Body types or Doshas
The word Dosha comes from Ayurveda, the 5000 year old holistic science of wellbeing. The word is often misused, but the easiest way to understand it is to think of it as our personal collection of ingredients. In Ayurveda, our body type, or Dosha, reflects a particular balance of elements that help to determine how we look, feel and act throughout our lives. The characteristics of our dosha go a long way towards explaining that feeling of the glass being half empty or half full, or that perennial weight problem, or the ocean of chaos that seems to surround us, but once we understand these characteristics, we can work with them and create major improvements to our wellbeing and outlook. We can deal more effectively with home life, working environments, and even the weather! The really interesting thing is that nutrition plays a more powerful role in wellbeing than most people realise
Our bodies rebuild themselves many times throughout our lifetime. Cells from every organ are renewed by the food that we eat. Every breath we take and every mouthful that we swallow contributes to this building process. Every taste, every sight and smell, in fact every sensory experience connected with food rebuilds or damages our cells and imprints itself into our emotions and the sensual experience of being alive. From these basic building blocks we create ourselves on an hourly and daily basis. The good and the bad, the healthy and the unhealthy aspects of our lives all originate from the processes that go on within us and from the way we co-operate with our bodies or try to fight them into submission. We flourish when we give ourselves the right kind of attention and wither when we give the wrong kind.
We know that people come in so many shapes and sizes, colours and weight so it seems obvious that we shouldn’t all eat and do the same things to make us healthy and happy. We are all individuals with different tastes and experiences and there are more variations in people-types than there are Atkins Diets and GI diets and all the other fashions and fads. We see the more extreme visible signs every day when we go to work or go to the shops. We see “thinnies” and “fatties” and some “in-betweenies” and we see redheads and darker swarthier types and short and tall people and all the sizes in between, but they only reveal half the picture. The physical differences can be important clues but they don’t tell us about emotional characteristics and behaviour, why some people never gain weight and others can never shake it off, or why some are constant worriers and others struggle to rouse themselves into action.
So indeed, there are indeed great differences between people, but this is where Ayurveda rescues us from confusion. In Ayurveda, the world is built from 5 elements, ether / space, air, fire, water and earth. Each and every living thing is composed of these elements, which form vital energies that fluctuate according to our state of balance as individuals and the seasons of nature. These elements form unique balances within each individual to create their dosha. No two people are exactly the same. We all have the same ingredients, but in differing quantities and with Ayurveda we learn how to recognise the balance of elements that make our dosha and how to respond to their dynamics.
Body type, attitude and behaviour are all linked. We think, look and act in repeating patterns throughout our lives and this behaviour is always linked to something fundamental within our personality and within our cells at the deepest level, where the five elements are located. Our dosha provides the key to understanding what we are, allowing us to examine and fine-tune our diets and lifestyles to create health, strength and energy for life. Underlying any experiences that we have in our lives, at whatever age, our dosha is distinct and unchanging, providing us with default patterns from which our responses originate. We may gain or lose weight, change jobs, clothes, hair style and colour, but underneath these superficial differences our dosha and its inherent traits, fixed before we were born, will always govern our initial state of mind and our emotional and physical responses to life. That is not to say we are the victims of our dosha. We can create ourselves to be the best we can be by choosing to learn about and to work with this fundamental natural resource.
Our doshas have clearly defined characteristics and specific nutritional, emotional and spiritual needs. Our preferences for food, colour, tastes, textures, sounds and activities are founded upon this cellular make-up. When we put the wrong kinds of food into our body, when we labour away with thoughts and activities in environments that don’t suit us, then we may as well be taking poison – on a daily basis. When we remain ignorant of these characteristics we ignore the whole foundation of who we really are.
Knowing our dosha helps us to understand that certain kinds of foods are more useful to us than others. We are also better suited to certain sounds, textures, colours, smells, oils and environments. We react physically and emotionally to the changing seasons and climate in different ways according to our dosha. When we live, eat and do things that go against the best interest of our body type we are actively damaging everything that we are!
So what is a body type? What is it that actually makes a body type or dosha?
There are three main doshas, known by the Sanskrit words, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Most people are combinations of all three, one dominant, with varying percentages of the other two
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Vata, the most common dosha, consists of the elements of air and ether (space) and works with the nervous system to control all body movement including nutrients and waste. In the mind Vata is concerned with memory and comparison of information. Air, as we know, is a changing element, and it stimulates movement. Unlike Pitta and Kapha, which consist of two contrasting and counter-balancing elements, Vata’s two elements of ether and air have very similar characteristics and as a consequence Vata types are prone to the typical extremes of behaviour and condition.
In our bodies Vata is responsible for: thinking, respiration, circulation and digestive movement. All of these qualities are necessary in all body types and we wouldn’t function without the Vata qualities of movement, nor would we function without the space through which fluids, food and air can pass. These qualities are simply more evident in a Vata type and they become excessive when Vata become imbalanced.
Vata types are better suited to structured exercise classes such as aerobics or circuit training, swimming, walking, properly organised jogging, mountain activity, Yoga and Tai Chi and some Martial Arts activities and much less suited to heavy weight-based exercise regimes. Balanced Vata types are energetic and inspirational, adapt to situations, and are lively, creative and good communicators. Unbalanced Vata types worry; they’re agitated, restless and full of anxiety. They are inconsistent and often suffer from insomnia. They can be gassy, bloated and constipated.
A typical Vata stress response is “What did I do wrong?”, as when a child might need Mummy or Daddy to get them out of a fix. They assume responsibility for errors and avoid confrontation. A Vata type can be summarised as having a variable and changeable character.
Pitta consists of the elements of fire and water and governs the body’s balance of chemical and transforming energies, including the digestion of both food and thought. In the mind Pitta processes new data and draws conclusions. Fire is the acids and enzymes of the body and the sun’s rays that directly affect all life forms and the environment. Water is present in every cell and it can be calm or turbulent. The balance of opposites within Pitta between fire and water is critical.
In our bodies Pitta is responsible for mental discrimination, visual perception, body temperature, skin and complexion, digestion. All of these qualities are found in all body types and are essential for normal life. We wouldn’t function without the Pitta ability to transform and digest food, ideas and our perception. They are simply more obvious in Pitta types and become exaggerated when Pittas become unbalanced.
Pitta body types are usually of medium build with average proportions of legs and arms and even fingers and toes, with good musculature. They often have fine hair that may be prematurely grey. They perspire easily, often with a keen odour, are passionate and have average levels of sleep. A Pitta type will be prone to hot temper and strong digestion. Pitta types have sharp intellects and are direct and to the point; they prefer routine, have the courage of their conviction and make good teachers and leaders. They’re good with money but like luxuries. They will be driven emotionally, physically and mentally.
Pitta types are better suited to relaxation classes such as Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong walking, swimming, meditation practise, moderate weight-based activities and natural environments. They are much less suited to aggressive, competitive games. Balanced Pitta types make good decisions are good leaders, are warm, bright and intelligent and have good digestion. Unbalanced Pitta types are prone to anger, irritable and can be critical and judgemental. They can have skin problems and burning heated complaints. A typical Pitta stress response is “What did you do wrong?” A Pitta type can be summarised as being vigorous and fiery.
Kapha consists of the elements of earth and water and governs structure, bodily stability and lubrication and cell structure. In the mind Kapha provides stability
