All about the Ayurvedic Doshas

All about the Ayurvedic Doshas

Posted by Alexa Hoffman on

If you have been reading this blog, you may have noticed I mention the doshas frequently. I wanted to take the time to elaborate on what the doshas are and how an imbalance might show up for you. We all become unbalanced at times throughout our lives due our busy schedule, environment, stress, and diet among other things. Prakruti is the Sanskrit word that tells us our unique mind-body type that we are born with; our vikruti is what our current imbalance may be. Our Prakruti never changes, but our vikruti does change. Sometimes we find ourselves in balance and sometimes we find ourselves out of balance.  

Pitta Dosha

Pitta is the fire and water element. People with Pitta dosha in their prakruti tend to be naturally athletic with a medium build body, have oily hair and/or premature gray hair/baldness, reddish tint to their skin, become overheated easily, prone towards skin issues/rosacea, very driven and motivated, interested in business/fitness/law/anything achievement oriented, naturally domineering and drawn to positions of leadership, prone towards burnout and adrenal fatigue, perfectionist, confident, sharp eyes, symmetrical features, fast digestion.

Pitta is in charge of our metabolism and cell transformation, and most importantly our digestion. If you are having an excess Pitta imbalance, you may be quick to anger, lose your temper, heartburn, and experience acne.

Feel like you might have a Pitta imbalance? Try a combination of a couple of these activities: practice cooling yoga asanas such as forward folds, do not skip meals, spend time near water (oceans, lakes, rivers), eat minimal to no red meat (requires a lot of acid to break down in the body), avoid caffeine and alcohol (highly acidic), take breaks and do not push yourself so hard, do something that makes you laugh, eat plenty of greens and fresh fruits, warm coconut oil self-body massage (abhyanga) followed by a cool shower and use essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, and ylang ylang. Our products created for just for Pitta include our Divine diffuser blend, our PItta Soothe tea and our Harmony Set.

Vata Dosha

Vata is the air and space element. People with Vata in their prakruti tend to be naturally small-boned, have cracking joints, extremely tall or extremely short, dry skin and hair, tendency to feel cold, bone abnormalities such as scoliosis or bunions, extremely creative, interested in topics in the arts/spirituality/anything where they can think outside of the box, restless energy, tend to overanalyze, prone to anxiety, enthusiastic, timid, easily distracted, irregular digestion, lower immunity, idealist, love spontaneity and to travel.

Vata governs elimination and our nervous system. If your Vata dosha becomes out of balance, you may experience anxiety, dryness, weakness, or constipation.

Feel like you might have a Vata imbalance? Try a couple of these tips to find balance: practice grounding yoga asanas such as malasana, avoid watching news/tv after 9PM, cook as many of your meals as possible, up your consumption of root veggies (sweet potatoes, parsnips, etc.), take quiet time for yourself and unplug from social media as much as possible and use essential oils such as lavender, vetiver, and sandalwood. Our products created especially for Vata are our Serene blend, our Soothe Blend, and our Sleep Spritz.

Kapha Dosha

Kapha dosha is the earth and water element. People with Kapha in their prakruti tend to be larger-boned with dense frame, have soft skin, lustrous nails and hair, compassionate, prone to sugar cravings, interested in teaching/ therapy/nursing/anything service-related, calm and peaceful, slow/resistant to change, stable, strong, great immunity, and have slow digestion.

Kapha is responsible for muscles, cells and bones. Kapha provides the lubrication to protect all of our internal organs and provides immunity. If you are having an excess Kapha imbalance you may experience: fatigue, asthma, allergies, depression, weight gain and fluid retention.

Feel like you might have a Kapha imbalance? Try consistent exercise (HIIT or weight training), cook with more herbs and spices, invite more challenge and excitement into your life, eat your main meal at midday, avoid heavy, sweet and cold foods, eat foods that are light, warm or dry and use essential oils such as juniper berry, cypress, cinnamon and frankincense. Products we created for Kapha include our Awaken Spritz and our Energy Set.

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