Theory of Tridosha as per Ayurveda

Theory of Tridosha 

As per Ayurveda the entire cosmos is made up of five basic elements ( Pancha Mahabhutas) – Ether , Air, Fire , Water , Earth .  Tridosha ( Three Bio energies) are also made up of these five basic elements .Tridosha are Vata, Pitta and Kapha . Dosha is a specific word used in ancient texts,  Balance of Tridosha means health and imbalance means illness . Once these doshas get imbalanced they vitiate the Dhatus (tissues) such as plasma, blood, muscles, Adipose fat , bone, bone marrow and reproductive fluids , which results in diseased condition. In Ayurveda physiology Vata, Pitta and Kapha play an important role and perform various functions in the body . 

Every dosha is composed of all five elements.

Vata – Air + Ether 

Pitta – Fire + Water 

Kapha – Water + Earth 

Vata 

Vata (Air) is the energy of movement . It is responsible for all sorts of movement in the body such as movement of limbs , blinking of eyes , peristalsis movements etc.  Vata is responsible for all voluntary and involuntary  movements of the body . It is responsible for functions such as breathing and pumping of the heart . It provides flexibility and creativity . When Vata gets imbalanced it leads to  anxiety , fear, joint pain , insomnia and excessive movement in the body .

Pitta 

Pitta(Fire)  is the energy of transformation which includes digestion and metabolism . It includes digestive fire ( jathar-agni) and  fire associated with different tissues, Dhatwagni . It is responsible for understanding and intelligence . Imbalance of Pitta leads to anger, inflammatory disorders , greying of hairs and indigestion .

Kapha 

Kapha ( Water) is the energy of lubrication and structure . It provides strength to the body and helps in building immunity and stamina . It is the cohesive energy of the body . All the fluid present in our body represents kapha. It is responsible for the lubrication of joints , moistens the skin and scalp . It also helps in improving immunity .It represents calmness and love . When Kapha gets imbalances it leads to obesity , Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol) and sluggish metabolism .

What is Ayurveda?

Introduction

Apart from saying that Ayurveda is only the science or knowledge of life , we must understand the practical aspect of Ayurveda and how the same can be incorporated in your life and daily routine .Most of the time when you hear of the term Ayurveda , the first thing that comes to your mind is some medicine in the form of powder(Churna), tablet(vati) , decoction (Kadha) or syrup.In this blog we are going to talk about how you can use Ayurveda practices to increase your lifespan . Yes you heard it right ! When we seek a consultation from an Ayurveda practitioner they always suggest some herbal preparation along with a list of do’s and dont’s . In Ayurveda Do’s and dont’s which we call Pathya apathya plays a very crucial role . 

Principles of Ayurveda : 

There are 2 main principles of Ayurveda 

The First Principal of Ayurveda is focussed on Preventive health care or how one can live a longer and healthy life .

The Second Principle of Ayurveda deals with the curative aspect, which means in case due an imbalance if any disease occurs then how to use various herbal preparations to manage the disease.

Before understanding HOW THIS SCIENCE WORKS , we must understand basic physiology of the human body . Each human body has a unique bio ( Doshas)  – energy – Vata (Air) , Pitta (Fire) and Kapha (Water) .  As per Ayurveda science balance of Tridosha means health and imbalance of Tridosha means ill health. 

To understand how these bioenergies come into existence one must understand the concept of Five basic elements ( Panch Mahabhuta ) i.e, Air , Water, Fire, Earth and Space .

Each dosha consists of Panch-mahabhutas in different proportions .

Vata –   Air + Space 

Pitta –   Fire + Water 

Kapha –  Water + Earth 

Concept of Prakriti ( Body type) 

Prakrit means “Nature ” . Prakriti of a person is decided at the time of conception, whichever dosha is predominant at the time of conception ,decides the prakriti of an individual .

Prakriti remains the same throughout life and is responsible for physical and psychological traits of an individual . 

7 Types of Prakriti as per Tridosha :

  1. Vata Prakriti
  2. Pitta Prakriti
  3. Kapha Prakriti
  4. Vata-Pitta Prakriti
  5. Pitta – Kapha Prakriti 
  6. Kapha -Vata Prakriti
  7. Samdodhaj Prakriti ( Vata-Pitta-Kapha) 

Brief Description of Prakriti 

Body frame Vata  Prakriti Pitta Prakriti Kapha Prakriti 
Built / Body frame Lean and Thin Medium body frame Broad Built 
Skin Thin , dry and cracked Oily and Prone to acne Thick , smooth and fair 
Hair Dry and thin Oily , Premature greying of hair Thick, smooth and wavy 
Bowel Movement Chronic Constipation 2-3 Times in a day Sluggish , once a day 
Appetite Irregular appetite  Strong appetite Low appetite 
Physical activity Excessive Moderate Less mobile 
Immunity or resistance to diseases Low Moderate Good 
Prone to diseases such as Anxiety, Insomnia Acidity, Acne , digestive disorders Obesity, diabetes , dyslipidemia 
Memory Grasp Quickly , Forget quickly Moderate grasping and retention Slow grasping and good retention 

Above description helps you to understand the basic concept of ayurveda and how to understand your body type. As per ayurveda each individual is unique and has to follow a certain dietary and lifestyle guideline based on their unique body type .