The three Doshas:
Vata, Pitta and Kapha
The three biological “managers”
In Ayurvedic medicine, our body and its processes are approached first of all in a functional way. Western medicine approaches it first structurally and may treat diseases in isolation from the rest of the organism. However, Western medicine is developing more towards precision medicine, with attention to genetics and person-centered treatments. Approaches and findings from Ayurvedic medicine are increasingly confirmed with modern Western research, and the two approaches can complement each other well.
Ayurveda looks functionally at the inherent intelligence in our physiology through which all physiological processes take place and has divided them primarily into three overarching main categories: the three Doshas, called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
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Processes that organize movement (such as respiration, cell division, excretion) fall under Vata.
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Processes that provide transformation (such as digestion, hormonal activity, temperature regulation) fall under Pitta.
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Processes that provide stability and building (such as tissue formation and structure) fall under Kapha.
Logically, such processes are present in every human being, in various forms, at the micro and macro level. When these processes (viewed very simplistically here) are in balance in you as a human being, bodily functions can proceed unhindered and health is often present. With imbalance, a process may not run its normal course, but may run too fast or too slow, for example. When a process becomes out of balance, disease can occur.
The specific ratio and efficacy of these processes differs from person to person and affects, for example, your digestion and sensitivities. Ayurveda works with these differences and offers personalized advice and treatment. Lifestyle plays a big role in this.
A Ayurveda therapist (practitioner) or physician can support you in maintaining health or restoring balance to complaints, based on your metabolism and current situation.
Your constitution
The balance in your life
If you read anything about Ayurveda in popular media, you quickly come across constitution types and tests that give an indication of how you are put together. Fortunately, you are more complex than a list of characteristics. Such a test often only says something about the moment and does not offer personalized advice.
Of course, such a test is mostly fun and can provide initial insights into your metabolism, strengths and sensitivities – a possible step toward balance.
Ayurvedic medicine, however, is (fortunately!) more complex. Health cannot be captured in a few types. It looks at your current balance, the influences on it, the functional processes that dominate in you and the predisposition you were born with. Ayurveda uses partially different or additional terms than mainstream medicine to functionally describe the systems present in the body. It offers a functional view of our well-being, with insights that are consistent with current medical developments.
Do you want to know more about your own constitution? Would you like to learn more about a suitable nutrition and lifestyle? Or would you like support with certain complaints?
‘The Ayurvedic route to great health involves two simple steps: 1. Doing less; 2. Being more. – Shubhra Krishan
