Understanding the Doshas
Mar 29, 2018

Anita Kelley
Core Spirit member since Dec 24, 2020
Reading time 5 min.

Radiant health, according to Ayurveda, is simply a state in which you experience a zest for life and feel integrated and whole. Your appetite, digestion, and elimination are good, you breathe deeply and easily, your skin is radiant, you sleep well, and you experience the full range of human emotions in a manner that is congruent with your experiences. How each of us achieve this state of integration and wholeness, as well as how we experience physical and mental disease and suffering, is a function of our individual and unique, by degree and manifestation, bodymind type or dosha.

While there are three doshas, they combine into ten types,

a) the three monodoshics: in which one dosha strongly predominates, and the other two are equally secondary.

b) the six bidoshics: in which one dosha strongly predominates, the next dosha is of secondary strength within the bodymind, while the third is of weakest influence. These are:

Vata-Pitta

Pitta-Vatta

Pitta-Kapha

Kapha-Pitta

Vata-Kapha

Kapha-Vata.

c) Tri doshic: Those in whom the three doshas have equal value.

Each of the ten doshic types have specific characteristics, some of which are as follows:

Vata types are light and thin in build, move quickly in speech, activities and thought, tend towards dry skin, are averse to cold, dry weather, have irregular appetites, digestions, and schedules, tend to worry, become constipated easily, and sleep lightly and with easy interruption. Their eyes are light colored and can be nervous. Hair is thin and dry.

Pitta types have a moderate build with prominent tendons. They have penetrating intellects, are enterprising and sharp in character, good public speakers, with a tendency toward quick anger and irritability. They have intense hungers, can’t skip meals, are averse to hot weather and prefer cold drinks and foods. They tend toward reddish hair, moles, and freckles with oily and easily inflamed skin. Their eyes are sharp and penetrating. Hair is wiry.

Kapha types have a solid large boned heavy build. They have good strength and endurance, are slow and methodical, can be steady and tranquil with oily and smooth skin. They have mild hunger, and slow digestion and can gain weight very easily. Their eyes are large and like water and their sleep is heavy and long. They tend towards plentiful thick wavy hair.

As you can imagine, how each of these types combine in any one individual has a near infinite number of permutations and gradations, however, certain very generalized observations can be made about the nature of a dosha when balanced or imbalanced.

Balanced Vata is mentally alert with strong sleep, immunity, and exhilaration with life.

Imbalanced Vata has dry rough skin, insomnia, nervous disorders, anxiety and worry, underweight, intolerant of cold, and dry hard stools. The nervous energy of vata imbalance leads to exhaustion and non-specific fatigue.

Balanced Pitta has normal heat and thirst mechanisms, strong digestion meaning the ability to consume and digest physical and mental things easily, a lustrous complexion born of its natural fire element, a sharp intellect and sense of contentment.

Imbalanced Pitta suffers easily from inflammation of the skin or emotions, excessive bodily heat and heat in the digestive tract yielding disorders like ulcers, gastritis and hemorrhoids. They grey and bald early in life, develop hot-type visual disorders, and can be unnecessarily argumentative or irritable.

Balanced Kapha is possessed of above average muscular strength, good vitality and stamina, with good immunity and stability of mind and also joints.They are capable of strong affection, generosity, courage and dignity.

Imbalanced Kapha suffers from slow digestion, cognition, obesity, lethargy and dullness. They develop disorders of phlegm easily, like allergies and sinus congestion.

As you can now see, a Pitta-Vatta, for example, will have a combination of attributes and or imbalances that reflect Pitta having the primary role, Vatta the secondary, and Kapha the tertiary.

Can a PittaVatta type have an imbalance in Kapha? Absolutely, but their Kapha imbalance will tend to affect them less profoundly on both physical and spiritual levels than an imbalance in their predominant dosha.

For example, a PittaVatta type with a Kaphic imbalance might suffer some exacerbation of lethargy in the winter, which is the Kapha season, but would suffer much more from a Pitta imbalance in Summer, the Pitta season. Here their tendency towards heat and inflammation, if their Pitta were running wild, could lead to skin and digestive disorders, especially if the climate were tropical.

On the other hand, if a KaphaVatta were in Kapha imbalance during winter, they might develop full scale seasonal affective disorder, rather than just mild lethargy, particularly in a long, cold, wet, dark northern winter.

The role of the Ayurvedic physician is to accurately describe the patient’s dosha proclivities and imbalances, and then to give the proper dietary, lifestyle and herbal regimens to correct imbalances and promote radiant health.

There are specific diets to “pacify” each of the doshas, which means to keep them from becoming imbalanced. There are specific lifestyle recommendations to promote the most healthy physical and spiritual expression of each dosha as well. These recommendations extend from types of exercise, pranayam and meditation, to daily routines regarding when and how much to sleep and eat. It also involves responding to the rhythm of the seasons according to your individual doshic tendencies. Finally it involves an awareness of how the doshas transform through the ageing process.

