Understanding the body’s makeup in terms of Doshas.
In the practice of Ayurveda, there are 3 doshas that work in sync together throughout the body. Ayurveda utilizes the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether to comprise each of the three doshas. All 3 doshas are made up of different levels of the elements and all have different characteristics that contribute to part of your body mentally, physically, and emotionally. There is no distinct order of each dosha. Instead, every individual is a unique blend of each of the 3 doshas. Your unique doshic makeup, or your prakruti - your constitution - is a guide to understanding your personality, health, potential imbalances, and gives you insight into how to improve your health or any imbalance.
The three doshas and what they are comprised of are as follows:
Vata (Air and Ether)
Pitta (Fire and Water)
Kapha (Earth and Water)
Vata constitution may exhibit the beautiful characteristics of a highly energetic and creative personality. They are able to think outside of the box and are easily distracted. Their strengths include being able to learn quickly, they are kind-hearted, and flexible. When Vata is imbalanced it can present in the body or mind as anxiety, instability in mood, and forgetfulness. People with a primarily vata constitution are usually lighter bodies, smaller framed, either very short or very tall, have blonde hair and blue eyes and tend to have dryer skin, hair and bones.
Pitta exudes itself in those who are strong nature leaders, goal-oriented, and usually highly competitive. A strong, balanced Pitta displays signs of high intelligence, driven, unstoppable and very purposeful. When Pitta is in excess (ie, when there is too much heat in the body) Pitta can present as anger, fever, skin rashes and burnout. Those with a predominately pitta constitution are typically medium framed, medium height, athletically built and have good muscle tone. (Ayurveda says men with strong Pitta in their constitution are known to have signs of early balding or balding at some point in their lives because they are so smart their hair burns right off of their head!)
Kapha holds the beautiful characteristics of being strong (physically and mentally) and caring. They are natural caregivers and are attracted to professions of nurturing (nurses, doctors, nannys, stay at home parents, etc) and are usually a strong support system for others (think of the one person in your group of friends everyone goes to for advice - maybe it’s you!). Kapha dominant people think long before acting, are empathetic, trusting, calm, and romantic. Kapha out of balance can present in the body as depression, unusual weight gain, congestion, and a tendency for catching colds.
When we are born, we are born with our specific constitution - prakruti, our most balanced and healthy state. However, as we move through the world and it has it’s effect on our body, mind and soul, we get out of balance. Food, stress, work, kids, pollution, products we use to clean ourselves, our homes and more all contribute to what can be known as “dis”ease. Our bodies get out of balance and instead of your prakruti you have a vikruti (your present constitution including imbalances). When we are out of balance we are more likely to get sick, develop illnesses, become stressed and overwhelmed and have more hardships in life. While this might feel scary and unwelcoming, do not fret. Like any part of wellness, optimal health is the goal BUT also an every day journey.
The good new is, balance and optimal health is 100% achievable. Once the imbalance is uncovered, imbalances can come from diet, movement, and lifestyle, small changes in one or all of these categories can show major changes in overall health that are sustainable for long term wellness.
Ayurveda is a root cause style of medicine that analyzes symptoms to understand where the root cause comes from to target the imbalance at the source. It is a highly intuitive and ancient practice that works one on one with clients to provide individualized treatment and support for their unique circumstances.
Curious to learn what your unique doshic make up is and to learn more about Ayurveda? Ashley Katzakian and So Hum Collective offer wellness consults to help you understand your prakruti and vikruti and to get your doshas back in balance with a personalized treatment plan that address new things to incorporate into your life. You deserve to not hide and deal with the things our society has normalized with your health.
As always, if you have any questions please do not ever hesitate to comment here or let us know by sending an email or booking a consult.
*It is important to work with a wellness coach to see these imbalances as well as better understand your natural constitution to find the root cause of some of the health issues you may be facing with no solution in sight. All of the information in this blog is for educational purposed only and is not medical advice.
