What is Vata, Pitta, and Kapha?
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, each of us is a microcosmos mirroring the macrocosmos. What it means is that everything happening in Nature can be found as a function in your body and mind. The Universe and us, we are created out of five elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. It’s the subtle dance of these elements and their relationship with each other that create every individual. There are some particularly strong connections between some of the elements, which create doshas. Doshas are energetic patterns that create who you are and govern your mind, body, and spirit. They are „three basic types of energy or functional principles that are present in everybody and everything”*.
Vata is composed of Air and Ether. It is all about mobility, communication, and movement. It governs breathing, all kinds of movements in the physical body, as well as the movement of thoughts. Vata is responsible for our speech, creative expression, joy, and life force energy. In Nature, Vata can be felt especially in Autumn, when there is a lot of wind, trees shed their leaves and become dry, just like our skin. The qualities (gunas) of Vata are: dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, and clear.
Pitta is composed of Fire and Water. It is all about transformation and metabolism. Pitta governs digestion, absorption of nutrients, metabolism, and body temperature. It promotes smart thinking, understanding and assimilation of new information, self-confidence, and ignites the drive for proper organization. In Nature, Pitta is Sun and reigns during Summer, as everything feels hot. The qualities of Pitta are: hot, sharp, light, liquid, mobile, and oily.
Kapha is composed of Earth and Water. It is all about building and lubricating things. It holds the bodily structure together and supplies the water for the whole organism. Kapha lubricates joints and moisturizes the skin. Basically, all bodily liquids are an expression of Kapha. This dosha represents the feeling of stability, groundedness, calm, compassion, and love. In Nature, Kapha is soil, those big, stable trees, rain, and is present especially during early Spring, when the snow is melting and humidity is high. The qualities of Kapha are: heavy, slow, cold, oily, liquid, slimy, dense, soft, static, and sticky.
All three doshas have their functions and main sites in which they are present in the body. We need all of them working together in harmony in order to enjoy a healthy body, mind, and spirit, and navigate smoothly through different seasons in Nature. However, if there is an excess of a dosha, or it spreads out of its primary site, we experience an imbalance. Here are some examples of undesirable effects of imbalanced doshas:
Vata: excessive dryness, dehydration, depletion, feeling cold, anxiety, worry, restless mind.
Pitta: excessive heat, intensity, inflammation, redness, anger, frustration, criticism, judgment.
Kapha: stagnation, sluggishness, mucous, obesity, lethargy, depression, deep sadness.
Vata, Pitta, and Kapha help us understand all that happens in the Universe and in us as individuals. It is a great lesson in life to learn to notice and interpret the influence of the doshas on our body, mind, and spirit, as well as prevent imbalances and treat them accordingly whenever they arise.
*Vasant Lad, M.A.Sc., Textbook of Ayurveda. Fundamental principles of Ayurveda. Volume One. The Ayurvedic Press, Albuquerque, NM, 2002, p. 29
