Understanding the Doshas
Kapha, Pitta and Vata are the three universal energies of Ayurveda, known as the Doshas - in short, doshas are energetic forces of nature that govern functional principles of the world around us. Each dosha (energetic constitution) has a set of characteristics that embodies a season/personality.
These three doshas are extremely important to our physiology as they help us break down and understand how we relate to our environment. They guide us on how to live with minimal dis-eases and aim towards a constant state of balance, especially during seasonal or life shifts. When these energies are out of balance, they can cause havoc on our emotional and physical health. Before we break down the function of each dosha, I want to introduce the five elements of the body and mind Pand how they play a role in the natural world. Air, Ether, Water, Earth and Fire are believed to be the five elements that connect us to the external world and help us understand these three doshic energies.
Kapha dosha is composed of Water and Earth and is most dominant during winter- early spring season.
Pitta Dosha is composed of Fire and Water and is most dominant during the summer- early fall season.
Vata Dosha is composed of Air and Ether (space) and is most dominant during the fall- early winter season.
These elements can apply to our physical and emotional bodies, but also to anything else in the world around us, in various proportion and balance. In the natural world, they shift to form different climates, foods, species, and even different individuals within the same species. The specific combination and ratio of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in our own bodies, influences our unique personality, physique, characteristics, emotional tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, ect. Understanding your personal dosha can help you better understand your tendencies and how to intuitively lean towards replenishing any imbalances. When any one of the doshas is out of balance, you can generally meet homeostasis by reducing those energetic habits and practice favoring the opposite qualities. Once you begin to better understand what qualities of yourself are aggravated, you can begin to nourish and pacify those specific traits.
The Functions of the Doshas:
Kapha Dosha governs Structure, Lubrication and Cohesiveness
Pitta Dosha governs Digestion, Processing and Transformation
Vata Dosha governs Communication, Movement and Creativity
All dosha functions are present in the natural world, but let’s take a closer look at how they present themselves in living organisms.
Kapha is the cohesiveness, the structure and the frame of our physiology, as it offers us the support, love and compassion. Composed of earth and water, kapha is present in our skeletal system and is responsible for the lubrication of joints, elasticity of the skin, and hydration of all of our cells.
Pitta represents all transformations, processing, and digestion that occurs in the body. As a fire and water element, Pitta dosha is the force and fuel that allows us to digest our food, is related to the metabolism, intelligence, and understanding, as well as processing information or emotions. It is what propels our physical or emotional transformations.
Vata embodies the energy of movement which is why it is associated with the elements of air and ether. The Vata personality is very creative and flexibly. this energy governs all bodily movements such as the breath, the pulsation of the heart, all muscle contractions, tissue movements, cellular mobility and communication throughout the mind and the nervous system.
Imbalances in the doshas are mainly caused by an unsupportive and poor lifestyle, diet or deep emotion distress. When the natural equilibrium of the body is thrown off, it manifests physically as disease and emotional challenges, each dosha presenting themselves in their own unique way. With that being said, vata, pitta, and kapha dosha are very specifically associated with a unique set of health challenges and tendencies toward disease. While everyone can have an excess or lack of any of the three doshas, most people are born and predisposed to a set of imbalances.
Kapha out of balance may trigger emotions such as greed, attachment, possessiveness, lethargy, depression, or resistance. physically, you may feel congestion, stagnation, or excess body fat.
Pitta out of balance may appear in the form of anger, aggression, jealousy or criticism. Physically, it is the general cause of all inflammation disorders and many skin disorders.
Vata out of balance can leave you feeling anxious, fearful, lonely, isolated, and exhausted. Physically, Vata imbalances might feel physically and energetically depleted, have poor communication, stagnant or painful digestion (IBS), muscle spasms, or fatigue.
In short, these energetic constitutions or doshas are the foundational components of all life. When you begin to understand how they communicate, interact and appear physiologically and within the natural world, you will be able to intuitively understand what your body needs to come back to it’s natural and peaceful state of being. “Ayurveda teaches us to cherish our innate-nature – to love and honor who we are, not as what people think or tell us, who we should be.”
