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Understanding Your Doshas - Part II
To know more about the five elements of nature that constitute your doshas, click here.
In Ayurveda, doshas are believed to be the fundamental energies that are present in every living being and influence the functioning of our bodies. The elements of space and air make up the ‘vata’ dosha, that of fire and water the ‘pitta’ dosha and that of water and earth form the ‘kapha’ dosha.
Ayurvedic science has long since considered these doshas to be responsible for influencing who we are and all that we do. When in balance, they are believed to create perfect health - mentally, physically and spiritually and when out of balance, they can cause diseases and disorders. Every single living being has all three doshas present in their body according to their individual prakruti (or physical constituency), but there is almost always one that is primary, one that is secondary and one that is least prominent. Ayurveda believes this unique ratio is akin to an energy print (and one that can be identified by a trained Ayurvedic practitioner) that deeply influences our mental, physical and spiritual health.
VATAAs the energy of movement, vata helps to regulate all the activity in the body - both mental and physiological, including the blinking of the eyes, beating of the heart and the movement in the cytoplasm and cell membrane. When vata is in balance, it expresses itself through the feelings of creativity, flexibility, happiness and joy. When out of balance, vata is believed to produce the feelings of fear and anxiety.
PITTAPitta is the principle of fire and the energy that influences our metabolism. It is believed to govern the biochemical changes in the human body, including regulation of digestion, absorption and assimilation and promotes appetite and vitality. Pitta dosha is also believed to be crucial to processing and ‘digesting’ every single impression that our body and mind is subjected to. When in balance, pitta promotes intelligence and understanding and helps foster learning.
KAPHA
Kapha - the dosha that combines the elements of earth and water - is the energy that forms the structure of our bodies and also provides us with strength, vigor and stability. Excess or imbalanced kapha is responsible for the feelings of greed, lust and envy. When in balance, kapha manifests as love, forgiveness and a sense of calm.
Together, three doshas are responsible for governing the body’s functioning and are constantly influenced by both internal and external factors, including food, weather, our thoughts, the time of the day and the different phases of life. When we crafted our line of Ayurvedic skincare essentials, we made sure to create something that could benefit a range of dosha types.
Stay tuned to our INSTAGRAM and BLOG as we help you uncover how you can use this ancient science to live a healthy + balanced life!
Soha Joshi