Dosha what?

Greetings friends! The holidays are quickly upon us! Yikes! It’s always hard to believe that we’re almost done with yet another year. I’m trying to figure out how to get everything done before I head to Tennessee with my family tomorrow afternoon. I thought I should do a little blog before I left. And although a Thanksgiving post would have been more appropriate, I’ve decided to write about Dosha types! And some of you must be thinking, “this chick only writes about weird new age yoga stuff”. That is probably partly true, but I do best if I write about what my passions and interests are then what I’m “supposed” to be writing about. So, instead of writing about our family’s Thanksgiving spread or cool new receipes….here’s a bit on Dosha types.

Ayurveda, ancient medical/holistic system from the vedic civilization of India, teaches that health is maintained by the balancing of three subtle energies known as Doshas - individually they are Vatha, Pitta and Kapha. 

This system teaches maintenance and protection of the whole person (mind, body and soul). Ayurvedic medicine is based on an individual's characteristics and body frame rather than oriented toward treating disease or sickness.

Each of us are made up of a combination of the three types of doshas. The three doshas are comprised of these five universal elements:

1.             space

2.             air

3.             earth

4.             fire

5.             water

Vatha is a combination of air and space.

Pitta is mostly fire with some water. 

Kapha is mostly water with some earth. 

Overall well-being and striving for longevity depends on keeping your doshas balanced. Any imbalance among the tridoshas causes a state of unhealthiness or disease. Factors that can bring about balance of the tridoshas are diet, exercise, good digestion, and elimination of toxins.

After taking this quiz, (and also studying about it for years in yoga classes) it is very apparent that I am a Pitta!

What is Pitta?

Pitta is made up of the two elements fire and water.
The most revered ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, defines the characteristics of Pitta dosha: hot and a little unctuous (sahasnehamushnam); sharp, burning (tikshnam); liquid and acidic (dravamlam); always flowing in an unbounded manner (saram); pungent and sharp (katuhu). Pitta contains fire, but it also contains water. It is the source of the flame, but not the flame itself. Compare Pitta to gasoline--it is not hot to the touch, but it can be the source of flames.
People with more Pitta in their constitutions tend to be of medium proportions, with a frame that is neither petite nor heavy, warm skin that is very fair or ruddy and may be sensitive, and fine hair that tends towards premature graying or thinning. They are sharp and determined in thought, speech and action. There is an element of purpose to their step, an intensity to their voice. Ambition is usually their second name. They are moderate sleepers and gravitate towards cooler environments. Self-confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit are hallmarks of balanced Pitta.
For those of you who know me personally and are reading this, I’m quite sure you were shaking your head in agreement with my Dosha type. I am a little unctuous at time. (hehe).
What are the signs that would indicate that I am “a Pitta out of balance?”

• Are you constantly critical, impatient, irritable?
• Do you feel obsessed by work or a project, unable to stop for a break?
• Do you wake up in the very early hours of the morning and then find it difficult to get back to sleep?
• Is your skin feeling irritated or more sensitive than usual, breaking out or feeling inflamed?
• Is your hair falling when you shampoo or comb it?
• Do you have problems with heartburn or excess stomach acid?
• Is your tolerance of other people or provoking situations lower than usual? Do you have temper outbursts over minor aggravations? Do you often feel frustrated?
• Do you feel hot even when you are indoors? Do you feel thirsty all the time? Are your eyes red?
• Is your speech often biting and sarcastic? Do you find yourself getting into arguments easily?

Whoa! It would seem that this Pitta has been out of balance lately. More than likely due to school stress, holiday stress, people stress, just in general, living life on life’s terms causes me extreme stress and I easily get out of balance. If you took the quiz (or already knew your Dosha type) and are a Pitta out of balance (like me!) then here are some ways we can try and balance our lives so that we will be a Pitta in balance!

Dietary recommendations
Include a few dry foods in your daily diet to balance the liquid nature of Pitta, some "heavy" foods that offer substance and sustained nourishment, and foods that are cool to balance the fiery quality of Pitta. So what exactly does this mean in terms of foods you should choose and foods you should stay away from? Here are some specific dietary tips:
1. If you need to balance Pitta, choose ghee, in moderate quantities, as your cooking medium. Ghee, according to the ancient ayurvedic texts, is cooling for both mind and body. Ghee can be heated to high temperatures without affecting its nourishing, healing qualities, so use ghee to sauté vegetables, spices or other foods.

