INTRO TO AYURVEDA - UNDERSTANDING THE 3 DOSHAS

In the context of Ayurveda, we often talk about the Doshas. But what are they actually?

Ayurveda teaches us that everything consists of the 5 Elements. Whether Animal, stone or human beings. Everything has the same elements in it, only in a different composition.

The Doshas are made up of the elements and determine your personal constitution. They make you unique and therefore every person needs a different diet and habits to be healthy.

The 3 Doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha

Vata - Air and Space

Vata is composed of the elements air and space.

To understand how the dosha works in us - we need to understand its properties. The main qualities are

light, cold, dry, rough, mobile and subtle.

For example, dry skin indicates that we have an increased Vata.

According to Ayurveda, for optimal health, a vata-dominant person should follow a regular daily routine, manage stress through meditation and other calming activities, and maintain a warm body temperature by avoiding cold weather and consuming warm food and drinks.

Pitta - Fire and Water

Pitta is composed of the elements fire and water.

Its properties are hot, sour, pungent, oily and penetrating.

People with elevated Pitta are usually ambitious, good leaders and have an athletic physique.

Ayurveda recommends cooling food and spices, such as leafy salads and cardamom.

A person with elevated Pitta can quickly become irritable and should incorporate meditation into their daily routine.

Kapha - Water and Earth

Kapha is composed of the elements water and earth. Its properties are

heavy, cold, immobile, slow, slimy and moist.

People with an elevated Kapha dosha are characterised by a heavy body and bone structure.They go through life steadily and slowly and are friends for life. The digestive system works well and so little food is needed to nourish themselfs. Fasting is easy and if they live in harmony with themselves the immune system functions well.

Because of their characteristics, people with elevated Kapha need to be careful not to slip into inertia or depression.

Ayurveda recommends a heating diet and hot spices such as cinnamon and chilli.

The daily routine should include warm Food and exercise.

Now you are probably asking yourself which dosha you are.

It is not quite that simple, every human being consists of all 5 elements and therefore also of all 3 doshas.

It is usually the case that a certain dosha predominates and we have the tendency to illness in accordance with our increased dosha and balance this out through our diet and habits.

Through a constitutional assessment with your Aryurveda practitioner, you can find out which is your elevated dosha and what possibilities there are to balance it.

The goal is to balance all the doshas and find a healthy and happy life.

The more your balance deviates from your basic constitution, the more likely you are to get ill

In most cases, two doshas are pre-dominant and one is slightly less prevalent. In rare cases we can have a naturally tre-dosha constitution which means we are very balanced. However, if we live against our nature, the disease can be even more severe.

When we understand which elements and doshas are elevated in us, we can understand which food and spices, as well as lifestyle habits are good or bad to be balanced.

In the modern world of stress and distraction, many of us have lost our connection to ourselves and struggle through everyday life while feeling uncomfortable.

Through Ayurveda we understand which elements and their characteristics shape us, so we can begin to balance them.

Our dosha balance is not steady, it is a constant state of change. It depends on many factors like where we are at what time of year or what stage of life we are in.

The time as a child is associated with the kapha dosha and as we come to an old age, with the vata.

Even the time of day makes a difference and so we can already balance our doshas with daily decisions to find more harmony and happiness day by day.

All in all it is important to get to know ourselves and to understand how our body and mind works in order to feel from within. What feels important for us.

If you have any questions, feel free to write in the comments or send me a private message.

If you are interested in what elements are working in you and what your personal constitution is, feel free to contact me.

As a little tip for the winter, which is the time of Kapha - we become a bit sluggish...

A daily tea blend with hot spices like cinnamon and ginger. This way we counteract the sluggishness from the inside.