Vata dosha
Attributes
Slim build. Either quite small or very tall. Long limbs. Small facial features sometimes with a protruding nose. Dry lips and skin, small eyes, likely dark in colour. Bony. Curly hair or dry hair. Cold hands and feet.
Excitable, speaks fast, poor memory, curious, people pleasing, loves chatting, creative, optimistic, loves to move and dance around, loves feeling free and does not like to be controlled, too much routine is not good for them as they can become quickly obsessed with it but they need some, irregular appetite, obsessive, easily emotional, disorganised (often late for things), fast thinking.
Aggravated (these are things you might see in someone with vata imbalance, but this might not be their original dosha but we must treat the imbalance first).
Anxiety, insomnia, dry skin/eczema (can lead to asthma), weight loss, bloating, chronic fatigue/ ME, paralysis, motor neurone disease, dementia, osteoporosis and bone disorders, aching joints, weak bones, dizziness, insecurity, hyperactivity, cramps, palpitations, chills; poor circulation, talking too fast, difficulty in swallowing, dryness of the throat, constipation, OCD, eating disorders.
Main causes of Vata imbalance
Habitual use of food having identical properties to Vata dosha such as dry, cold, light or rough foods
Inadequate quantities of food; fasting; excessive weight loss
Excessive exercise (specially aerobic)
Inadequate sleep; not sleeping at night and sleeping during the day
Excessive talking and laughing; keeping bad company
Prolonged exposure to loud music or loud sounds
Suppression of natural urges such as hunger, thirst, urination, elimination, yawning, burping, flatulence, accidents, obstruction of marma points
Horse riding
Excessive fast travel (planes, trains and automobiles)
Excessive exposure to the sun
Excessive meditation; isolation
Exposure to cold and windy conditions
Excessive thinking
Excessive concentration; excessive exposure to electronic media
Treatment for Vata imbalances
Oleation (internal and external) - application and massage using warm oils
Ingestion of foods which are sweet, sour and salty (mashed potato, broths, soups, stews, lightly spiced curry, coconut oil, creamy foods, warm and wet foods)
Warm oil bath (applying oil to the body before bathing)
Drugs of hot potency (in order to induce heat such as ginger or black pepper)
Comfortable activities such as singing, listening to light music, walks, parks, children, non-competitive activities
Exercise:
Vata should do gentle exercise that is warming and relaxing, such as flowing yoga practices (not hot yoga), walking in nature, swimming, dancing, cycling.
Relation to the chakras:
Vata links with these chakra as vata sits in this part of the body and they are made of the same element:
Anahata chakra / heart chakra
Primordial element - air
It is the chakra of devotion, love and trust
There is a connecting pathway from heart to throat chakra
Vata has the strongest emotions and connection to this area.
As vata also occupies the throat chakra when vata dosha feels unable to express themselves and the emotions coming from their heart chakra often a blockage is created in the throat. This can take the form dryness, soreness or lack of speech/inability to think of words.
Vishuddha chakra / throat chakra
Throat region
Primordial element - space
Chakra of communication, the inner meets with the outer
Poor expression and communication can block chakra
By opening the chakra, one feels love and connection to self and others and it helps in improving creativity.
Jobs for Vata
Vata tends to enjoy and excel in jobs relating to people. Particularly either working in direct contact with clients on a daily basis or regularly working in a team where tasks are completed together.
Vata loves communication so any job involving this may be appropriate.
Vata is often creative so being in this field of work also might be good for them.
Vata like to be physical so a job containing physical activity might be good, but not with too much repetition.
Vata needs more time when doing paper work and organising as this is challenging for them, a job where this is the majority of the workload would not be appropriate.
Vata gets overwhelmed by things easily and so needs a good work/life balance. They are better suited doing part-time work or self employment.
Vata needs to feel autonomy and freedom, so a flexible working schedule where they can decide works a lot better to sustain a job.
They are good at persuasion and so jobs in sales can be fulfilling for them too.
Pitta dosha
Attributes
Medium build. Medium height. Strong body. Medium facial features. More likely to have lighter coloured eyes (hazel or green) that are piercing. Oilier hair, sometimes light brown or ginger or bold. More likely to go grey prematurely. Lighter skin with moles and freckles, easily sunburned.
Organised, confident, intelligent, quick-witted, powerful, takes leadership, strong mental capacity for learning, ambitious, driven, efficient, has high expectations, focussed, visual appearance is very important to them.
