Doshas: what are they and how do they impact your health?

Are you creative but struggle to finish a task? Is letting go of past resentments a real challenge for you? Do you get overly critical with yourself or others when things are not done perfectly? These are all signs that you may be out of your dosha balance.

Doshas, according to India’s ancient traditional healing system Ayurveda (or “life science”), in sanskrit means “weakness” or functional energy. It is thought, that all three doshas are present in everyone, but they show up in different ways and in different amounts. A person’s ideal combination, or natural disposition / unique constitution (prakriti), is what was expressed at the moment of your birth and is what informs so much about you and your physical, mental and emotional preferences and characteristics throughout your entire life.

Although there is no way to measure our dosha in modern medicine, determining one’s dominant dosha in ayurveda is thought to be a crucial step to being in your optimal health and living a long and healthy life. To find your dosha, there are many books and simple quizzes out there to guide you. It is a lifetime of learning, but here is one quiz I recommend to get you started. DOSHA QUIZ

What is healthy?

In this ancient life science system, a sister science to the study of yoga, a healthy person is one with balance in body, mind and spirit who is living their life at one’s highest potential. In other words, if you eat well, exercise regularly but are angry all the time…this is not “balance” or even “healthy”. Conversely, if you have an illness, but take good care of your body, eat well, exercise regularly and maintain loving relationships with yourself and others, this is a more balanced state, and might even be considered more healthy than someone without an illness. The point being made here is that healthy does not mean perfect.

According to Ayurveda, the science of life, we (and our doshas) are made up of the same five elements we can see in nature and these are: space, air, fire, water and earth. In the ayurvedic perspective, these 5 elements combine together and form the three different doshas that we can witness not just in ourselves but in all of creation. According to this ancient healing system, each person’s dominant dosha is responsible in how we look, move, react and act in this world. In other words, our primary Ayurvedic constitution (our Prakriti) oversee our tendencies, preferences, and overall structure.

The three doshas are: Vata (made up of space and air), Pitta (made of fire and water), Kapha (made of earth and water) can be, as mentioned, seen in nature, but also in our food and even in our closest relationships. When we are in balanced in these energies, we achieve a state of health called “swasthya” which literally means “established in the self”.

What causes imbalance?

So if we are talking about being established in our self is when we are in a state of in balance in our doshas, that means there is a state of being out of balance in our doshas. Dosha imbalances can be caused by a wide variety of items such as stress, diet, lifestyle, genetics and other outside influences that knock us out of this natural state.

For example, if we are a fiery person (pitta), and we are in balance, we might show up as a strong and focused leader at work. Out of balanced Pitta, however, might show up as overally critical or demanding. An in balanced Vata might show up as spontaneous, creative and playful. An out of balance Vata, though, might be anxious, forgetful or come across to others as flighty or untethered. An in balanced Kapha, for example, might be strong, dedicated and loyal in their relationships, work and routines. An out of balanced Kapha, however, might be depressed, lethargic, lazy and resentful.

This ancient healing system is over 3000 years old and is a blueprint we can learn and follow so that we too can live at our highest, most balanced, most peaceful, happy and loving potentional!

What do you think about these ideas and this topic? Do you find it interesting?

This is what we are covering in our healthy habit Inner Circle group year round! We are discovering our natural prakriti and using our body mind and spiritual practices to balance ourselves out as a daily way of being!

To join us, click here: Join the Inner Circle

And, as always, may it be of benefit!

With Love,

Kim