WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIDOSHAS ?HOW CAN WE DECIDE OUR NATURE( VATA / PITTA / KAPHA NATURE)?
- Chida nanda
- Oct 7, 2017
- 6 min read
1-Ayurveda's concept of the Tridoshas is unique to medical science. Ayurveda says the body is made up of tissues (dhatus), waste products (malas), and doshas (loosely translated to Energetic Forces. 2-It is the Tridoshas' job to assist with the creation of all of the various tissues of the body and to remove any unnecessary waste products from the body. It is also the Tridoshas that influence all movements, all transformations, all sensory functions, and many of the other activities in the human body and mind. 3-We must remember that we are all a combination of the three doshic energies. On the most fundamental level, pitta is our metabolism, kapha is our structure, and vata is the mobility that brings action and life into creation. Without all three energies, we simply could not exist. TRIDOSHA;--- 1-VATA DOSHA;-- 1-The vata dosha is said to be made up of the air and ether elements. This means that it has qualities which are similar to these elements. Vata is very much like the wind--it is light, cool, dry and mobile. 2-In the body, those people with a vata nature experience more of these qualities.The Vata dosha is the most important of the three doshas. This is for two reasons. First, if Vata becomes imbalanced for long enough and sufficiently enough, it can also cause the other two doshas (Pitta or Kapha) to become imbalanced. 3- It can even cause both Pitta and Kapha to become imbalanced; this is called a Tridoshic imbalance and is the most difficult to overcome. Secondly, Vata is the main driver or mover of the body, including the other two doshas, all the tissues (dhatus) and all of the waste products (malas). VATA provides the following FUNCTIONS :--- 1-All eliminations: fetus, semen, feces, urine, sweat, and a few others 2-Assists with all the various metabolisms in the body (called Agni in Ayurveda) 3-Controls all of the various movement of body (both physical & mental), including such things as respiration, heart beat, motivation and contraction of muscles 4-Relays all sensory input from the various sense organs to the brain SYMPTOMS OF VATA NATURE;- 1-Their bodies tend to be light, their bones thin, and their skin and hair dry. 2-They often move and speak quickly. 3-When out of balance, they may lose weight, become constipated and have weakness in their immune and nervous systems 4-These qualities also reflect in their personality. Those with a vata nature tend to be talkative, enthusiastic, creative, flexible, and energetic. 5-Yet, when out of balance they may also become easily confused and overwhelmed, have difficulty focusing and making decisions and have trouble sleeping. This becomes more apparent when they are under stress. Emotionally they are challenged by cool emotions like worry, fear, and anxiety. HOW TO MAKE BALANCE ?--- 1-In order to bring balance to vata, programs are designed which emphasize the opposing qualities of warmth, heaviness (nourishment), moistness, and stability.
2-In the diet, this is reflected (throw back) in the consumption of cooked grains such as rice and cooked vegetables, as well as the intake of warm milk with spices. 3-Pungent herbs like ginger which increase internal heat and nourishing herbs like ashwagandha bring balance to Vata. 4-Ayurvedic programs include not only herbs and diet but also color and aroma therapies, detoxification, yoga, and meditation. 2-PITTA DOSHA;-- 1-The pitta dosha is said to be made up of the fire and water elements. Fire is more predominant, and those people with a predominant pitta nature have many of the qualities of fire within them. 2-The Pitta dosha is associated with fire or heat. Wherever there is transformation, there is Pitta (doing its job). Whether it is in the GI tract, liver, skin, eyes or brain doesn't matter, for these are all locations where Pitta works. PITTA provides the following FUNCTIONS :--- 1-Metabolism - at all the various levels from digestion of food to transformation of all other material 2-Thermogenesis - maintains the proper body temperature 3-Vision - converts external images into optic nerve impulses 4-Appetite - the feeling of hunger and thirst 5-Comprehension (the ability to understand )- of information into knowledge, also reasoning and judgment 6-Courage & Braveness - to face the situation 7-Complexion - gives color and softness to skin SYMPTOMS OF PITTA NATURE;- 1-Pitta tends to hot, sharp, and penetrating. It is also somewhat volatile and oily. The oily nature of Pitta is related to the secondary component of water. People with a Pitta nature reflect these qualities. 2-They tend to feel warm and have somewhat oily skin, penetrating eyes, and sharp features. They tend to have moderate weights and good musculature. When out of balance they tend toward diarrhea, infections, skin rashes and weakness in the liver, spleen, and blood. 3- Pitta people tend to be highly focused, competitive, capable, courageous, energetic and clear communicators who get right to the point. 4-They like to solve problems and when under stress they dig in their heels. 5-They can however also become overly intense and speak with a sharp tongue.
