Doshas are the fundamental bio-energies formed by the combination of the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space. These elements exist in the universe and also in the human body. Each of them has a very specific set of roles to play in the body—when the Doshas are out of balance, they can cause disease and distress. In our modern world we call it ‘being sick’. Each Dosha spreads throughout the whole body and is evidenced in specific areas where the Dosha is most active. All three Doshas have equal importance. Once the dominant Dosha is identified, you can adjust your diet, lifestyle, and exercise plans to better support your health and live a more balanced life, both inside and out.
Finding out our Dosha type is understanding our own body and mind we were born with, it’s discovering our true self. Many people nowadays have been conditioned to make choices based on the mind only and then wonder why they make themselves sick and feel out of balance. Then opt for pharmaceutical medicine by avoiding the language of the body. We don’t feel a certain way because of any outer influence, food can only be a trigger what is taking place deeper inside the body. That’s the language of the body asking for your attention and in this case, ignorance is not a bliss. It’s often a sign of emotional imbalance and not choosing the right food based on the body type one was born with. Our physical appearance, functional aspects, and emotional well-being are counted to determine our body type or dominant Dosha. Our body type remains the same from birth till our last breath. If you are unsure, consider your whole life, from childhood to now, not just your current age and health condition. Another way to find out about your Dosha type is to have a consultation with an Ayurvedic doctors. During the consultation, the doctors will identify your body type and discuss a lifestyle plan specific to your Dosha.
Yes, we can change our own body with the right healthy diet and daily exercise, but this also requires understanding the body we were naturally born with, including choosing the right exercise for it. Like everything and everyone else in this life, it’s deeply connected to our chakra system and understanding our astrological birth chart. There is also additional information understanding our individual Human Design quantum chart, which takes a deeper dive into our own body and mind. When the sun represents the mind and our thoughts, the moon represents our body and feelings and our rising is our personality, which represents the spirit. This is how one can be a double or/and even triple dosha based on the elements ones astrological chart represents. For example my sun (mind) and rising (spirit) are Leo (fire) and my moon (body) in Aquarius (air). This is how I’m a vata-pitta dosha predominantly. This is the easiest way to look at it to find yours. The purpose of Ayurveda is to have all 3 doshas activated and in balance. Our food intake is the easiest way to do it.
Vata is formed by the combination of air and space. The seat of Vata is below the umbilicus. Vata is the Dosha that controls our mind, creativity, and impulsive responses. It governs all movements, air flow, all muscle and bone functions, and communication throughout the mind and the nervous system. When Vata is out of balance we may feel the connection with our body and mind is lost, we may experience anxiety, insomnia, constipation, bloating, joint pain, dryness, and pain in the body. Generally, a Vata person will be very thin, more talkative, and restless. They typically have lower body weight, dry skin, brittle nails, thin hair, and small, slightly sunken eyes. While walking, their joints may make sounds. In terms of climate, they tend to prefer warm or hot weather and they may have trouble tolerating the cold.
Pitta is formed by the combination of fire and water. Pitta plays a key role in digestion, metabolism, and nutritional absorption. According to Ayurvedic literature, Pitta is the seat of Agni (the digestive fire) and is located in the grahani or small intestine. Pitta controls hormonal secretions, enzymatic functions, metabolism, skin health, and liver health. Physiologically, Pitta represents intelligence, understanding, emotions, and experiences. It also balances the body temperature. When Pitta is out of balance, diseases of the skin like acne, pimples, and sensitivities may arise. Imbalances in Pitta create allergies, inflammation, and reduced immunity. In women, this imbalance may create various Gynecological issues like heavy menstrual flow, miscarriages, and hormonal upsets. A Pitta person is generally active, a perfectionist, dynamic, intelligent, and also short-tempered. They usually have good leadership qualities, a moderate build, and sensitive skin or eyes. They are generally warm to the touch.
