Have you at any point considered what really represents contrasts in individuals? For what reason are a few people hyperactive and quick moving, while others ooze beauty and quietness? For what reason would some Individuals be able to eat a five-course feast effortlessly, while others can scarcely complete a serving of mixed greens? For what reason are a few people characteristically euphoric, while others convey the heaviness of the world on their shoulders?
“Your doshas are like your fingerprints, they make you unique.”
Ayurveda responds to these inquiries with the concept of Three Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The doshas are organic energies found all through the human body and brain. They administer all physical and mental procedures and give each living being an individual outline for well being. Ayurveda characterizes wellbeing as a condition of physical, mental, social and profound prosperity and depends on the hypothesis of Panchamahabhoota or the five essential components viz Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth and Tridoshas or the three organic humors viz Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which are available in every single cell of the body alongside psyche and soul. The equilibrium of doshas is called health and imbalance or vikriti is called diseased condition.
KNOW YOUR IDENTITY
These three doshas are obtained from the five essential components to shape, run and keep up the human body all through life. Without them, the human body can't endure anything even for a moment. These are answerable for the arrangement of the human body.
Since these substantial doshas fill in as a mainstay of help for the body to look after it, as are present before the origin or conception of the being. Henceforth Dosha is that constituent of the human body which is equipped for shaping the constitution and is able to freely run this procedure independent of different elements.
Doshas form the body with all its vital functions and at the same time also generate the causative factors of the ailments. Doshas are combinations of earth, water, fire, space and air elements in different proportions present in the body and all other nature’s creations.
In total, there are three primary doshic states:
वात पित्त श्लेषमाण एव देहसंभवहेतवः | - सु.सू.२१/३
In the event that the extent of doshas in the present status is near the birth constitution, at that point the body wellbeing will be energetic. A uniqueness between these states, in any case, demonstrates a condition of imbalance. Vikruti is the term used to portray this imbalanced deviation away from Prakriti. The imbalance in the proportion of doshas in the body is variably marked as;
Increased state: A specific dosha is available in a more prominent than-ordinary extent.
Decreased state: A specific dosha is available in a not exactly typical extent.
वायुः पित्तं कफश्चोक्तः शारीरो दोषसङ्ग्रहः|
मानसः पुनरुद्दिष्टो रजश्च तम एव च||५७||
Vata, Pitta and Kapha are depicted as substantial dosha, rajas and tamas are the psychological ones. How about we expound each dosha exclusively with its characteristics and highlights;
VATA- THE KING OF DOSHAS
Vata is derived from 'Va' dhatu which demonstrates Gati viz any movement or development and is represented by space and air components, supporting dreams, imagination, development and profound spiritual practices.
The main highlighting feature of vata dosha is its vitality of development and the power overseeing all natural movement characterised by its dry, rough & unpleasant, light, cool, unpretentious, and portable qualities. The main sites of Vata dosha in the body are the bones, joints, sensory organs, brain and nerve tissues.
Subdoshas of the Vata:
- Prana Vata: Provides the psyche & heart association for sensory response, and aids in heartbeat, ingestion of food, joy and so forth.
- Udana Vata:.Aids in breathing, vocal notes and sparkle of the skin.
- Vyana Vata: Helps in circulation, nerve impulses, muscle contraction & relaxation.
- Apana Vata: Helps in the downward movement in peristalsis, elimination and stimulation.
- Saman Vata: Aids in digestive organs along with healthy digestive fire strength.
Imbalance features:
- Vata minds may become untethered, bouncing around in the clouds, often starting the projects without finishing.
- The digestion becomes irregular, unstable and different every moment accompanied by flatulence and belching as vata increases.
- A lot of vata vitality makes dryness in the colon, causing agony, exhaustion, and low immune power.
- It sets into the mind like anxiety, the inability to focus, and fear.
How to balance:
- Tastes: sweet, sour and salty (These help ground & warm vata’s naturally cold and airy nature)
- Food items: Beets
- Tackle the vitality during the vata evening by composing, moving or whatever else that assists with interfacing with the creative and inventive sides.
