Are you wondering why understanding your Dosha type is so important in Ayurveda? Hopefully this blog post will outline why understanding your dosha type is such an important part of Ayurvedic lifestyle.
Ayurveda views everything from the filter of Prakriti, that is, an individual’s energetic makeup.
Do you have a delicate digestive system? The answer may lie in your doshic constitution. Do you want an ayurvedic hair oil to nourish your hair? You may want to know your dosha type first. When you go to an ayurvedic physician, the first thing she wants to confirm is your dosha type.
So, why is understanding your dosha type is so important in Ayurveda? And more importantly, how can it help you? Let’s dig a bit deeper into the importance of doshas.
What is a dosha?
Just as no two snowflakes are similar, every person has unique signature energy. There is no one-size-fits-all in Ayurveda because every person has a unique doshic constitution. The core idea of this theory can be more or less summed up in these three facts.
- There are three bodily energies – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha that work in harmony with each other to rule all the physiological functions of life. Learn about them here in much more detail.
- Out of these three doshas, one or more dominate over the others in your body (this changes person to person).
- The dominating dosha is responsible for that individual’s body structure, quality of life, psychology, personality, vulnerability to diseases, reaction to food or environment, and response to treatments and therapies.
This dominating dosha should not be understood as an aggravation. Even if a person is Pitta-dominated, she is still healthy. This dominating Pitta is her usual state of affairs. However, she is more prone to Pitta imbalance, because in her case, Pitta dosha is already in a higher proportion.
Importance Of Understanding Your Dosha Type
The knowledge of an individual’s dosha type is essential for diagnosing of disease as well as its remedy. Even more than remedy, understanding your dosha type is crucial for preventing diseases. After all, Ayurveda is all about a way of living that focuses on prevention rather than cure. Here are some of the reasons why understanding your dosha type is so important in Ayurveda, and how can it help you improve your quality of life.
Learning your dosha also provides you with really valuable information about your body’s constitution, which will also gives you insights into your body’s shape, size, habits, strengths and weaknesses. This information is priceless when it comes to designing and planning a routine that works in harmony with your body. From what time to wake up, to what foods to eat – knowing your dosha type can change all of these things. Once you know your dosha mind-body type, you can begin learning more about what your body needs.
Here’s some information to get you started…
Everything you need to know about the Kapha dosha
Everything you need to know about the Pitta dosha
Everything you need to know about the Vata dosha
Personalized self-care
People of different constitutions have different needs because their bodies, as well as their minds, have different strengths and weaknesses. Self-care for a Vata body type will look quite different from a person of Kapha body type. While consistency and discipline are needed for Vata, stimulation is the key for Kapha people.
Assigning a fixed time for eating, sleeping, and bowel movements is very important for Vata. For Vata and Pitta, Ayurveda suggests including relaxation practices in daily routine, whereas energizing routine is recommended for Kapha dosha type.
Susceptibility to diseases
Understanding which type of diseases a person is susceptible to, in the long run, is one of the most important reasons why understanding your dosha type is so important in Ayurveda. As Kapha individuals are vulnerable to lifestyle diseases like diabetes and obesity, they can be encouraged to follow a physically active lifestyle.
Right from an early age, they can involve themselves in sports, develop an interest in dance, strength training, or practice energizing yoga postures. Likewise, by following the right self-care practices, Vata people can avoid Alzheimer’s disease in old age. Pitta individuals, similarly, can avoid many diseases by avoiding exercises that involve too much physical activity, or by developing a habit of periodic relaxation.
Emotional and mental wellbeing
Knowing your dosha type can help you take better care of your emotional and mental health as well. For example, Pitta dosha is responsible for an intensely focused person, fiery temper, and an overthinking mind that tends to be a perfectionist in everything.
If you know you belong to this dosha type, you can avoid taking back-to-back tasks, slow down a bit when you feel overworked, practice moderation, or learn to control your anger (especially since you know your anger has more to do with yourself than the other person).
Seasonal care
Seasons are very important in Ayurveda. Every season has some characteristic features of a dosha and is dominated by that dosha. This makes individuals with that dosha type particularly vulnerable in that season. As summers are hot, penetrative, sharp, this season is predominantly Pitta. Diarrhea, hormonal imbalances, irregular menstruation, acid reflux are common diseases in this season, which is why Pitta individuals need to take extra care during this season.
