What are The Three Doshas? & Which one are you? ⋆ Earth and Water

The three doshas are archetypes in Ayurveda that describe everything in life. In a nutshell.

Ayurveda is the world’s most ancient form of medical science. Created more than 5,000 years ago in India, Ayurveda believes that to achieve health and well being, one must balance the delicate connections of the mind, body and spirit. It’s a sister science to the more popular known, yoga.

There are MANY different areas of Ayurveda. The three doshas are one of the key components at the base of the science, dividing everything into three areas so that imbalances in the mind, body and spirit are easier to detect and correct.

The three doshas are: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Everyone has all three within them in varying degrees. We are born primarily one with another being secondary and then the third having the least impact on us. A very small percentage of people are tri-doshic. Meaning balanced in all three. Most of us are aren’t tri-doshic.

The doshas aren’t only used to describe people, but all things in nature as well. The seasons, for example, are each tied to a specific dosha. But before we start confusing you with what’s which, let’s explore each one on an individual basis.

Vata

Each dosha is related to particular elements. Vata is air and ether. It continuously moves, blowing like the wind, never still. It’s dry, creative, light, rough and cold. It shows up in your gastrointestinal tract, your heart, lungs, head and bones.

When Vata is out of balance you experience excess “air” in your body. That means exactly what it sounds like in a lot of cases. Bloating, gas and indigestion. It can also manifest as anxiety, brittle bones, dry skin, constipation, poor circulation and mental disorders.

The body structure of a Vata is thin and whispy. They may be tall and skinny or short and tiny. They may have difficulty putting on weight or retaining muscle. Think ballerina or run way model. Crooked teeth, thin, dry skin and hair may show up here. They’re probably cold often.

Mentally, Vata’s are incredibly creative and drawn to the arts. They over analyze, have a million ideas, trouble focusing or sitting still. Nervous, restless energy leads them all over the place with tasks. Fast talkers and more prone to nervous system problems like anxiety or panic attacks.

They don’t like to be confined to schedules or restrictions and do best when they’re free to breeze about however they feel. Overwhelm finds them easily because they’re big picture people and have trouble shrinking down their focus to one thing at a time.

Pitta

Pitta’s elements are Fire and Water. It’s hot, sharp, oily and light. It is in charge of all of the transformative processes in the body. Digestion, metabolism, nutrient absorption, cell regeneration, everything that turns one thing into another. It also rules thirst, sight, taste, body temperature, hair, liver and intelligence.

When Pitta is unbalanced, you’ll experience excess heat and inflammation in the body. It shows up as rashes, excess sweating, heartburn, diarrhea, acid reflux, ulcers, early greying/balding, liver or eyesight problems.

In the mind, unbalanced Pitta will present itself as anger, frustration, impatience, competitiveness, stress and narcissism.

Physically, a Pitta is going to be athletic and average built. They have ease with gaining and losing weight. They may have red tinted skin or hair and be more oily in both.

Pittas are driven and ambitious. They love organization and planning and do very well on a schedule. They often find themselves in positions of leadership due to their natural drive but if not kept in balance may become controlling due to their perfectionism.

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Kapha

Kapha shares the element Water with Pitta but also contains the element of Earth, steady, stable and strong. It’s heavy, slow, cold, oily, and found in the respiratory tract, the sinuses, the stomach, lymph system, nose, tongue and joints.

It’s the mucus and the lubrication in our bodies. In charge of body structure, fat regulation, strength and stamina. All fluids in the body are influenced by Kapha.

Mentally, Kapha is kind, nurturing, easy going and caring. They hold onto everything from memories to nutrients and have a hard time letting go of anything. They’re motherly and the ones that put everyone else in front of their own needs.

Imbalances in Kapha can manifest as weight gain and trouble losing weight, mucus build up that translates into allergies, asthma and respiratory problems. Water retention, lethargy and heaviness (especially after meals) are a sign that your Kapha is out of balance.

Mental imbalances include laziness, loneliness, jealousy, depression, sadness and/or attachment. Hoarders have excess Kapha.

Which one are you?

If you relate to all three, that’s normal. We are all varying degrees of all three. You may relate to one right now but feel as though you related to another at a different time in your life. That’s normal too since the amount of each within us is always changing.

Figuring out which one you are and which ones are imbalanced can prove tricky. There are overlaps between them in places and it can be confusing when you’re experiencing imbalances in multiple. Where ever you’re experiencing these imbalances is where you need to focus on alignment.

For example, if you’re experiencing rashes, you need to focus on balancing and cooling your Pitta. If you’re experiencing anxiety, you need to focus on balancing your Vata. If you’re experiencing weight gain, care for your Kapha. If you’re experiencing problems in 2 doshas, then 2 doshas are out of balance. Care for them both.

Life is a constant balancing act. As soon as you fix one problem, another is always likely to take it’s place. It’s ok. Life is a journey.

To find out exactly which one you are, Sahara Rose has a great quiz here. Make sure you come back and comment with what your results were! I’m Pitta-Vata.

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