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• Vata (Air and Ether)
Like its elements, Vata is light, dry and cool and involved in dynamic functions such as movement as well as the rapid flow of ideas.
• Pitta (Fire and Water)
Similar to its elements, Pitta is hot and dry, bringing passion and ambition to a person and is involved with digestion of food.
• Kapha (Water and Earth)
The heavy cool dosha Kapha lends our bodies cohesion, stability, calmness and endurance.
All these together regulate and control the catabolic and anabolic metabolism. The main function of these three Doshas is to carry the byproduct of digestive food throughout the body, which helps in nourishing up the body tissues. Any malfunction in these Doshas causes disease.
Most of us have all three in varying amounts – usually with one or two predominating. The three doshas occur in everyone. However the balance between the three is not the same in every person and also does not stay constant even in the same person.
In Ayurveda, health is directly dependant on the balance of these three doshas and if disrupted, disease can result. It is these predominant doshas which identify an individual’s body type. By identifying our dosha we can understand why we have the physical ailments we suffer from, compensate for any imbalances by modifying our diet and lifestyle, Appreciate our emotional disposition and preference for certain activities and foods. Maximise our potential in work, health and relationships by enhancing the positive attributes of our constitution, adapt to changing life circumstances gracefully with minor adjustments to our routine.
The dietary modifications suggested are easy to implement and adaptable to your current life, requiring minimal expense and change. As Ayurveda is non-invasive, you can continue to take any current medications while your body is repairing itself.
Common symptoms relating to imbalanced doshas:
Imbalanced Vata
• Dry or rough skin
• Insomnia
• Constipation
• Common fatigue (non-specific cause)
• Tension headaches
• Intolerance of cold
• Degenerative arthritis
• Underweight
• Anxiety
• Worry
Imbalanced Pitta
• Rashes, inflammatory skin diseases
• Peptic ulcer, heartburn
• Visual problems
• Circulatory problems - including high blood pressure
• Excessive body heat
• Premature greying or baldness
• Hostility, irritability
Imbalanced Kapha
• Oily skin
• Slow digestion
• Sinus Congestion
• Nasal allergies
• Asthma
• Cysts and other growths
• Obesity
Prakriti (Ayurvedic Body Type/ Nature) is a person’s blueprint dosha.
Everyone is born with a basic prakriti that stays constant throughout life and which determines their personality and tendency to illness. The prakriti is influenced by the place, season and time of conception and even the mental and physical state of the parents.
A person’s outward dosha or ‘vikriti’ comes from life’s influences such as diet, job, living situation and any toxins and reflects a more recent dosha type.
Rectifying the ailment - physical or emotional - can be achieved by recognizing the dosha or element that is out of balance and compensating for it using the natural aids of diet, body therapies and lifestyle.
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