything together
Majja (marrow/nervous system) – supporting immunity, memory, and mental clarity
Shukra/Artava (reproductive tissue) – the most refined tissue, linked with fertility, creativity, and vitality
Each dhatu is nourished one after the other. If the earlier ones don’t get enough, the later ones won’t either. That means if your digestion is weak and your Rasa is poor, your Rakta won’t be strong. And if the chain keeps breaking down, the last tissue, Shukra/Artava, won’t get nourished, which often shows up as reproductive issues or overall loss of vitality.
I know this. For years, I wasn’t nourishing my body enough. I was taking supplements like crazy, thinking they would fix me. But my body couldn’t absorb them properly, and the result was that my reproductive system literally shut down. I lost my period. On top of that, my body was aching all the time, I developed osteoporosis, I couldn’t sleep… I often asked myself: how long could I live like this?
It wasn’t until I really started to eat more and learned about Ayurveda and the dhatus that things started to shift. But even then, my digestion wasn’t strong enough to make use of the food I was eating. For me, the real turning point was when I went through Panchakarma three years ago. That experience saved me. My IBS disappeared, I could finally digest food again, and four months later… my period came back. It felt like my body had woken up after years of running on empty.
This is why the dhatus matter so much. You can eat “healthy” and take all the supplements in the world, but if your channels are blocked and your digestion isn’t working, the tissues won’t get nourished. And when they aren’t nourished, imbalance and illness appear.
Some signs of imbalance can look like this:
Constant fatigue or lack of strength (Mamsa + Meda not nourished)
Bone pain, fragility, or joint issues (Asthi imbalance)
Brain fog, poor memory, or low immunity (Majja not supported)
Fertility issues or very low vitality (Shukra/Artava depletion)
The good news? Ayurveda always gives us tools. By strengthening digestion (Agni), cleansing the channels (srotas), and following the right food and lifestyle for your dosha, the dhatus can be rebuilt and balance can return.
So if you’ve ever wondered why your vitamins don’t seem to “work,” or why you feel tired no matter how well you eat, Ayurveda has an answer. And it also has the solutions to help you heal.
Be Healthy & Happy,
Audrey xx
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