Aggravated (these are things you might see in someone with pitta imbalance, this might not be their original dosha but we must treat the imbalance first).
Increase in body temperature, craving for foods with pitta qualities (oily, sharp, hot, light, unpleasant in odour, mobile and liquid), irritation of eyes, excessive sweating, increase in desire, hyperactivity, quick temper and frustration, night sweats, nightmares, uncontrollable feelings of desire, jealousy and being excessively goal orientated, excessive desire for a luxury lifestyle and fear of loss of such lifestyle, excessive self criticism and judgment, desire for excessive control of food, activity, lifestyle, anger and aggression, self harm, blood disorders, high blood pressure, headaches, loss of hair and eye site, IBS, loose bowel movements, burning sensations, inflammation, rashes and allergic reactions, acid reflux, .
Main causes of Pitta imbalance
Excessive consumption of sour, salty, pungent and astringent (tannin in tea and wine) foods
Excessive consumption of foods which share pitta qualities (oily, sharp, hot, light, unpleasant in odour, and liquid)
Excessive consumption of oily and heavy food
Consumption of cooked food stored for long periods (from 24 – 48 hours)
Excessive consumption of hot drinks (hot in temperature and quality such as caffeine, mint tea and green tea)
Excessive consumption of red meat and red fish
Consumption of two or more different types of animal protein simultaneously (cooked together)
Excessive consumption of root vegetables
Excessive consumption of raw vegetables and leafy greens
Excessive consumption of meat from wild animals
Excessive consumption of condiments such as vinegar, mustard and fermented sauces and pickles
Excessive consumption of alcohol
Consumption of foods incompatible with each other (eg. fish and milk, fruit with anything else)
Eating meals too frequently or too many meals in a day
Eating while feeling anger, hatred or frustration
Sleeping during the day
Overly luxurious and hedonistic lifestyle
Being in an overly competitive environment
Too much screen time
Exposure to bright sunlight
Working long hours
Chikithsa - treatments for Pitta imbalances
Consumption of foods with opposing qualities to pitta
Foods with sweet taste and cold potency
Intake of foods possessing sweet, bitter and astringent taste
Cool breezes and being outside in nature
Indulgence in perfumes which are pleasing, coolant and cordial
Wearing garlands and gems of similar nature on neck and chest (such as pearls or diamonds)
Walking and swimming
Moonlight
Pleasant company of friends who are not controlling, small children, family
Being near water and playing in the water
Exercise:
Pitta should do non-competitive exercise that is cooling and relaxing, such as yin yoga, walking or jogging in nature, swimming and cycling.
Relation to the chakras:
Pitta links with these chakra as pitta sits in this part of the body and they are made of the same element:
Manipura chakra/ solar plexus chakra
The navel centre
Situated at umbilicus
Closely associated with the coeliac or solar plexus
Primordial element – fire
Colitis
IBS
Autoimmune system
Physical imbalances
Digestive problems, liver dysfunction, stomach ulcers
Chronic fatigue
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Pancreas and gallbladder issues
Colon diseases
Emotional imbalances
Issues of personal power and self-esteem
Fears of rejection, criticism
Anxiety about physical appearances
Ajna chakra / third eye chakra
Between the eyebrows - “third eye”
Related to the hypothalamus & limbic system
Endocrine gland - pituitary gland.
Alpha (individual soul) meets with omega (higher self)
Centre of imagination, intuition, perception and balance
Physical imbalances
Headaches, sinus issues
Blurred vision, eyestrain
Seizures
Hearing loss
Improper hormone function
Emotional imbalances
Mood swings, volatility
Inability to look at ones own fears
Inability to learn from others
Sahashra chakra / crown chakra
Brain centre
Sahasrara is the area of the pineal gland
Physical imbalance
Depression, migraine type headache
Sensitivity to light, sound, environment
Extreme fatigue
Emotional imbalances
Issues with self-knowledge and greater power - Imbalances arise from Rigid Confused thoughts on religion and spirituality
Constant confusion
Carry prejudices
Fear of alienation
An unshakeable trust in our inner guidance
Jobs for Pitta
Pitta tends to be ok to work alone as they are very self-motivated and can get annoyed by others input. They love to learn and so continual learning and development should be part of their career. They need to feel like they are constantly progressing, whether that is up a ladder at work or by learning more. They also need to feel success and really enjoy this feeling of accomplishment therefore challenging work suits them. However, over work, pressure from others at work and constant use of the computer can aggravate pitta.
