Decoding the Doshas… What’s your defect?
Oops, did I say that out loud? My bad…
Actually, I was only trying to bring your attention to your dosha…
No, it’s not a body part you didn’t know you had… and it’s not something you wear either. Your dosha is Ayurveda’s way of describing the essence of you.
And if you’re in any way interested in unleashing the power of Ayurveda in your life, then you’re going to want to get familiar with the Ayurvedic view of what makes you tick. Are you ready? Keep reading…
You first need to know that Ayurveda is all about you. The beauty of this ancient science of living is that it knows you are 100% unique and different from every other living thing on this planet AND it believes you should live (i.e. eat, sleep, breathe, exercise, and otherwise interact with the world) from this understanding.
According to Ayurveda everything that goes on in the natural world also goes on inside the human body… we are a microcosm of the macrocosm. And we each carry and exhibit our own unique version of the natural intelligence that defines how things work in nature.
Ayurveda calls this your “True Nature” or “Prakruti” and recognizes it as a combination of elements and energies (or doshas) that is all yours and no one else’s. It’s you, as a unique signature in the world. And this combination of energies (vata – energy of movement, pitta – energy of transformation, and kapha – energy of cohesion) defines everything about you from the way you hold your hat to the way you sing off key.
The word dosha actually comes from the sanskrit meaning “something that can be made defective” (or to borrow a term from my mom “thrown out of whack”). It’s a reminder that although vata, pitta, and kapha interact to keep you balanced and healthy they can also be thrown off balance and wreak havoc, creating everything from crankiness to cancer!
A few things you’ll need to know when determining your dosha.
There’s no such thing as a “good” or “bad” dosha. Your dosha is what it is and accepting that will make the process of creating balance and bringing more bliss into your life SO much easier.
Your dosha is expressed as your dominant energy (i.e. “vata” would mean that you have a predominance of vata energy, and a result of “vata-pitta” would mean that you have near equal influences of both vata and pitta energy).
Each of us is a combination of all three of the doshas (they are all at work inside and around us), however, our personalities, body shape, and tendencies are most likely to reflect the characteristics and qualities of primarily one or two doshas (e.g. Someone who is bubbly and creative would be likely to have a predominance of vata – the energy of movement; someone who is intense and hot-headed would be most likely pitta-dominant, etc., etc.).
Interacting with your environment will affect your dosha and your ability to maintain balance.
Round about now, if you’re like anyone (or everyone) you’re thinking about the promises you’ll make to yourself and the many ways you’ll change your habits and behaviours in 2023.