Dietary tips to support vata balance
Nourishments that are extraordinary for adjusting vata are, all in all, sweet, sharp, and pungent in taste. Ayurveda believes these preferences to be the medications to build characteristics of warmth and groundedness to enhance absorption, which assists in balancing vata. Of course, each of the six tastes (sweet, acrid, pungent, impactful, unpleasant, and astringent) are suggested for solid absorption.
PITTA- THE FIERY DOSHA
The word Pitta is derived from ‘Tap’ which is related to ‘Santap’ correlated with heat which is responsible for every form of digestion in the body mainly governed by fire and water elements.
Pitta denotes the vitality of absorption and digestion that capacities through transporter substances, for example, natural acids, hormones, proteins, and bile. The characteristics of Pitta are slick, sharp, hot, light, moving, fluid, and acidic and are predominantly situated in the body in the small digestive tract, stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, blood, eyes, and sweat.
Subdoshas of the Pitta
- Sadhaka Pitta: Connects brain & heart to emotions.
- Alochaka Pitta; That which aids in vision, governs the organ of sight.
- Bhrajak Pitta: Governs the organ of touch or skin, the mirror of inner physiology.
- Ranjaka Pitta: Responsible for pigmentation or colour of the skin, the formation of plasma and blood i.e aids in the pigments in the physiology of the body.
- Pachaka Pitta: Aids in the digestive process, governing the strength of digestive fire and processing of nutrients.
Imbalance features:
- Tastes: Bitter, sweet and astringent ( These helps to cool pitta’s innate fiery energy)
- Pitta Prakriti people need to refresh their emotions through situations or behaviours that make them feel comfortable.
- They must practice being more responsive, not falling for value judgements and incorporating self-acceptance.
- To achieve the balance they need to learn to be more considerate and delicate in their actions.
- Aromatherapy for pitta: Mint, melissa, jasmine, sandalwood and lemon.
- Tarpaka Kapha: Nourishes the body & lubricates the bodily tissues with clarity of mind.
- Bodhaka Kapha: Subtle intelligence to identify tastes with mouth, tongue, throat region, saliva and enzymatic action.
- Avalambka Kapha: Holds the organs in the chest viz the lungs, pericardium around the heart, provides lubrication & nourishment for expansion and contraction mechanism.
- Kledaka Kapha: Provides moistening & softening of food for proper breakdown & moving into the GI tract for digestion.
- Shleshaka Kapha: Binds together with lubrication in the small & large joints, acts as shock absorber all over the body.
- Have a tendency to stall out in the life challenges.
- The digestive activity is very slow, poorly inadequate and even small amounts of food take longer to digest and there is a feeling of weight in the abdomen with laziness.
- Individuals with a lot of Kapha vitality have blocked up pores and follicles; drab, blocked skin, and usually show "habitually lazy person" conduct, where they stay dormant and eat for comfort.
- Tastes: Bitter, pungent, astringent (These help Kapha get its earthy grounded nature.)
- Balance Kapha dosha by avoiding naps, working out regularly, eating less than offered, preferably spicy, well seasoned, dry and bitter.
- Vata time: 2-6 am and pm (The nervous system is most active resulting in daydreams and restlessness during these hours)
- Kapha time: 6 to 10 am and pm(The energy at this time of the day and evening is heavy, slower, and denser.)
- Pitta time: 10 to 2 am and pm(The time when our digestive fire is highest)
- Understanding the dosha can really help to determine how to cope with seasonal changes.
- The Vata season is the Autumn and late-fall when the climate is getting dryer, colder, blustery, and brutally harsh.
- The Kapha season initiates when Vata’s cold winds turn into frigid weather, the coldness creeps up even more intensely, and then slowly transforms when the sun starts to shine again, and flowers start to emerge.
- The Pitta season starts when the warm weather really hits, and the sun starts shining harshly.
- Dosha is a vital component to maintain and establish health.
- The normalcy of dosha is responsible for the normal state of Agni.
- Any deviation in any form of dosha from their normalcy leads to the development of pathological ailments further leading into the disease.
