What are Doshas, or for that matter what are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha?  Here we go....

According to Ayurveda, we are made of stardust - literally!  Our cosmos and each of us are made of the same stuff.  This simple yet profound idea is called the Ayurvedic 5 Element Theory.

The Universe is made of 5 Elements - Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.  These elements are easily related to the modern scientific idea of Space, Gas, Energy, Liquids, and Solids respectively;  or in other words, Matter, Energy, and Space.

Since a solid like a chair or a rock is very different from a solid that is a human hand or leg (Non-living vs. Living), the wise ones intuited that the Five Elements combine with one another to produce Life; that is they interact in specific ways to allow 3 Aspects of Life to occur.   These 3 Aspects are called Doshas in Sanskrit.

So yes, we are all made of all 3!  Stardust!

So why are we all not the same?  Why are you so different from your sister Liz or your aunt Mae - well, because each one of us is unique in that we have differing amounts of the three Doshas in our constitutional make-up.

What are these 3 Aspects that make Life possible?

What is VATA?

VATA represents all Energy and Movement whether in Nature or in a Human Being.  In the latter, it governs aspects like speech, all gross movement like moving limbs, intake of air, food, sensory stimuli, and even subtle movement like thought-energy in the mind, fluid into and out of cells, circulation, etc.

When there is too much VATA there could be coldness, lightness and dryness in the body – usually resulting in symptoms like pain and more subtly manifesting in anxiety, overwhelm, and insomnia.

VATA is increased by the same qualities it possesses; that is, if one’s food and lifestyle choices have the qualities of cold, light, and dry, then these are manifested or exacerbated in the body as well.

The following factors aggravate VATA:

• Season – fall, winter
• Food - cold, light and dry; the astringent and bitter tastes
• Lifestyle - Erratic daily routines that are stressful, producing anxiety, and leading to poor, unstable appetite, sleep and other body patterns.

What is PITTA?

PITTA represents Transformative Force whether in Nature or in a Human Being.  In the latter, it is Fire encapsulated in Water - the power of metabolism in enzymes, hormones, digestive juices, etc. that are actually chemicals in a fluid medium; and more subtly by every cell/mind process that takes input and transforms it into, Self, Energy, and Waste.

When there is too much PITTA there could be excess heat resulting in fevers, redness, inflammation, excessive bleeding, pain (it is said that Pitta is pushing Vata out of balance), and more subtly anger, intensity, and a hyper-critical self and world view.

PITTA is increased by the same qualities it possesses; that is if one’s food and lifestyle choices have the qualities of warm, oily, and sharp/spicy/pungent, then these qualities are manifested or exacerbated in the body as well.

The following factors aggravate PITTA:

• Season – summer
• Food - Sour and hot/spicy food
• Lifestyle – an overtly ambitious, competitive, and driven personality

What is KAPHA?

 KAPHA represents the creation of Matter whether in Nature or in the Human Being.  In the latter, it is the structure of the human being, from every organ system, down to every cell and its contents.

When there is too much of it there is literally too much matter in the form of excess fluids/swelling to cysts, tumors, excess body weight, etc.

KAPHA is exaggerated by the same qualities it possesses; that is if one’s food and other lifestyle choices have the qualities of wet, cold, and heavy, then these qualities are manifested or exacerbated in the body as well.

The following factors aggravate KAPHA:

• Season – Spring/Wet
• Food – Sweet, heavy, moist foods
• Lifestyle - Lethargy, lack of motivation when stressed; lifestyle of stagnant emotions, lack of action when needed.