Vata, Pitta, Kapha & the Elements Within You
What is your body and mind type according to Ayurvedic philosophy? Are you more ethereal, airy, fiery, watery or earthy? Maybe you feel like an equal mix of 2 or all of the elements. The 5 elements in Ayurveda are ether, air, fire, water, and earth. Together these make up all of the elements that create your physical body and constitute your mental and emotional personality. Vata is air and ether. Pitta is fire and a little bit of water. Kapha is earth and water.
Take this quiz to discover your dominant energy!
We are each made up of our own unique combination of these elements. The qualities of the elements and the ways they can express within each of us go on in depth. Consider this article an introduction to the different energies and the ways they can express in you (and your loved ones).
Each of our body parts and emotional tendencies can present as a different dosha or quality. For example, maybe you have Pitta digestion (strong digestion, often hungry or can get hangry), Kapha bone structure (strong, dense, thick bones), and Vata mind tendency (scattered focus, anxiety, or creativity). Or maybe you have Vata digestion (fluctuating appetite or tendency toward constipation), Pitta mind tendency (sharp, focused, critical), and Kapha immunity (strong immunity). Some of us are strongly made up of one dosha, but we all still have some combination of each of the 3 dosha within us.
The 3 dosha are Vata, Pitta, Kapha. These 3 dosha are each made of the 20 gunas(qualities) as follows:
Vata (Air & Ether): light, quick, cold, mobile, dry, subtle, clear, rough
Pitta (Fire & Water): light, sharp, quick, hot, mobile, oily, liquid
Kapha (Earth & Water): heavy, cold, oily, liquid, slimy/smooth, soft, dense, hard, slow/dull, static/stable, sticky/cloudy, gross (as in gross body or physical body)
The beauty of understanding the gunas(qualities) is that we can notice if one specific quality may be imbalanced and choose to focus on balancing that one specific quality rather than the multiple qualities that make up a whole dosha. This helps us apply more tailored and nuanced care to ourselves and others!
What qualities do you see in yourself? Do you tend towards one mind or body type or do you notice a mix?
Take this quiz to see which energy is most dominant in your personality.
Vata
Vata strengths are inspiration, creativity, movement, and gracefulness.
Vata personality has an active mind, is creative, adaptive, flexible, inspired, spiritually inclined, and full of life. Vata can also be anxious, fearful, indecisive, scattered and erratic. Anything irregular and fluctuating is Vata.
Vata in the body can show up as flexibility, long limbs, agility, dryness, twitching, airy gas, cracking and popping, constipation, fluctuating appetite, fluctuating weight, hoarse voice, or a thin and light frame.
Vata can benefit from abhyanga/warm oil massage, warmth, warm foods, stability and gentle routine.
Out of balance Vata can benefit from avoiding anything raw, cold, crispy, crunchy, and bubbly.
Vata Mind & Personality: creative, adaptable, flexible, spontaneous, enthusiastic and excitable, interested in spirituality, make great artists/musicians and healers, scattered focus, absentminded, easily understands and easily forgets, tendency toward fear and anxiety, “regularly irregular” as said in The Shakti School – apply this to the body as well.
Vata Body: Irregularity, thin bones and frame, thin lips, flexible, tendency to feel cold, weight easily fluctuates or it can be difficult to hold on to or gain weight, dry skin, dry hair, thin or light hair, popping and cracking in the body, lessened immunity, lower stamina, gas and constipation imbalance, can tend toward extremes as in extremely tall (giant) or extremely short (dwarf).
Pitta
Pitta strengths are charisma, leadership, and athleticism.
Pitta personality is driven, confident, ambitious, disciplined, focused, intelligent, can be perfectionist, fiery, intense and passionate. Pitta can also show up as being bossy and controlling, short tempered, impatient, critical, argumentative, jealous, and hateful.
Pitta can have a tendency to burn out and overdo it.
Pitta in the body shows up as vitality and vigor, defined muscles, strong appetite, moderate and proportionate frame, baldness, heat, inflammation, sweat, body odour, loose stools, and oiliness.
Pitta can benefit from being sure to stay nourished and eat enough, remembering to take breaks, enjoying cooling foods like blueberries, watermelon, and all things coconut, balanced physical activity and connecting with the moon or moon gazing.
Out of balance Pitta can benefit from avoiding physical activity in high heat, avoiding hot and spicy foods like garlic when feeling heated in body and mind, and balancing responsibility with play to avoid becoming sour.
Pitta Mind & Personality: focused, sharp, intellectual, leader, courageous, passionate, critical of self and others, direct and to the point, short temper, can be jealous, impatient, can overwork, competitive, discerning, driven, may enjoy leading or running their own business
Pitta Body: strong metabolism, athletic, defined muscles, medium and proportionate, strong fire and can overdo it or burn out, strong body odour, tendency to sweat or overheat easily
Kapha
Kapha strengths are being grounded, nurturing and kind.
Kapha personality is calm, sweet, caring, loving, compassionate, patient, steady, stable, warm and grounding. Kapha can also show up as greed, attachment, laziness, stubbornness, inertia, holding grudges, and possessiveness.
Kapha in the body can show up as thick and lustrous hair, full and soft features, strong immunity, slow movement, larger frame, cool skin, paleness, melodious voice, tendency to hold weight, considerable strength and stamina.
Kapha can benefit from getting moving, waking by 6am, dry brushing the skin for lymphatic flow, eating warm spices to help with digestion, and enjoying quality time with loved ones.
Out of balance Kapha can benefit from avoiding long increments of inertia and doing something to kickstart movement or excitement.
Kapha Mind & Personality: loving, supportive, calm, patient, nurturing, excellent healer and caretaker, sentimental, stable, tendency to accumulate or collect physical things, stubborn, can have challenge with get up and go and experience lethargy or a feeling of laziness
Kapha Body: strong stamina, strong immunity, soft skin and hair, fleshy, hydrated, larger and thicker or fuller features, strong bones and teeth, tendency to hold weight, can be oily or clammy, can accumulate mucous and liquid
Interested in going more in depth about your Ayurvedic constitution and how to make health practices truly work for you and your unique energy? Get in touch! Book a meeting or email me.
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