Vata, Pitta, Kapha THE terms for everyone who has ever studied Ayurveda. You can find Kapha tea in the supermarket, hear about Pitta types or Vata disturbances.
As a miniature of nature, according to the teachings of Ayurveda, we humans are a microcosm and thus an “offshoot” of the entire universe, the macrocosm. The five elements – space/ether, air, fire, water, earth, which can be found in everything and manifest in everything – are the basis of Ayurvedic science. So we find the elements not only in us, but also around us and everywhere. At home, on the road, at the desk, in our food, at sports, in nature … .
But what does that mean for you? Quite easy. Balance! Balance as the key to a healthy and happy life.
Vata, Pitta and Kapha are composed of exactly these five elements, the functional principles or basic energies, and are called Dosha’s in Sanskrit. The mixture of all three Doshas as physical constitution and the three Gunas Sattva, Rajas and Tamas as mental or spiritual constitution make up our individuality and uniqueness. They are our individual fingerprint. Unique. How am I? What do I like? Is my body strong or rather weak? Do I like it cool or warm weather? How do I relate to other people? How is my metabolism? To which diseases am I particularly sensitive? How persistent am I? What fulfils me? What stresses me? All this is programmed in us by the mix of Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
How do I get my Constitution or “personal ID”?
I will never forget one of my first Ayurvedic therapies in a small Ayurvedic hospital in the countryside of Goa, when the doctor asked me how the weather was during my conception. I looked at him with big eyes until I understood what he was trying to say. The parents (and their constitution), the time of conception (the external influences such as the season) and also the time of pregnancy shape and mix Vata, Pitta and Kapha in us.
All three Doshas are present in every human being, his organs, tissues and all cells and also control the psychobiological functions. With the individual energy patterns – the mixture of Vata, Pitta and Kapha – there are seven possible combinations. Here we distinguish A) the types in which one dosha is extremely pronounced and the other two less pronounced. For example Vata, Pitta or Kapha. B) – most frequently occurring – the mixed types in which one Dosha is extremely dominant, a second is also very strong and the third is less pronounced. For example: Vata-Pitta, Kapha-Pitta, Vata-Kapha. Very rarely we also meet the Tri-Dosha types, in which Vata, Pitta and Kapha are relatively equally pronounced.
Our “personal ID” is perfect as it is. The most important thing is that we recognise our nature or any deviations and live and balance it in harmony with other factors, such as our diet, environmental influences, time of day or season, lifestyle, age and habits. For example, even a strong Kapha type can suffer from a Vata disorder due to constant stress and an irregular lifestyle. If this kapha type would only cling to “I am kapha and must do everything that keeps Kapha in balance”, his aggravated Vata could be disturbed even more and could cause many problems.