Constitutional body types Ayurveda: Doshas

Constitutional body types Ayurveda: Understanding the Doshas

As awareness of Ayurveda grows, the terms "Vata, Pitta, and Kapha" may sound familiar, but understanding what these mean in the context of recognizing one's constitution is extremely supportive to any health advocate or practitioner. This knowledge can serve as a valuable guide when assessing personal or others' health and aid in selecting appropriate remedies. For instance, administering a drying inflammatory treatment may not be suitable for someone with a predominant Vata constitution, but it could be beneficial for someone with a Kapha constitution. Let's delve into a more detailed examination of these constitutions and how to observe them.

Vata

This is dominantly an Air type, very air and ether. 

Cold, dry, irregular, mobile, always in movement, insecure, rough

Individuals of the Vata constitution exhibit a wispy and wiry nature, marked by an inherent irregularity in their actions and a tendency towards indecisiveness. Typically, their physique is characterized by a light and slender build, featuring long, slender fingers and pronounced joints. Despite their eating habits, they struggle to hold weight, often displaying pronounced veins and brittle nails. Fidgeting and nail-biting are common behaviors, reflecting their restless energy.

When examining their eyes, you may notice hues of slate, violet, or dark chocolate. Vata individuals are known for their quick execution of activities, giving off an impression of restlessness. They experience irregular digestion and hunger, with a continuous stream of late-night thoughts extending into their dreams.

Emotionally, Vata beings are excitable, enthusiastic, and imaginative, with moods that fluctuate rapidly. They grasp new information swiftly but may lose it just as quickly. Worry tends to dominate their experiences, leading to constipation, energetic bursts, and overexertion. Fat tends to accumulate in the lower abdomen and thighs, and their stool is often likened to rabbit droppings due to dryness and tension. Emotional extremes, from depression to overjoyed states, are common.

Physically, their tongue tends to be square at the front and dry. To manage their irregularities, Vata individuals benefit from cell phone reminders for tasks. In terms of diet, they thrive on salty, sour, and sweet flavors, while bitter, astringent, or pungent tastes are avoided as they can exacerbate instability.

Pitta

This is dominantly fire, mixed with some water. 

Oily, hot, fluid, liquid, aggressive, intense, light, compulsive, and sharp

Pitta are drawn to sweet, bitter, and astringent flavors, whereas sour, salty, and pungent are too hot for them.

The Pitta dosha  encompasses a medium build, endurance, and strength. Individuals with predominant Pitta characteristics exhibit a lightness, especially noticeable in the wind, but may have a tendency towards anger, particularly when stressed, leading to easy irritability. Physically, they typically boast fair or ruddy skin and tend to have freckles. It's worth noting that all redheads possess some degree of Pitta.

Due to their inherent heat, Pitta individuals may have an aversion to the sun and commonly experience cankers, an irritated tongue, and a metallic taste in the mornings. They thrive on competition, embracing challenges with a sharp intellect, methodical nature, and a forceful drive towards their desires. Articulate in speech with strong voices, Pitta individuals are practical, courageous, and champions of fair play. They excel at planning and harbor passionate dreams.

While easily approachable due to their intelligent nature, Pitta individuals can display impatience with those they perceive as less intelligent, a notable sign of their dominant Pitta traits. Dedication to self-development is a consistent theme, sometimes bordering on fanaticism. Pitta individuals cannot afford to skip meals, given their efficient metabolism, and their warm, regular bowel movements reflect their body's rapid processing. Pitta is warm to the touch with ample sexual desires, also women often experience longer bleed times.

Pitta individuals find satisfaction in visual fantasy desires more than real-life experiences. Light sleepers who wake up alert, they are known for their ability to stay up for extended periods without issue. Typically, Pitta hair is blond, light brown, or red, turning gray earlier than other types. Their eyes are light and bright, reflecting their perfectionist tendencies and occasional hyper-critical outlook on themselves and others. Physically prone to "itises" like gastritis and diverticulitis. You can observe their tongue to be pointed, flame-like, reddish, and medium-sized. Pitta’s retain salt, lose water, and lean towards inflammation. Pitta personalities align with a classic Type A personality.

In terms of diet, Pitta individuals are drawn to sweet, bitter, and astringent flavors, finding sour, salty, and pungent options too hot for their already heated constitution.

Kapha

The Water Dosha. Much like water and earth and are the principle of substance and structure. 

Cold, Wet, stable, oily, smooth, vicious, slow, heavy, solid, and dense. 

Individuals with a predominant Kapha dosha typically boast a robust and powerful build, characterized by strong bone structure and well-proportioned features. Their physicality often includes short square fingers, and if likened to an animal, the bear would be a fitting totem. Kapha individuals exude a steady and consistent energy, which, while contributing to their dependability, may also lead them to be somewhat stuck in their ways. They may face challenges in losing weight and generally have a love for the sun.

Physically, Kapha traits manifest as hairy bodies, pale skin, thick lustrous wavy hair, and blue or milk chocolate-colored eyes. Their tongue tends to be round, moist, full, and pale. Due to their retentive nature, their appetite is typically less than other doshas, allowing them to go for longer periods without eating. However, frequent eating may be driven by emotional compulsion.

Kapha individuals exhibit intelligence in specifically the physical and emotional realms. Graceful in movement, they tend to have tranquil personalities, steering clear of anger and reactionary behaviors. While they may be slow to grasp new information, their great memories enable them to retain it for extended periods. Physical issues for Kapha often include obesity, low hunger, and slow digestion. Water retention is a common trait, affecting both men and women, making their water intake needs around half their body weight in ounces per day.

In terms of sleep, Kapha individuals are deep sleepers and typically require a full 8 hours. They maintain a steady sexual desire, demonstrating endurance and a slower rise to arousal. Regular exercise is crucial for Kapha individuals to maintain balance. They are described as heavy, steady, sweet, soft, and slow, embodying qualities of dependability, groundedness, constancy, and loyalty. Out of balance, they may tend towards greediness, fogginess, stubbornness, overweight tendencies, and obstinacy.

However, an imbalanced Kapha dosha may exhibit a lower anti-inflammatory response, decreased immune system response, sluggish lymphatic function, and increased saliva production. Weight tends to accumulate more in the chest and stomach areas, with a closer tendency towards heart issues, gallstones, kidney stones, and high cholesterol.

Food wise they lean toward bitters, pungents, and astringents and away from sweet, sour, and salty.

What to consider when observing these constitutions

After carefully observing yourself or patient or client and recognizing the dominant expression of their doshas, you now possess a more refined understanding of their constitution. Armed with this knowledge, the selection of remedies for treatments or support becomes a targeted process, taking into account whether a plant is hot or cold, dry or wet, stimulating or relaxing. This nuanced approach allows for a more personalized and effective application of herbalism in addressing individual health and emotional needs.

By integrating Ayurvedic principles into your assessments, you gain a deeper perspective on the inherent qualities of plants and their potential effects on different doshas. Whether you are delving into herbalism or conducting health and emotional assessments, this information equips you with valuable insights for creating tailored remedies. This holistic approach considers not only the physical but also the emotional aspects, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of individual well-being.

May the knowledge provided here contribute to your journey in herbalism or awareness development and enhance your ability to make informed choices that align with the unique constitution of each individual.

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Sources: 

Book - “The Practicing Herbalist- Meeting with Clients and Reading the Body” by Margi Flint

Matt Wood - Herbalist

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