Kapha is formed by the combination of water and earth. Kapha controls water balance and fat metabolism. The seat of Kapha is the thoracic or chest area. Kapha hydrates all cells and systems, lubricates the joints, moisturizes the skin, maintains immunity, and protects the tissues. On the psychological level, Kapha balances love, compassion, and forgiveness. A Kapha person usually has thick, dark hair, big eyes, wide teeth, and healthy gums. The skin may also be thick, moist, and a little cool to the touch. When Kapha is out of balance it can lead to congestion, asthma, low lung capacity, coughing, obesity, diabetes, water retention, cysts, and growths in the body—especially in females this may manifest as ovarian cysts, fibroids, and adenomyosis.
All three Doshas have equal importance. Once the dominant Dosha is identified, we can adjust our diet, lifestyle, and exercise plans to better support our health and live a more balanced life, both inside and out.
Body type or Prakriti doesn’t change with age. It’s about adapting to our body not the other way round as most people do. Just as one moves to a warmer climate, does not mean that the body wants cold intake. In most cases and in Ayurveda in general it’s all about warm. Cold is shocking to our nervous system. It’s about understanding and balancing from inside out. Dosha imbalance can happen as we age. During the childhood years,
Kapha-related disorders are more evident such as:
Pitta-related disorders are found in middle age, such as:
Vata-related disorders are common in ages 80 years and above, such as:
Because of the natural dominance of Doshas during these times, there is more chance of these Doshas being out of balance. To counteract this we have to follow Dosha-specific diet and lifestyle guidelines to reduce the onset and frequency of imbalances that can lead to disease. If a disease has already taken hold, it’s best to talk to your Ayurvedic doctor about how to treat your condition and work on a plan to prevent any reoccurrence naturally.
Try this incredible Moringa Mung Bean Kitchari by Helen Einlo here.
Hi, I’m Helen 🙂 A highly passionate content creator specialising in the field of effortless style, natural beauty & sustainable luxury. As much as I love dressing up my outfits, I’m well aware looking great on the outside starts with looking after my inside. It’s been my absolute pleasure to team up and collaborate with my favourite local brand, Alive, to share more about my infits. Stay tuned for some colourful, delicious and healthy Ayurvedic recipes 🙂
I was born and grew up in Estonia, which for my thin and lean predominant vatta-pitta body type (kindly read the other article about ayurveda to understand more:) was a challenge itself to keep myself warm from the inside out specially during cold winters. I am fortunate enough to be raised in a household, where healthy home cooked food was a daily activity. We grew and made our own produce as much as possible from scratch, I still do. I spent much time in the kitchen with my mum, whom I learned how to cook. Thank you, mum 🙂 As a young girl, I also vividly remember my German grandmother making her own natural medicines. It all impacted the way I saw life and up to this day I never buy anything from the pharmacy and pay very close attention to what I put inside and outside of my body. I follow holistic approach to life and believe in natural healing using the power of our own body and mind.
I started dancing when I was 7 years old and in my early 20s I was introduced to modelling. My whole life was based on my outlook & body, which I never felt very confident in at the time and which made me very body conscious. I also experienced many health issues including decades long of constipation and battling with eating disorders. Moving to sunny Spain in 2007 opened a completely different way of living for me and since 2016 I’ve lived on the magical Bali island, where I discovered yoga. It deepened my longing to know more about my own body, myself and life in general.
In 2019 India was calling and I embarked on a journey to deepen my knowledge about my inner self. I studied nutrition, became a certified yoga teacher, studied reiki and astrology and discovered ayurveda (read the full article about it also:) It’s an understatement to say, it completely changed my life but mostly it changed me and how I saw life and myself in general. I completely changed my diet based on my own individual body type and my way of living and being. The more I learned and practised it, the more I saw my own body and mind changing and healing from the inside out, naturally. It saved my health, which is to say, it saved my life. I saved my own life by making conscious choices with my whole lifestyle (food is ultimately everything we do on a daily basis) and understanding my own body and mind from deep within.
I hope you love learning more about ayurveda and holistic health in general and enjoy my upcoming posts and recipes. Kindly keep in mind, I cook for my personal vata-pitta body type, therefore take them as an inspiration and cater them based on your own personal body type in mind. I hope you are as excited as I am to share more about it all so we can be even more Alive together 💚
Leave a Reply