What is Dosha?
Nov 2, 2020 | Written by Leticia Padmasr
According to Ayurveda, the five elements — ether, air, fire, water, and earth—found in all living things are the building blocks of life.
The doshas are an organizing principle that helps us to describe the action of the five elements within us.
The concepts of the five elements and the doshas provide a foundation to understand ourselves and the world around us.
The doshas represent three primary life-forces in the body and mind – Vata, Pitta, Kapha.
Vata is comprised of ether and air. Pitta is made up of fire and water. Kapha is a combination of water and earth.
Each dosha develops the biological potentials inherent in the elements. Vata is the prime force of the nervous system. Pitta is the force of transformation through all the chemical and metabolic reactions in the body. Kapha is the force of support, which makes the bulk of our bodily tissues.
At the level of the individual, the doshas define every person’s makeup. They generically describe our inherited traits, individual characteristics, and tendencies. This refers to things like body frame, mental nature, digestive capacity, and disease tendencies.
All three doshas are present in everyone. How they appear, and in what proportion, is what makes each of us unique.
For example, some of us have a thin body frame, others have a stocky one, some cannot bear the heat, and others dislike the cold.
Our dosha constitution or prakruti is our base nature and is fixed at the moment of conception.
When in balance the doshas are responsible for good health. But even in the womb of our mother, life starts happening and the doshas can accumulate beyond healthy limits.
If the accumulations do not leave the body through the routes of stool, urine, and sweat, we experience imbalance. This state of imbalance is called vikruti.
Despite the tendency to get out of balance, the doshas offer great potential for health if cared for properly. The Ayurveda Doshic Model gives us the means.
It provides an understanding of our strengths and vulnerabilities.
It offers a vast selection of balancing therapeutic strategies—such as dietary adjustments, lifestyle practices, and herbal remedies.
When I first did an Ayurvedic constitutional self-assessment, I understood more about the inherited traits and the tendencies of my body and mind. That gave me expanded awareness and helped me to make small choices every day to feel more peaceful and healthier. Then eventually, I saw an Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant who confirmed my discoveries and helped me refine my lifestyle and diet, taking me to a greater state of awareness and well-being.