For example, in the above case of KaphaVatta with a Kapha imbalance and seasonal affective disorder, the treatment would begin with a Pitagenic diet, that is a diet to strengthen digestive fire (agni) and Pitta so to warm and stimulate the cold damp Kapha. This would center on warming spices like cayenne, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardomom, and clove. It would involve lightly cooked vegetebles and soups with emphasis on lots of colorful and slightly bitter green vegetebles. Certain foods, like dairy products and wheat, especially pasta, and also deep fried foods would be avoided. Sweets would need to be minimalized, and green tea and bright stimulating herb teas like peppermint would be useful.

Of course full spectrum lighting would be recomended, and fast exercises, like aerobics, with intense music to push one out of one’s Kaphic imbalance. Staying up a bit later and doing something creative or exciting like an art project or music concert would be recommended. On the other hand, getting out at high noon (maximum pitta time) doing something like cross country skiing would be beneficial. Bring hot spicy tea with you.

Sauna, not steam, vigorous massage with warming mustard seed oil and essential oils like eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme, oregeno, jasmine, and sandalwood would be useful, as would walking meditation and breath of fire style pranayam breathing exercises. Warm intense bright colors would be useful in the home as well as clothing, for example crimson red, burgendy, turqoise blue and gold. This would be a case for fresh cut flowers, regardless of cost. Even fiery gems would be useful in jewlery, like rubys and fire opal. Gold is stimulating while silver is calming.In this case the healthy expression of feelings would be encouraged, perhaps in a safe therapeutic environment, so as to ensure that kapha, with its long memory, is not turning anger inwards, and that the free and open movement of emotions (like fear, sadness, attachment in its many form, loneliness, and its inverse selfishness) is not inhibited by Kapha’s sluggishness or Vata’s fear.

This person will benefit from volunteer work, dance class, playing a musical instrument, taking previously unacceptable risks, and making friends with some PittaKaphas. This is just a keyhole glimpse at the kinds of recommendations that can be made in an Ayurvedic consultation.

As you can see, they tend to cut to the heart of a problem, and do require a commitment on the part of the patient. It is very different than taking a pill, but well worth it if you are interested in long lasting, permanent, profound levels of change.

by Body Mind Wellness Center


Leave your comments / questions for this practitioner

To write a comment please
or
Services
Category filter
Concern filter
Type filter
Sort
 

All categories

Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
$10 USD
consultation
15 Minute Ayurveda Consultation

Ayurveda is a natural mind body science. During your 15 minute consultation you will have an introduction to how Ayurveda can help your 2022 wellness goals.

Ayurveda, a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Thus, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life.

Erica Mueller
Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
$35 USD
consultation
Ayurveda Consultation For Weight Management

Ayurveda Consultation helps you to find out safe alternative healing options for your health concerns. I will help you to understand the principles of Ayurveda and find out your Ayurvedic body type.

I will help you to fine tune your diet and lifestyle to achieve your wellness or healing goals.

In this session, I will recommend
- Safe ayurveda supplements/ medicines
- Yoga that suits your health needs
- Ayurveda body treatments, that can be done at your home
- Simple, Safe and effective detoxification methods that can be done at home
- Plan your healing calendar

Dr. Peeyush P Kumar
Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
$120 USD
consultation
Ayurveda and holistic health consultant

I will provide advice on ayurveda and holistic health.

Yogesh Kumar
Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
$264 USD
consultation
AYURVEDIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

GETTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU DURING THIS INITIAL CONSULTATION:

  • I will interview you about your previous medical history and what recent health concerns, complaints, or challenges you are experiencing.

  • I will assess your current state of health by asking detailed questions about your daily nutrition and lifestyle habits, energy levels, emotions, digestion, work, work-life balance, and relationships.

  • I will determine your unique mind-body-consciousness type right now. This is your Deha Prakriti in Sanskrit.

(✨Clients find this very enlightening and interesting to discover deep holistic knowledge about themselves and their lifestyle✨)

Suneeta Lakshmi Lies

Related Articles

View All
Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
Jan 15 2021
What is Ayurveda?

Ay-ur-WHO?

Ayurveda is the science of living in harmony with the natural world, handed down through the oral tradition in East India, Tibet, Sri Lanka and eventually written down in ancient Sanskrit. Later, it was: codified, tested, commented upon… and e…

Demi Powell
Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
Mar 29 2018
Cures from east and west: The Mahatma on medicine

I belong to a family of doctors trained in modern or Western medicine. Back in the 1980s, the doctors I was related to, or friends with, were all sceptical of alternative forms of health care. They had no time for homeopathy, ayurveda or acupuncture, no t…

Anita Kelley
Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
Mar 29 2018
Oil therapy: the best oil for your body

Our ancient medicine and sciences hold the most spellbinding rejuvenation therapies. The magical healing properties of herbs and oils in Ayurveda, in fact, always told what research worth millions now only confirms – the oh-so-heavenly massage actually bo…

Anita Kelley
Ayurveda (Ayurvedic Medicine)
Sep 12 2019
The Impressive Health Benefits Of Brahmi Leaves

Ayurveda has used Brahmi for centuries. Brahmi has been used to develop and improve memory and is commonly known as the “memory enhancer” herb. It reduces stress and anxiety and treats mental illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease and digestive issues like di…

Demi Powell
Registered individuals enjoy all the possibilities of Core Spirit.