"Know yourself."
Knowing your body type - or dosha - is essential to be balanced and healthy.
It helps us understand the nature of our body in its strengths and weaknesses.
Only then we can determine what is good or bad for us.
The Three Doshas
According to Ayurveda, we are born with our own unique ratio of 3 Doshas or "mind-body types:" Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha. The three Doshas are the building blocks of life and they are made of the five elements: fire, water, earth, air and ether (space).
One Dosha is generally more dominant than the others and leads the way to a lifestyle that suits you best. You may also have a second dominant Dosha, and a more or less equal blend of all three is called Tridoshic. This unique ratio is called PRAKRITI or "natural state" — what we are born with: your bone structure, the areas you tend to gain fat, the colour of your hair & skin, your height, as well as your characteristics. It's who you are. No matter what you eat or do, these things cannot change. To determine your Prakriti, you must think about what you were like as a child without any 'manipulation'.
However, because of many factors in our environments such as weather, seasons, lifestyle choices and diet, the most dominant Dosha becomes imbalanced (or aggravated). These imbalances create your current state, known as VIKRITI, your current doshic constitution.
Health exists when your own unique ratio of the three Doshas is balanced to their natural state, Prakriti.
We push ourselves off balance by continually eating foods or adopting habits that are not suited to us — essentially by exposing ourselves to more of the Doshic energies that we already have. If we are experiencing symptoms of imbalance, such as bloating, rashes, spots, hot flushes, itchy skin, sore gums, gassiness, tummy upsets, bad temper, tiredness or anxiety, it means that our Vikriti is way off from our Prakriti. These signs that our our body and mind are not connected at all, which leads to disease. How fascinating, isn't it?
Now, the key to health is making your Vikruti come back to your Prakiti.
A little bit more into details
Air and space represent VATA
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Vata is in charge of MOVEMENT in the body.
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It regulates the nervous system and controls all movement in the body such as muscle and joint movement, breathing, and heartbeat.
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Those with Vata bodies are naturally small-boned with dry skin and prominent joints.
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Those with Vata minds are quick and creative thinkers, prone to overthinking and anxiety.
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Vata also controls anxiety, fear, pain, and other functions of the nervous system.
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When Vata is out of balance, you experience constipation, bloating, anxiety, irregular periods, and other related issues.
Read more about Vata dosha here.
Fire and water represent PITTA
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Pitta is in charge of TRANSFORMATION in the body.
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It governs the stomach and controls bodily functions such as digestion, metabolism, intelligence, and skin colour.
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Those with Pitta bodies are medium built, well muscled, and oily skin.
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Those with Pitta minds are passionate, sharp thinkers, prone to impatience and anger.
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When Pitta is out of balance you experience heartburn, overheating, anger, impatience, and other related issues.
Read more about Pitta dosha here.
Earth and water represent KAPHA
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Kapha is in charge of STRUCTURE in the body
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It governs bone density, fat regulation, strength, stamina, repair & restoration, mucus, moisture, memory retention.
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Those with Kapha bodies are bigger built, curvy, and have moist skin.
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Those with Kapha minds are patient and compassionate thinkers, prone to depression and loneliness.
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Emotional responses controlled by Kapha include calmness, forgiveness, love, and greed.
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When Kapha is out of balance, you experience heaviness, fatigue, depression, sadness.
Read more about Kapha dosha here.
Qualities of the Doshas
Each Dosha expresses unique blends of physical, emotional and mental characteristics known as qualities or attributes, which can be used to describe us, as well as everything around us. The amazing thing is that in Ayurveda, by getting to know the Doshas and their qualities, we can use our symptoms to identify which Dosha is out of balance. We can then bring ourselves back into balance by using food and drinks, herbs and spices, colours, textures, aromas, environments and lifestyle choices as remedies. The key is to choose those that have the opposite qualities or characteristics to the symptoms we’re experiencing, to create equilibrium.
For example:
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Pittas are hot by nature, so they need cooling & refreshing foods.
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Pittas are sharp by nature, so they need more smooths foods.
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Vatas are more astringent by nature, so they need more sweet & salty foods/
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Vatas are dry by nature, so they need more oily food.
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Kaphas are soft by nature, so they need more rough & fibrous foods.
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Kaphas are dense by nature so they need more light and stimulating foods.
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Vatas are rough by nature, so they need more creamy and soft foods.
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Pittas & Kaphas are oily by nature, so they need more drying & astringent foods.
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Vatas & Kaphas are cold by nature, so they need warming foods.
- Vatas & Pittas are mobile by nature, so they need more grounding foods.
Generally speaking, you must counterbalance your body's qualities with foods (and activities) of the opposite quality so you reach equilibrium.
In a nutshell
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The doshic constitution you were born with is called your Prakriti. The one you have today is called your Vikruti, it illustrates your imbalances.
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You are not just one Dosha; you are a combination of all three, and that combination may change thoughout life.
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Certain dietary and lifestyle decisions (eating, exercising, sleeping too much) can cause balance in your Vikruti.
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The secret to health is making your Vikruti match your Prakriti.
Contact me for a Dosha quiz, and together we'll establish a plan to restore and maintain balance, according to your own unique constitution.