They enjoy leadership roles
They are happy to work alone as long as they feel they are progressing or learning
They are less good at jobs, which require a lot of caring for others, or direct communication with others or jobs with a slower pace with no clear progression (such as teaching, nursing or care work).
They tend to be confident and good at speaking in front of groups and presenting things.
They are very organised and enjoy routine within their work lives.
Kapha dosha
Attributes
Wider frame, curvy physic, more likely to have excess fat, big features (big eyes, nose and lips), luscious, thick and soft hair, soft thick skin, blue or brown eyes, cold hands, can gain muscle easily, strong body, deeper voice.
Gentle, kind, loyal, understanding, non-judgmental, guarded (slow to connect and trust someone new), measured, committed, slower pace, calm, quiet, not easily upset, good memory, tolerant, stable, organised, mothering, likes to be still and resting, good sleeper, good immune system, loves food and eating.
Main causes of Kapha imbalance
lack of physical exercise
indulgence in luxurious lifestyle
sleeping in the daytime or sleeping in late
indulgence in food made of milk, fat and sugar
eating a lot of starchy foods such as rice and potato
eating meats such as pork and wild animal
excessive consumption of yoghurt and other fermented food
excessive consumption of raw fruit and vegetables
sedentary activities
insufficient stimulus for the mind
experiencing a lot of sadness, grief or attachment
Symptoms of imbalances
heavy body
greasy skin and hair
sticky or oily bodily fluids
joints and organs feel greater gravity
feeling cold and craving warmth
lack of coordination between body and mind
drowsiness
halitosis
sweet, sour, salty taste in the mouth
pale colour skin
wasting time, taking a long time to do things
nausea
tiredness
lack of motivation
getting overly attached to people
Treatments for Kapha imbalances
vigorous physical activity (aerobic)
treatments which involve heat and increased perspiration such as saunas, sunbathing
taking astringent, pungent and bitter tastes
eating vata and pitta foods
exfoliating massage
stimulating treatments using mantra or rituals
Exercise:
Kapha likes a sedentary lifestyle but needs vigorous cardio. This will make them feel great afterwards. Kapha should engage in fast physical activity and some weights but cardio should be included in every routine. Jogging, hiking, dancing, jumping, climbing and cycling are all great for kapha.
Relation to the chakras:
Kapha links with these chakra:
Anahata chakra / heart chakra
Although this chakra is not made of the same elements as kapha it is a seat of kapha and when a kapha person experiences excess kapha this can be felt in this chakra. Excess mucus is produced and feelings of love become stuck in this place causing them to turn in to obsessive, overbearing love and attachment. It can also happen the other way round, if kapha experiences the loss of a loved one they can get more mucus and kapha aggravation from this area.
Muladhara chakra / root chakra
The root center
Base of the spinal column
Relates to endocrine gland – eg. testes
Primordial element - Earth
Chakra of our basic needs i.e. food, water, air
The centre where we ground ourselves
Sex energy
When imbalanced (low or blocked kapha)
Problems in the legs, feet, rectum, tailbone, immune system
Male reproductive parts and prostate gland
Degenerative arthritis, knee pain, sciatica
Eating disorders, constipation.
Emotional imbalances include feelings affecting basic survival needs: money, shelter and food
Swadhisthana chakra/ sacral chakra
Sex center
2 inches below naval
Related endocrine glands - ovaries and adrenal
Primordial element - water
Chakra of procreation
Kapha is most fertile constitution
Body hair = male fertility is high
Stress causes a lot of problems here because emotions are much more involved with loved ones/your territory
Physical imbalances
Sexual and reproductive issues
Urinary problems, kidney dysfunctions
Hip, pelvic and low back pain
Emotional imbalances
Inability to commit to relationships
Failure to express emotions
Fears of impotence, betrayal
Kapha Jobs
Kapha likes to be in caring professions that are not too fast paced. They like to feel comfortable in a job and don’t enjoy too much challenge. They ideally should work with people for some of their job as this will help motivate them especially if they are caring for someone in their role. They excel in jobs with children such as teaching and childcare roles. Sometimes if they are in a job they don’t like, they really need a push to leave it as they would almost rather stick at it than have to deal with a change.
Kapha doesn’t need to progress at work and prefer to feel stable and comfortable
They enjoy jobs where they are caring for others such as teaching, nursing or childcare.
They don’t like too much change in a work situation.