2. Cooling foods are wonderful for balancing Pitta dosha. Sweet juicy fruits, especially pears, can cool a fiery Pitta quickly. Milk, sweet rice pudding, coconut and coconut juice, and milkshakes made with ripe mangoes and almonds or dates are examples of soothing Pitta-pacifying foods.

3. The three ayurvedic tastes that help balance Pitta are sweet, bitter and astringent, so include more of these tastes in your daily diet. Milk, fully ripe sweet fruits, and soaked and blanched almonds make good snack choices. Eat less of the salty, pungent and sour tastes.

4. Dry cereal, crackers, granola and cereal bars, and rice cakes balance the liquid nature of Pitta dosha, and can be eaten any time hunger pangs strike during the day.

5. Carrots, asparagus, bitter leafy greens, fennel, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, green beans and bitter gourd(in very small quantities) are good vegetable choices. They become more digestible when chopped and cooked with Pitta-pacifying spices. Vegetables can be combined with grains or mung beans for satisfying one-dish meals. Avoid nightshades.

6. Basmati rice is excellent for balancing Pitta. Wheat is also good--fresh flatbreads made with whole-wheat flour (called atta or chapatti flour and available at Indian grocery stores) combine well with cooked vegetables or Pitta-balancing chutneys. Oats and amaranth are other Pitta-balancing grains.

7. Choose spices that are not too heating or pungent. Ayurvedic spices such as small quantities of turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom and fennel offer flavor, aroma and healing wisdom.

8. Drink sweet lassi with lunch to help enhance digestion and cool, not ice-cold, water to quench thirst

Lifestyle recommendations
1. The primary lifestyle recommendation for balancing Pitta is to stay cool--both physically and emotionally. Avoid going out in the heat of the day, especially on an empty stomach or after you have eaten tangy or spicy foods. Avoid exercising when it's hot. Walk away from situations that make you see red.
2. Do not skip meals, do not fast and do not wait to eat until you are ravenously hungry. Start your day with cooked fruit, followed by some cereal. Eat a sustaining meal at lunch, and a lighter meal for dinner. For snacking, choose sweet juicy fruit--fully ripe mangoes, sweet pears and sweet juicy grapes are excellent Pitta-pacifying choices. Delaying meals can cause excess acidity, so eat on time every day. The Amalaki Rasayana helps enhance digestion without aggravating Pitta dosha. It also helps balance stomach acid.
3. Daily elimination is very important to prevent ama from accumulating in the body. Triphala Rasayanahelps promote regularity as well as toning the digestive system. Since Triphala is gentle, not habit forming and not depleting, it can be taken indefinitely to maintain regularity.
4. To soothe sensitive skin, to balance the emotions and to nourish and tone muscles and nerves, indulge in an ayurvedic massage every morning before you bathe or shower. Use coconut oil for your massage. If you like, you can add 3-4 drops of a pure essential oil such as lavender or rose to 2 oz. of massage oil. Mix well before use. Two or three time a week, massage your scalp with warm oil, and let the oil stay for an hour or two before you shampoo. After your shower or bath, apply a pure, gentle moisturizer all over your body or spray  your skin with pure rose or sandalwood water to keep your skin feeling cool all day long.
5. Protect yourself from the heat. Stay cool in warm weather by wearing loose cotton clothing. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes when you go out. Drink lots of room temperature water.

6. Water-based activities are ideal exercise for Pitta-dominant people. Try swimming or aqua-aerobics to stay fit but cool. Strolling after sunset, especially along a waterfront, is also a soothing way to fit some leisurely activity into your day.
7. If Pitta dosha is out of balance, you may find that you can fall asleep without much trouble, but you wake up in the very early hours and find it difficult to get back to sleep. It is important to get to bed early, so that you can get adequate rest each night. A cup of warm milk, with some cardamom, can be helpful before bedtime.
8. Balance work and play. Set aside some time for R&R everyday, and do not get so absorbed in a project that you are unable to detach from it.
9. Set aside about 30 minutes each day for meditation, to help balance the heart and emotions and to enhance body-mind-spirit coordination.

Whew! That’s quite a bit to read. Some apply more than others for me but I do believe that knowing about your Dosha type and learning about foods and activities that are good for your type is very helpful and insightful. I mean, who doesn’t want to learn more about becoming a better balanced person?? I know I do! Balance is one of the hardest things for me personally and something I’ve been thinking a lot about. Hmm….maybe a good topic for my next post;)

At any rate, I do hope everyone has a wonderful, beautiful, and bountiful Thanksgiving!

 My Family last Thanksgiving (2009)

As always,
Jennifer