Know Yourself:
Understanding The Doshas & Your Ayurvedic Body Type
“The body is the boat that carries the soul in the ocean of the world.
If it is not strong or has a hole, then it can’t cross the ocean.
So the first duty is to fix the boat.”
~Baba Hari Dass
WHAT ARE THE DOSHAS?
Ayurveda recognizes that we are a part of nature, and that we are made up of the same five elements as everything around us; earth, water, fire, air and ethers. The elements combine to form the three vital energies, or doshas, that make up our bodies, our unique characteristics, and our traits. The three doshas are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each dosha is composed of two elements and is responsible for functions in our body and our mind.
Each of us are born with a unique combination of the five elements within us, which is to say that to some degree we all have the 3 doshas within us. This accounts for our specific mental, physical, and emotional tendencies throughout life. Most of us will have two primary doshas, although some people have one and there are even some people who are “tridoshic”, having equal amounts of all three.
Primary Function & Qualities of the Doshas
Understanding Your Constitution and State of Imbalance
Your constitution is what you were born with, or your prakriti. It is your unique balance of energies that was present at the moment of your conception. Your prakruti determines everything from your bone structure to what your health strengths and weaknesses would be in life. Generally speaking your prakriti is symptom and imbalance free.
Then as we go on throughout our life we generally move away from this place of balance: from environmental pollution, to improper diet and lifestyle, to emotional stress: all of these factors create our vikruti, or our current state of imbalance. This will be farther away from our prakruti, and usually illness, symptoms, or disease will be present.
True Health Is Our Natural State of Being
Ayurveda recognizes that health is our natural state of being, and that our bodies are designed to heal themselves. When we align our bodies with the rhythm and cycles of nature, we discover that our physical, mental, and spiritual health are intimately related. Then our healing can begin.
When we begin to understand how the doshas manifest in our bodies and their tendencies, we learn how to take better care of ourselves. Then when we experience imbalance, it will be easy to identify the remedy by applying the opposite qualities to bring balance.
This means if you experience symptoms of vata imbalance like feeling scattered or constipation, you apply the opposite qualities by eating foods that are warm, grounding, and nourishing. If you experience signs of excess heat from pitta like excessive sweating or rashes, you would apply cooling and soothing remedies to bring balance. And if you experienced signs of excess kapha like heaviness and lethargy, you would want to lighten things up in the diet and get moving more often.
Ultimately Ayurveda is a powerful healing modality that allows you to see more clearly how your everyday choices and actions are making you feel. Are they bringing you more feeling or goodness and ease, or sickness and feeling unwell. It's beautiful in its simplicity!
NEXT STEPS ON YOUR JOURNEY
The best way to get started with Ayurveda and to understand your unique constitution is to work with an Ayurvedic practitioner. If you are interested in a deeper personalized plan for your Prakriti please feel free to reach out and inquire about booking an Ayurvedic Health Consultation or package. Over time as you work with me you’ll begin to deeply tune in to the clues your body and mind are giving you and will develop the skills to become your own healer.
Nature’s wisdom is all around us, if we only take a closer look. Believe in that and your healing journey will be full of wonder and gratitude.