6-They make great friends but feared enemies. 7- Emotionally they are challenged by the heated emotions of anger, resentment and jealousy. HOW TO MAKE BALANCE ?--- 1-In order to bring balance to pitta, programs are designed to emphasize the opposing qualities of coolness, heaviness (nourishing) and dryness. 2-Cool spices like fennel are recommended in the diet along with foods such as raw vegetables, cooked rice, and wheat, as well as most beans. 3-Sweet herbs like shatavari are used to nourish the body while bitters like dandelion root temper the fire. 4-A Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist puts together programs that not only include foods and herbs but also aromas, colors, massage, detoxification, yoga, and meditation. 3-KAPHA DOSHA;-- 1-Within the kapha dosha there is a predominance of the water and earth elements. 2-Kapha is the heaviest of the three doshas. It provides the structures and the lubrication that the body needs. 3-These qualities help to counterbalance Vata's movement and Pitta's metabolism. A big, heavyset football player or wrestler is a person with a predominance of Kapha. KAPHA provides the following FUNCTIONS :--- 1-Strength - To perform physical tasks 2-Moistness & Lubrication - To prevent excessive friction from occurring between the various parts of the body 3-Stability - To add the necessary grounding aspect to both mind and body 4-Mass & Structure - To provide fullness to bodily tissues 5-Fertility & Virility - To produce healthy offspring SYMPTOMS OF KAPHA NATURE;- 1-Like these elements, kapha tends to be cool, moist, stable and heavy. In the body these qualities manifest as dense, heavy bones, lustrous, supple skin, low metabolism, and large, stocky (broad shoulders and big bones) frames. 2- In addition, those with a kapha nature tend to feel cool. When out of balance, kapha individuals are prone to gaining weight and tend to have weaknesses in their lungs and sinuses where there is an accumulation of mucous. 3-Those of kapha nature are also most prone to non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. 4-The elements of water and earth also reflect in the personality. The heavy, stable nature of kapha reflects in a stable personality which is not prone to quick fluctuations. 5-Those with a kapha nature handle stress very well, often not even noticing that it exists. 6-They don't like change, are generally conservative, and would prefer to keep things just the way they are. 7-Those with a kapha nature are also comfort seekers. This relates to the soft, watery nature of kapha. Too much comfort, however, can lead to a lack of motivation and feeling of becoming stuck. 8-When kapha is out of balance, the heavy emotions of depression and lethargy result. HOW TO MAKE BALANCE ?--- 1-In order to bring balance to a kapha nature the opposing qualities of lightness, dryness and warmth are recommended. 2-These qualities are integrated in dietary and herbal programs as well as aroma and color therapies, detoxification, yoga and meditation. 3-Grains such as quinoa and amaranth are recommended as well as hot spices like cayenne pepper (red chilly). Lots of vegetables and very little nuts or dairy are prescribed. 4-Cleansing herbs like guggul and pungent ones like clove bring balance to kapha. CAN WE MAKE BALANCE & CONTROL THE DISEASE?---- 06 FACTS;-- Because by learning how to balance the Tridoshas, the following goals can likely be achieved: 1-Prevention of many diseases before they take hold . 2-In many cases, slowing down or reversing the disease process (particularly the case in many auto immune disorders) 3-Assistance in becoming totally healthy: physically, mentally, and spiritually. In other words, maximize our full potential. 4-It is really nice about Ayurveda that learning to balance the Tridoshas is easy. 5-Much of Ayurveda is common sense; it is based upon the laws of nature. 6-The tools one uses to balance the Tridoshas are lifestyle management and the proper nutritional protocols. WHAT IS THIS TERM NUTRITIONAL- PROTOCOLS ? 1-Wouldn't some people call this diet? Sure, some would; however, we definitely would not use this word. On the other hand, learning to eat tasty, well-balanced meals that are easy to digest and even easier to cook is Nutritional Protocols . 2-Ayurveda goes into great detail explaining all of these different aspects of the body, how the functioning of the body can go wrong, and what to do in order to correct the problem. 3-Likewise, it also explains how each individual can create a customized nutritional protocol and lifestyle plan that can prevent disorders from occurring in the first place.
.......SHIVOHAM......