- Even though countable and limited dosha, they are capable of producing innumerable pathological symptoms and diseases too.
- Dosha (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) are the only components responsible for origin and development of the metaphysical body and its formed elements.
Pitta minds usually stall out by focussing on their own objectives, dreams and wants.
When pitta is disturbed, digestive activity is intense, even large amounts of food gets digested very quickly with a burning sensation & increased thirst during the digestion process.
An excessive amount of pitta vitality shows itself sincerely as outrage, narrow mindedness, and analysis or truly as causticity, irritation, and sensitivities. Individuals with pitta vitiation are inclined to skin inflammation, heat poisons, food sensitivities, beauty care products sensitive reaction, and dust allergy.
How to Balance it:
Dietary tips to support Pitta balance
Nourishments that are incredible to adjust pitta are sweet, harsh, and astringent in taste. Ayurveda believes these medicament preferences for cooling, drying, and pacifying pitta. For the most part, each of the six tastes (sweet, sharp, pungent, impactful, unpleasant, and astringent) are suggested for sound processing.
KAPHA- DOSHA WHICH STICKS
The etymological derivation of the word Shlesama is formed from ‘Shlish’ which means being in close contact as in an embrace, mainly governed by water and earth mahabhutas. The Kapha dosha is fundamentally the vitality of building and healthy fatty oil that furnishes the body with physical structure and the smooth working of every one of its parts.
The characteristics of Kapha are damp, cool, substantial, dull, delicate, clingy, and static and the primary areas of Kapha in the body are the chest, throat, lungs, head, lymph, greasy tissue, connective tissue, tendons, and ligaments.
Subdoshas of Kapha
Imbalance features:
How to balance
Dietary tip to support Kapha balance
Nourishments helpful for adjusting to kapha as a rule are sharp, unpleasant, and astringent in taste. Ayurveda believes these preferences for providing warming, drying, and invigorating processing for kapha.
RELATION OF DOSHAS WITH TIME: THE AYURVEDIC CLOCK
Ayurveda along with the ‘time of the day’ schedules the elements or panchamahabhutas (as well as the seasons and stages of life) with a six 4-hour periods throughout the day and night that carry specific energy of the doshas. This allows us to align with earth’s natural rhythms so one can flow through the daily and seasonal regime with more ease.
Ayurvedic Clock = Biological Clock + Mother Nature’s Clock
INTER-RELATION OF DOSHAS WITH SEASONS
The body is ceaselessly presented to the outside condition and is affected by occasional effect once in a while. Dosha according to their ordinary inclination of deviation will in general go astray with the adjustment in season. Dosha begins collecting further, disturbing and afterward in the wake of reduction because of occasional changes. This variety and deviation of dosha from its regularity is totally physiological dependent upon legitimate execution and rehearsing occasional routine as referenced by Ayurveda works of art. It is basic to know the stage-wise variety of dosha to keep from encountering any obsessive afflictions or arriving into maladies. This idea is otherwise called - Physiological Kriyakala.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE
Dosha is involved in the formation of Prakruti - As the definition of the Dosha itself implies - प्रकृती अर्भक्तम् (Prakruti arambhaktvam)
दोषधातुमलामूलं हि सदा दहस्य तं चलः | - अ.ह्.सू.११
LET’S CONCLUDE THE DOSHAS
Ayurveda perceives the need to restore from inside by setting the dosha sythesis back to Prakriti, its characteristic beginning stage. This doesn't mean coming back to the methods of our precursors, but instead, tenderly changing our way of life to bring us once again into balance.
शरीर दूषणात् दोषा | - शा.पु.५
The natural behaviour of dosha is the capability to contaminate, adulterate, vitiate or create imbalance by any means.
Together these three doshas determine the physiological balance and constitution of the individual which is called Prakriti in Ayurveda. Every person has all three doshas (physical humor – vata, pitta, Kapha) and trigunas (psychological qualities - Satwa, Rajas, Tamas) in different proportions, usually determined at the moment of conception and is the personal blueprint.
Will get to the Prakriti segment in the next blog in detail. To begin figuring out your own unique constitution, click here for a dosha self-test.
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