What is Tridosha? | Ayurveda: The Science of Doshas

Ayurveda

The word Ayurveda is a combination of two words, ayu and veda. Ayu means age, longevity or life; and the word veda means knowledge or science. So, the meaning of Ayurveda can be taken as the science of longevity.

Ayurveda originated in India, but when? It is said that it originated in the Vedic era, which is thought to be between 1500 BC and 600 BC. It is also said that many Rishis and Munis made various discoveries about life through their meditation practices and used that special knowledge for the wellbeing of society.

Charaka Samhita is the earliest codified document of Ayurveda. Another document by the name of Sushruta Samhita is said to be descended from Dhanvantri and chiefly focuses on surgery and internal medicine.

Ayurvedic knowledge can also be seen in the Vedas which are the holy scriptures in Hinduism. The Atharvaveda also has hymns about diseases and treatment. So, the researchers also think that the roots of Ayurveda lie in the Atharvaveda.

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What is Tridosha?

Ayurveda defines three fundamental principles or energies as tridosha which are vata dosha, (What is Tridosha?) pitta dosha and kapha dosha. The physical and emotional functions of our bodies are governed by these three doshas.

People have unique balances of these doshas in them. The predominance of these doshas is different in people. Ayurveda gives tremendous value to keeping the doshas in balance. According to Ayurveda, it is important to keep the body, the mind and the spirit in balance for holistic wellbeing.

Ayurveda tells that the body is brought into existence by five elements namely fire, earth, water, air and space. These five elements are connected to tridosha. There are three body type doshas.

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Pitta Dosha

It is said that fire and water elements form pitta dosha. Pitta has tendencies of sharp, penetrating and hot. Fire is more predominant in pitta. People with pitta dominance tend to have warm and somewhat oily skin.

When out of balance, these people are more likely to have problems such as infections, diarrhea, weakness in the spleen, liver and blood, and skin rashes.

When we talk about the qualities of personality, pitta people tend to be competitive, courageous, with clear communication, focused, capable and energetic. As they have the fire element dominant in them, they may also act intensely and speak sharp words.

In order to balance pitta dosha, an ayurvedic practitioner tries to enhance the opposing qualities of dryness and coolness. It is done by using herbs, changing diet and yoga/execises.

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Vata Dosha

It is said that air and ether elements form vata dosha. Vata is much like wind–it is dry, cool and mobile. People with vata dominance tend to have thin bones, dry hair and skin. They often speak fast and move quickly.

When out of balance, these people may experience constipation, weight loss and weakness in their nervous and immune systems.

People with vata dominance tend to be more enthusiastic, flexible, energetic, talkative and creative. When out of balance, these people can easily get perplexed and overwhelmed. 

In order to balance vata dosha, opposing qualities of heaviness, warmth, stability and moistness are emphasized. 

Kapha Dosha

It is said that kapha dosha has a predominance of earth and water elements. As per the elements, kapha tends to be stable, heavy, cool and moist. The qualities of kapha manifest in the body as heavy bones, supple and lustrous skin, large frames and low metabolism.

When out of balance, people with kapha predominance may gain weight and have weaknesses in their lungs and sinuses. These people are more susceptible to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The personality traits that people with kapha dominance tend to have are a stable personality with stress-handling skills. They may not like change but like the things as they are.

In order to balance kapha dominance, the opposing qualities of warmth, dryness and lightness are stressed. 

Tridosha Diet

Diet can play an important part in keeping your doshas in balance. You should consult an ayurvedic practitioner so that you can know about your body type dosha and put the imbalances of your dosha into a balance the right way. A brief introduction of the diet for doshas is given below.

VATA DOSHA

Symptoms of Vata Dosha Imbalance

• Dehydration
• Constipation
• Rough and dry skin
• Fatigue, low strength
• Dizziness
• More sensitive to cold, likeness for warmth
• Feeling fearful and confused
• Feeling ungrounded

Foods

You should include those foods in your diet that will hydrate your body, such as fruit and salad as they contain a lot of water in them with minerals, vitamins and energy. If you are losing weight because of vata imbalance, you should eat those foods that can also help you gain weight.

PITTA DOSHA

Symptoms of Pitta Dosha Imbalance

• Infection
• Migraines or dizziness
• Enhanced thirst and hunger
• Bad body odor
• Insomnia
• heartburn
• Sore throat
• A desire for things with cooling effects on the body
• Frustration
• Restlessness and impatience

Foods

Pitta imbalance means that the body has heat in excess. In this case, you should eat foods that have cooling effects on your body so that excessive heat can be balanced. You should also avoid foods that are hot in nature.

KAPHA DOSHA

Symptoms of Kapha Dosha Imbalance

• Weight gain
• Excessive mucous
• Low metabolism
• Runny nose/cold/sore throat/cough
• Hay fever
• Sinus congestion
• Feeling sleepy/lethargic

Foods

There needs warmth to balance the excessive cooling effects of kapha. So, you should consider those foods that will generate heat in your body and ignore those foods that make your body cool.

Takeaway

It is important for you to keep your doshas in balance. The body has different functions, such as heat, dryness, moistness, oiliness, coolness, heaviness and lightness. Any imbalance in these functions is a sign of imbalanced dosha. You should consult an ayurvedic practitioner for the guidance and treatment of imbalanced doshas.

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