Ayurveda: A Primer
In Ayurveda, Ghee is Tridoshic - it is appropriate for all doshas. It pacifies Vata and Pitta, and in moderation is OK for Kapha.
About Ayurveda
Ayurveda (“science of life” in Sanskrit) is an ancient healing system that originated from India over 3000 years ago. It is a holistic, individualized practice that uses diet, herbs, yoga postures, pranayama, and meditation to maintain health and prevent disease. Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences, rooted in the Vedic tradition.
In Ayurveda, everything in the universe is composed of five elements:
Vayu (air)
Jala (water)
Aakash (ether)
Prithvi (earth)
Teja (fire)
These five elements combine in various ways to form the three basic elements - or doshas - of all the energy and matter in the universe, including the human body and Mind.
Three Doshas compose our individual constitutions:
Each of us has more or less of each of the three doshas. One tends to be dominant, and often there will be a secondary dosha. Rarely, a person will be balanced in all three.
Your doshas do not change, they are like genetics, our innate constitution. There are positive and negative qualities to each dosha. When we are out of balance, Ayurveda provides ways to get back in balance with these three tenets:
Energy management.
Disease begins and ends in the Mind and gut.
Opposites cure.
It is believed each dosha has qualities that are supported by the opposite qualities in foods, yoga asana, breathing practices, meditations, and lifestyle activities. This allows for energy management to promote wellbeing, and support the healing of disease by working with the body, Mind, and digestive system.
A basic equation to find balance and stay in balance is “opposites cure”.
Yoga teachers have general training in Ayurveda. I am qualified to consider my students’ constitutions when I teach and guide their practices accordingly. I am not an Ayurvedic practitioner, so I do not offer assessments, Ayurvedic plans, or Ayurvedic advice. If that is what you seek, please see an Ayurvedic practitioner for an assessment and treatment. This is a general primer on Ayurveda.
Three separate blogs offer specific information about yogic and lifestyle practices for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Vata Dosha Characteristics
“That Which Moves Things”
Energetic, kind-hearted, and creative.
Naturally slim, flexible, with lean bones.
Thinks outside the box but can become easily distracted.
Mood is highly affected by weather, people around them, and foods they eat.
Learns quickly, great multitasker, regularly “on the go".
Forgetful, anxious, fluctuating moods, can get easily overwhelmed.
Light sleeper.
Irregular appetite and eating patterns, prone to digestive issues.
Sensitive to the cold.
Poor circulation with cold hands and feet.
A vata-dominant person benefits from regular daily routines, staying warm, meditation, and calming activities. Generally, all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) are recommended for optimal digestion. Foods that are considered great for balancing vata are sweet, sour, and salty; and those that are moist, warm, and cooked.
How To Determine Your Dosha
There are many online tests that can help you determine your constitution/dosha. I like the test at Banyon Botanicals. They’ll put you on a mailing list, so do your research about their privacy policy and your personal information. The test gave me the same answer as my professional assessment. (I’m not connected with this company.)
Herbs traditionally are used in Ayurveda. I omit information about herbs in these blogs, as they are beyond my expertise. Herbs and supplements can be powerful and interact with medicines. They are unregulated and can be mislabeled, claims may be misleading, and there can be heavy metals in them. Banyon Botanicals appears to do third party testing during many steps of production. Do your own research if you're inclined to make a purchase. I don't take herbs, but I do take a few doctor recommended supplements for basic health and migraines. The article I linked above made me thoroughly research their sources.
Pitta Dosha Characteristics
“That Which Digests Things”
Intelligent and enthusiastic.
Driven, determined.
Medium build, muscular.
Charismatic leaders.
Tend toward hunger.
Strong digestion and metabolism.
Strong sense of smell and eyesight.
Argumentative, critical.
Addictive qualities.
Overwork.
Overheated.
Pitta characterizes heat, digestion, and transformation. A pitta-dominant person gets balance from a cooler environment, meditation, and moderate activities. Generally, all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) are recommended for optimal digestion. Foods considered great for balancing pitta are sweet, bitter, and astringent; and those that are cool, calm, and moderate. Pitta dosha tolerates raw rood the best of all three doshas. Kind words and meditation calm the Pitta mind.
Kapha Dosha Characteristics
“That Which Binds Things”
Slow and calm.
Sturdier body type and solid joints
Bright, moist skin.
Compassionate and easy-going.
Empathetic and patient.
Depression and lower energy.
Easy weight gain.
Moist/damp skin disorders and conditions.
Attachment.
Resistant to change.
Prone to melancholy.
A kapha-dominant person benefits from regular exercise, regular routines, and avoiding naps. Generally, all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) are recommended for optimal digestion. Foods that are considered great for balancing kapha are pungent, bitter, and asringent; and a lighter diet with dry, warm food and beverages.
In Ayurveda, opposites cure.
Attributes of Kapha Dosha
Wet, Liquid, or Sticky
Cool
Slow or Immovable
Dense or Heavy
Gross (as opposed to subtle)
Soft or Hard
Steady or Static
Food/Drink, Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, and Lifestyle
Ayurveda supports and guides how you live your daily life.
Foods can support your doshas, exacerbate their negative qualities, or help you find balance when you are imbalanced. Please see the individual dosha blogs (linked below) for more information about the various foods for each dosha.
I find people get hung up on food in a variety of ways. (And the ways they do it, often aligns with their doshas.) I support eating intuitively. Eating a generally healthy and balanced diet is a priority for me, but I don’t stress about it. To me, everything in moderation… (I do protest when my husband brings a lot of junk food into the house because our kids then expect it. I let my kids have control of what they eat and how much of whatever we are serving. You can’t control other people.)
I do consider Ayurveda in my diet - especially when I feel out of balance. I consider it in the bigger picture as well, but it’s not my guiding star. I have a whole family to feed. Most members in this household are Vata and Pitta. One has quite a bit of Kapha.
Yoga asana, pranayama, meditations, (mudra, herbs), and lifestyle activities also have different qualities that may encourage a dosha or calm it.
See the following blogs for more:
Basic Ayurveda is a wellness tool in my kit. If you want to try it, explore, take small steps, observe how you feel, and adjust. Like anything, you can worry too much about doing it right or wrong (vata), try to control it and be perfect (pitta), or find it tiring to exert any energy toward it (kapha). Like most things, balance in the middle generally is optimal.
Don’t make any major lifestyle changes without consulting your doctor. To further implement in your life, please see a trained Ayurvedic practitioner.
About The Author
Gwen Yeager is an LA-based yoga expert who loves helping people deepen their practice in practical ways that work with real-life (she’s also a cancer survivor and mother of twins). She provides her students with resources to incorporate healthy movement, breathwork, and mindfulness into every nook and cranny of living. While her teaching style is down-to-earth and approachable — she’s a stickler about the science movement and proper anatomical alignment because nothing is more important than long-term mobility and a vibrant quality of life!
