What are Dosha’s in Ayurveda?

In Ayurvedic philosophy, well-being, quality of life, and inner healing are vital to achieving Ojas (the finest product of life, good health). The science of Ayurveda involves the entire individual – a remarkable complex of body, mind, and spirit. With a profound understanding of 'life' and how it flows through an organism's fundamental structure, its framework, connecting humans with the universe. It recognizes each individual is uniquely born in a state of balance but quickly loses their core identity due to various environmental factors, food, lifestyle upheavals, stress, and many other influences.

Our body's fundamental building blocks have five elements: Earth (Prithvi - the principle of form and structure), water (Jal - the principle of liquidity and cohesion), fire (agni - the direction of transformation), air (Vayu - the focus of movement), and ether (Space - the principle of space), and when they come together as natural functional compounds give rise to three pairs of Dosha's (the bio-energies) that make up the human organism.

Now, what are Doshas? In Sanskrit, we say Dosha, but it means "there is some fault." It does not mean that we as individuals and our bodies are at fault. It addresses that we have specific energy or body makeup that helps us survive, and maintaining our body composition becomes crucial for sustenance.

Each individual has a unique body constitution (known as Prakriti), and this particular combination of Dosha's (body energies or bio-energies) determines its normal or imbalanced states. Dosha's balanced means the individual is healthy, but when out of balance creates distress and ill health. The whole science of Ayurveda revolves around these three principles.

Dosha's are only a problem when an imbalance occurs, and the body's ability to maintain good health deteriorates. That's why it's vital to understand the body's rhythms and achieve balance than dwell on the Dosha as bad.

Understanding Dosha's and knowing what they are is the purpose of this lesson. The three Dosha are known as Vata, which provide movement (air and ether ). Pitta, that which transforms (fire and water). Kapha, which brings cohesion to the body (earth and water).

Each Dosha exists all over the body, performs specific functions, and manifests certain recognizable qualities of the mind, body, and emotions.

The early signs of imbalance in these three Dosha's alert us of an abnormality, such as increased gas, bloating, acid reflux, irritability, indigestion, congestion, severe cold or cough, heavy feeling in the stomach, and symptoms that make our body sick.

Let's understand the three Dosha’s: 

Vata Dosha

Vata Dosha individuals have thin, lean body frames with cold hands and feet, prominent bones and joints, primarily dry skin, and enjoy warm, humid weather. They are mentally and physically active, enjoy creativity, meeting new people, and traveling. They are in constant motion. The influence of movement and the air element in their constitution causes their energy, mood swings, and appetite to fluctuate dramatically. When imbalanced, they can get anxious, restless, un-grounded, and indecisive about decisions, fulfilling commitments, sticking to a routine, and completing projects. When their Dosha are balanced, they live healthily, with vivid imaginations and intense creativity. 

A dominant Vata dosha individual should follow a regular daily routine and manage stress through yoga, meditation, nature walks, and other grounding activities, eating warm, nutritious meals that maintain the body's heat.

Pitta Dosha

Pitta Dosha individuals possess the fire quality that makes them innately strong, sharp, intense, and sometimes irritable and angry. They are medium build with endurance, an agile body structure, and warm oily skin that quickly causes sunburn, is prone to acne, and reddens during exercise or massage. They are strong-willed personalities, fierce, competitive, natural leaders, quick learners, and highly focused on mastering new skills. They have strong digestion, love food, and are likely to get grumpy if they miss out on their meals. 

The common issues they suffer are impatience and varied health conditions such as inflammation, rashes, acne, acidity, and loose stools. The balancing act for dominant pitta dosha is to manage their "intense" tendencies, channel them in productive ways, maintain work-life balance, tame their anger and sharp tongue, and avoid extreme heat and spicy food.

Kapha Dosha

Kapha Dosha individuals exhibit muscular bodies, are steady, stable, and caring, and bring cohesion and support to others. They are empathetic, trusting, and joyful and have lustrous eyes, healthy skin, and robust immune systems. The power of the earth and water elements makes them innately tough, compassionate, and loyal. They love doing things systematically and prefer a routine in their personal and professional lives. Their metabolism tends to slow, they tend to gain weight quickly, and their appetite for food and stimulation is less intense than Vata or Pitta types. 

When imbalanced, they can become unmotivated, stubborn, and complacent, even when change is necessary. The breathing issues (i.e., asthma, allergies), higher risk of heart disease, mucus buildup, and quick get depressed need constant motivation and encouragement. 

The Kapha-dominant dosha needs to focus on regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining a warm body temperature, establishing a normal sleep routine, benefiting from changing environments, meeting new people, and occasionally fasting.

Can a person be Bi-doshic (qualities of two dosha’s)?

The qualities of two Dosha can exist, and this individual can be Bi-doshic. Most of us share vital dual attributes from time to time. People with dual constitutions (Vata-pitta, Pitta-Kapha, and Vata-Kapha) show one Dosha as dominant. The best way to manage bi-doshic Prakriti (body composition) is by the season. For example, during fall, a Vata season - dry and cold spells, Vata-pitta or Vata-Kapha Prakriti should follow a Vata-decreasing regimen like warmer and heavier foods. During warm weather (summer), following a pitta-decreasing regimen might work best. During the cold and wet seasons, the winter months following the Kapha diet would benefit the body.

Can a person be Tri-doshic (qualities of two dosha’s)?

Yes definitely. Tri-doshic means to have equal amounts of each of the three dosha influences. The tri-doshic person can be robust, stable, and adaptable when in balance, but they can experience poor health if imbalance strikes. To preserve balance in one's Prakriti is to understand your body, have sensitivity to potential imbalances that may arise from your environment, diet, or emotional imbalance, and learn to adopt practices that will counter-balance these dosha influences.

For example, in autumn, a tri-doshic person would act like someone with a Vata constitution and follow a Vata-balancing lifestyle and diet. Similarly, the same is true for the other seasons; if we utilize a pitta-balancing regimen when the weather is hot and a Kapha-balancing regimen when the weather is cold and damp, the body gets balanced and adapts to the constitution and the environment as long as there is routine in place.