What is your body telling you? Get to know your Doshas.

According to Ayurveda, everything on Earth is composed of the energies of the five elements, or states of matter.

 

Earth: A state of firmness and stability.

Water: The state of moisture and fluidity.

Fire: Heat and transformation.

Air: The state of circulation and movement.

Ether: Space or void

Combinations of the five elements manifest in the human body as three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Everyone has these five elements in different proportions in their bodies; the distribution of these five elements in your physical and mental bodies determines your dominant Dosha.

 

Vata: Ether and Air

Pitta: Fire and Water

Kapha: Water and Earth

 

When the doshas are balanced, you feel peaceful, energetic, happy, and in your ideal state; when the doshas are out of balance, physical or mental illnesses/imbalances occur.

 

Doshas: The Hidden Language of the Body

Vata: Air and Space.

It represents movement.

Pitta: Fire and Water.

It represents transformation/metabolism.

Kapha: Earth and Water.

It represents protection/holding together.

Vata dosha is formed by the combination of space and air, and in the body it takes on the qualities of these two elements: dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, and mobile.

Vata is the energy that governs movement, body-mind functions, the nervous system, speech, breathing, elimination, and creativity; it also coordinates the movements of Pitta and Kapha.

 

Pitta dosha is the expression of the fire element combined with the fluidity of the water element in the body, and it takes on their qualities: warm, sharp, slightly oily/moist, penetrating, light, and mobile. Pitta is the energy that governs transformation (all chemical and metabolic functions), digestion, body temperature, visual and mental perception, appetite; it leads to intelligence, brilliance, skin, and courage.

 

Kapha dosha is a combination of the water and earth elements. Just as mixing these elements results in something heavy and powerful, Kapha dosha exhibits similar qualities: oily, cool, soft, heavy, slow-moving, moist, and stable. Kapha is the energy of integrity/protection that provides support and static stability, holding bodily tissues together. It governs nourishing and protective functions; provides lubrication to organs, tissues, joints, and mucous membranes; and empowers the heart, lungs, brain, and other organs.

 

All three doshas are present in everyone, but they manifest uniquely in each of us. Their distribution varies. Two people with the same dosha can exhibit very different tendencies.

Doshas are determined at birth and are unchangeable; this is called Prakruti. Most people have one or two dominant doshas, and although rare, some people have all three in equal amounts (tridoshik).

 

Your dominant dosha(s) are reflected in how you express yourself: your appearance, your way of thinking, your speaking speed, and your activities in life. When you are under stress, the first dosha to go out of balance is your dominant dosha.

 

If the Doshas Go Out of Balance

 

An unbalanced Vata energy will create dryness, coldness, circulation and elimination problems, exhaustion, anxiety, fear, dissatisfaction, or insecurity.

An imbalance or overflow of Pitta can lead to excessive heat, burning sensations, inflammation, irritability, arrogance, or anger.

An imbalance in Kapha energy will increase feelings of heaviness, weakness, stagnation, inertia, lethargy, lack of confidence, or sadness.

 

Know Your Doshas, Find Balance for Yourself

 

Understanding your constitution or metabolic type is important because doshas act as a guide, showing your strengths and weaknesses for ideal health. Paying attention to your doshas is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

 

In short, you have to deal with your doshas as long as you live! When you choose to deal with your doshas is entirely up to you.

When everything is going well, controlled, and balanced, should we benefit from the strengths of the doshas, or should we try to cure illnesses by forcing and pushing the body and mind out of control without listening to them?

Making a choice doesn't seem too difficult...

Discover your Dosha