The three doshas
Ayurveda sees each person as having a unique make-up, influenced by the time and place of their birth, genetics, and the celestial forces at play at the time of conception. To keep a person healthy or to treat specific symptoms, Ayurveda seeks to understand the individual's original nature, or Prakriti, to find the correct approach for that person. Your Prakriti is described by your dosha makeup. You may be predominant in one dosha, or two somewhat evenly. Rarely, a person is evenly balanced between all three of the doshas, also called tridoshic.
The best way to determine your dosha prakriti is by having an Ayurvedic consultation. I offer Ayurveda Wellness Coaching consultations in person or virtually. Click here to schedule a private coaching session to better understand your mind-body constitution and learn how ayurveda can support your most radiant health!
Below is an introduction to the three doshas, vata, pitta, and kapha. Which ones do you resonate with most?
Vata- Energy of Movement
Elements: Air and Space Seasons: Early Spring and Late Fall
Time of Day: 2-6. AM & PM
Qualities: dry, cold, light, rough, subtle, changing, and active.
Vata is the energy of movement. We see it in the elements air and ether, and throughout our world in things that move and the space they move through: wind, our legs, vehicles, airplanes, thoughts, currents of electricity, and even the digestive tract as it moves our food from one end to the other. Like the wind, vata is unpredictable, changeable, and it fills up spaces. Also like air, vata tends to be dry, cool, and unstable. Fall is characterized primarily by vata qualities, at least in northern climates, as the leaves are changing colors, the winds are blowing, and the air tends to be dry and cool. As the leaves fall leaving the trees bare and the growing season ends with the harvest, we can also notice the spacious quality of clarity and lightness, like the ether element. In humans, the vata dosha governs all that moves in our bodies: our physical movement, the movement of thoughts and ideas, the movement of food, oxygen, blood, and lymph.
Everyone has some vata, and all of the doshas, in them, but most people have one that predominates. People who have vata as their predominating dosha tend to be creative, filled with ideas, but also unpredictable, moving from one thing to the next. They tend to have light, thin, bodies, with visible joints and a tendency to be in constant motion. Vata people in balance are enthusiastic, kind, energetic, and artistic. Imbalanced vata energy, in anyone, can lead to problems such as irregular digestion with a tendency to gas, bloating and constipation, difficulty focusing and sleeping, anxiety, worry, and depression. If vata is out of balance for a long time, problems such as joint pain and stiffness, osteoporosis, low immunity, infertility, and serious digestive issues can occur.
Pitta- Energy of Transformation
Elements: Fire and Water Seasons: Late Spring, Summer, Early Fall
Time of Day: 10-2 AM & PM
Qualities: hot, liquid, oily, smooth, sharp, bright
Pitta is the energy of transformation. It is the combination of the fire element with a little bit of water. Like fire, pitta is hot, sharp, pointed, light, intense, and moving. Like water, pitta is unctuous, flowing, and slightly oily. Pitta energy is the energy of the sun, the heat and vibrancy of the middle of the day, of summertime. It is the energy that transforms things, like fire, from one form to the next. In our body, pitta is our metabolism, transforming our food into nutrients and waste. It is also the energy of cell transformation, and the energy that gives color to our skin, eyes, and hair.
Pitta predominant people tend to be goal-oriented and detail-oriented. In balance, they are great leaders, managers, and organizers. Out of balance they can get manipulative, micro-managing, and controlling. They tend to have fiery tempers and intense emotions. They tend to love fiercely and be protective of those they love, as well as of their ideas and their pride. Pittas naturally have lean muscular bodies, ruddy skin, and light or reddish hair. They usually have strong appetites and strong digestion, but when out of balance, they can tend towards diarrhea, heartburn, acid reflux, acne, and difficulty keeping on weight. When the fire is too strong, pittas get irritable, angry, and inflamed, which in the long term can lead to physical inflammatory conditions like irritable bowel disease, vision problems, and skin disorders.
Kapha- Energy of Structure and Lubrication
Elements: Earth and Water Season: Winter Time of Day 6-10, AM & PM
Qualities: Heavy, cool, stable, moist, unctuous
Kapha is the energy of structure and lubrication. It’s composed of the elements earth and water. It’s the foundation and structure of everything in our physical world and provides lubrication for things to move and flow. Kapha qualities are heavy, dense, stable, cool, and wet, like wintertime where it snows, and spring when everything is wet and blooming. Kapha is dependable, fortifying, and strong, like our abundant mother earth. And like water, kapha is cool, oily, and wet, keeping things from drying out and becoming brittle.
Kapha predominant people tend to be strong, big-boned, reliable, and emotionally stable. They are the people in our lives we can trust to take care of things in the background and do what they say they will do. Kapha people are loving, affectionate, and kind, though when out of balance they can be dependent, depressed, and overly attached to people and things. Kaphas love routine, they love to sleep, and they love to be at home. They can get stubborn and stuck in their ways because they don’t like to have to change or try many new things. They love food but can easily gain too much weight and have trouble losing it. Kaphas are generally calm, content, and easily go with the flow, as long as it doesn’t put them out of their comfort zone. Long term kapha imbalance is likely to lead to abnormal growths including tumors, cholesterol, ama build up (toxins), and cardiovascular disease.
