Knowledge of the Doshas and their qualities helps to understand the causes of imbalances in health. When the Doshas are in balance, they maintain our body (health). When Doshas are out of balance, they can destroy our body (health).
Doshas are subtle invisible energies that manage our body and mind. According to Ayurveda, there are three Doshas, which are different combinations of the five great elements and are characterized by the qualities of these very elements. An increase or decrease in these qualities affects our health both at the physiological and psychological levels.
Knowledge of the Doshas and their qualities helps to understand the causes of imbalances in health. When the Doshas are in balance, they maintain our body (health). When Doshas are out of balance, they can destroy our body (health).
VATA (V) = ether/space + air
The ether element gives Vata Dosha a lightness and subtlety, while air gives it the qualities of movement and dryness.
Vata is the most important of all Doshas, as it is responsible for movement (blood circulation, breathing) and sensitivity of the body. It is also the most unstable and mobile Dosha.
Vata is responsible for the following body functions:
– blood circulation, respiration, nerve impulses and waste removal from the body
– bodily sensations
– maintaining the digestive fire
– memory, action and quick grasp.
Vata’s main location or “house” is in the large intestine (colon).
PITTA (P) = fire + water
Pitta has the qualities of fire such as heat and harshness, and its qualities of fluidity and unctuousness come from the element of water.
Pitta is the energy of transformation in the body that manages our physical and mental metabolism and regulates body temperature.
Pitta is responsible for the following body functions:
– metabolism of food and perception, maintenance of digestive fire
– blood formation and skin color
– intelligence and self-confidence
– vision
Pitta’s main location or “house” is in the lower stomach and small intestine.
KAPHA (K) = water + earth
Kapha is heavy and still like earth, and also oily and soft like water.
Kapha is the energy of stability, strength, cohesion, lubrication, freshness and resistance (immunity).
Kapha is responsible for the following body functions:
– secretion of saliva and moistening of food in the stomach
– strength and performance of the heart and sense organs
– joint stability and lubrication
– taste buds
– the process of assimilation and construction of the body.
The main location of Kapha or its “house” is in the upper part of the stomach and lungs.
Your innate constitution
While all three Doshas are present in each of us, their proportions are different in each of us. This is what makes each of us a unique individual. The unique innate constitution in Ayurveda is called Prakriti. It determines the basic physiological and psychological traits of a person and his relationship with the environment.
In Ayurveda, there are 7 types of Prakriti: Vata (V), Pitta (P), Kapha (K), VP, PK, VK and VPK.
Your current health status or imbalance
As part of the macrocosm, we are constantly subject to changes depending on the season, climate, time of day, age cycle, and our eating and lifestyle habits. The current state of the body is a kind of a map of the relationship between our body and the environment. In Ayurveda, this state of health is called Vikriti.
According to Ayurveda, disease occurs when the Doshas are out of balance and digestion is weakened. Therefore, it is very important to learn the signals of your body, staying in the moment, observing changes in your well-being and changes in digestion.
Usually the first Doshas to go out of balance are those that are primary in the innate constitution, that is, your Prakriti Doshas, or those Doshas that are most affected by your lifestyle. For example, if you have a sedentary lifestyle, Kapha will tend to increase, and if you travel a lot Vata dosha will be more likely to become out of balance.
