Be it at the beginning of a year, a month, or a week, we almost always find ourselves making promises of keeping our bodies fit and healthy. From gym subscriptions & protein shakes to yoga & diet plans, the ginger lemon tea in the morning to the clear soup at night, we keep up with the trend to lose weight or gain muscles.
Through its ancient yet timeless way, Ayurveda teaches us to balance our body, mind, and soul for our well-being. According to Ayurveda, all beings are made up of five elements- air, water, fire, earth, and ether(space). A perfect synergy of all these elements is present in our body. However, some elements are dominant, which explains the mental and physiological characteristics of a person.
Our body types are classified broadly into three groups called doshas. Doshas are energy forces around us that shape our characteristics. They combine like other elements to form a different atmosphere, food, climate, species, or individuals.
In Ayurveda, there are three basic doshas- Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Before digging deep into this, one must understand that each dosha is unique in its own way, and none is better than the others. We may also find two dominant doshas in some people or a balance of all three.
To understand what body type you belong to and how to take care of it read below!
BODY TYPE 1: VATA/ VATTA
Vata dosha is derived from the elements of ether and air and is called the energy of movement. If we can explain Vata with reference to a season, it will be more or less like Autumn and generally described as cold, light, and dry.
The Vata body type is physically underdeveloped with typically lower body weight. People having this dosha are usually skinny and have a hard time gaining weight. Common characteristics of this body type are dry skin, brittle nails, thin hair, and small, slightly sunken eyes. Their joints might also make a sound at the time of movement. Vata body types cope well in warm or hot weather and may have trouble tolerating the cold.
People with Vata as their dominant dosha display a creative, active, and gifted mind. They are also characterized by short-term memory retaining power. However, given that they are fast learners with a quick mental understanding, they grasp ideas and thoughts quickly. Vata-dominant people are lively and fun personalities but they have little to no willpower and possess low levels of tolerance, confidence, and boldness. Because of weak reasoning power, people belonging to the Vata type usually get nervous, fearful, and anxious easily. They are also highly unstable and have trouble sleeping with irregular appetite and eating patterns.
An imbalance of this dosha can cause irregularity in the functioning of bowel movements, the nervous system, disorders in muscles and joints, menstrual disorders, abdominal and back pain, etc.
According to Ayurveda, for optimal health, a Vata-dominant person should be an early riser and should sleep early as well. They are also advised to eat and drink warm food and beverages. Using generous amounts of ghee and good-quality oils in their daily diet can reduce the imbalance. Meditation and calming activities are a must for Vata-dominant people.
BODY TYPE 2: PITTA
People with Pitta as their dominant dosha are known for having a tenacious personality. This dosha is derived from the fire and water elements. As a season, pitta dominant people are more like the summer- hot, penetrating, and sharp.
Pitta people are strong & muscular with an athletic build and medium height. They possess soft skin and silky hair. They are also known to be intelligent, highly motivated, and goal-oriented people. People with a Pitta body have a sharp mind and are considered to have good management and leadership skills. They also possess good oratory skills. Often competitive in nature, they also tend to grow impatient and aggressive.
Pitta energy is of digestion and metabolism and is located in the small intestines, stomach, liver, blood, and pancreas of the body. Therefore, this body type has a good metabolism and digestion, hence a strong appetite.
Unfortunately, a Pitta person gets imbalanced with ease and that leads to hair loss and early greying, reduced sleep, bad breath, burning sensations, hot flashes, increased anger, and agitation. Diseases like peptic ulcers, skin disorders, conjunctivitis, and jaundice are common in pitta dominant people.
To remedy the imbalances, it is advised to drink a lot of water, meditate, and spend time with nature, such as walking on the grass and moon gazing.
BODY TYPE 3: KAPHA
Kapha is based on earth and water. This dosha is the energy-building dosha that provides the body with form and structure. Kapha people mostly exhibit a cool, calm, lazy, cheerful demeanor just like the spring season.
People with this dosha are known for keeping things together and being a support system for others. Generally, people with Kapha dosha have a rather well-developed body with a tendency to carry excess weight. They have thick and oily skin, dark wavy hair, and big eyes.
This dosha is located mainly in the chest, throat, lungs, fatty tissues, connective tissues, ligaments, and tendons and acts as a binding agent.
Kapha dominant people have a caring and empathetic nature and tend to be romantic and happy. However, with a trait of slow metabolism present in their body, they are prone to weight gain, oversleeping and depression. They also show traits of greed, attachment, envy, and possessiveness. Even though they have slow comprehension, the knowledge once gained stays with them for a long period.
Imbalance in Kapha dosha leads to sluggishness, breathing issues, anorexia, obesity, hardening of blood vessels, and bronchitis. As a remedy, keeping the body active is the foremost goal for Kapha bodies with maintaining a healthy diet and consumption of warm foods. Kapha-dominant people should avoid sleeping during the day and should practice pranayama.
These three doshas are the basic life forces. An understanding of them makes one able to turn inside and explore the innateness of oneself which is important. Which category do you belong to?
Author
Shailaja Sarangi
Pratha Content Writing Intern
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