What is Vata, Pitta and Kapha, how to keep balance | 026

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word which refers to the ‘science of life and longevity’. Let us tell you that Ayurveda takes a holistic approach towards healthy living and is considered to be one of the oldest medicinal systems in the world. Today Ayurveda has gained popularity all over the world. The basis of Ayurvedic philosophy is the balancing of body, mind and spirit.

Man is made of five elements

According to Ayurveda, every person is born with a life force that consists of the five elements of nature, earth, air, water, fire and space. Our body moves forward only by the balance of these five elements. The balance of elements is known as ‘dosha’. Let us tell you that there are three fundamental doshas in our body: Vata, Pitta and Kapha and it is very important to have a balance between these three doshas for good health.

what is vata pitta and kapha

Actually Vata, Pitta, Kapha are not doshas but metals which are present in the body and keep it healthy. When these metals become contaminated or anomalous and cause diseases, then only they are called defects. Thus the cause of diseases is the imbalance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. There is an imbalance in Vata, Pitta and Kapha when many types of problems arise in the body, which we call Tridosha. In this way, in order to make the unhealthy body healthy again after getting disease, the tridoshas have to be brought into balance.

Let us tell you that Vata is made of air and space (sky), which is related to energy. On the other hand, bile is made from fire, which is related to digestion and metabolism. While Kapha is made up of water and earth, which is related to shakti or strength. An imbalance of vata, pitta and kapha worsens due to unhealthy diet, stress, repressed emotions and insufficient exercise.

Let us tell you that everyone has all these three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) in their body, but one of them is primary, the second is secondary and the third is the least dominant. That’s why you have to find out which is your main fault. Thus in order to maintain balance and good health, a person has to contend with the three doshas and increase or decrease them, as the conditions demand.

Let us understand all the three in detail one by one –

what is vata

Vata is considered to be the leading of the three Ayurvedic principles in the body. Vata controls all the mental and physical activities of the body. It is responsible for breathing, blinking of eyes, beating of our heart and many other functions.

You can feel energetic by keeping it in balance. Adequate rest and relaxation is needed to keep Vata in balance. Knee problems, dry skin, cough and dry hair are some of the problems faced when Vata is vitiated. 8 ways to get rid of knee problem

what is bile

Pitta is a fire element. It is responsible for regulating body temperature through chemical transformation of food (digestion, absorption, assimilation, controlling nutrition and metabolism), promoting vitality and appetite, etc. Pitta individuals are strong-willed and have leadership qualities.

If pitta is imbalanced, it gives rise to anger. This can lead to inflammatory disorders such as ulcers and inflammation. To keep it in balance, meditation, massage and cool scents such as rose, peppermint and lavender oil can help to relax the body.

what is phlegm

This dosha maintains the body’s resistance or immune system. Kapha people are considered to be thoughtful, calm and stable. To keep this in balance, exercise and extra fluid intake can keep energy up. Kapha is mainly responsible for the body’s building, growth and formation of new cells as well as cell repair.