Energy embodied
Every human being has a deep nature , a way of being, of experiencing emotions, of suffering in his body, of triggering illnesses that belongs only to him.
The task of an Ayurvedic physician is to determine this nature, which in Western medicine would be called a "constitution" or "terrain."
For this, Ayurveda offers a powerful tool: the Dosha . This typology corresponds to the manifestation, in each person, of the energies of the elements.
We all have the five elements within us , but in a particular combination where some of them predominate. Tradition identifies three Doshas:
- Vata expresses the predominance of Air and Ether
- Pitta expresses the predominance of Fire and Water
- Kapha expresses the predominance of Earth and Water
Additional elements
Each Dosha manifests itself in 5 different ways , in the form of 5 complementary energies that combine with each other. The characteristics specific to the different elements are reflected in each of us, according to our predominant Sosha.
Vata type people will be lighter, thinner , while Pitta type people will be more sanguine, angry and Kapha type people will be more solid, well-built, earthy.
These characteristics affect both physical constitution and character, organ weaknesses and functional fragilities.
Fluctuating energies
These Doshas are not determined once and for all. Human beings live constantly in contact with the elements that surround them and are influenced by them . The balance between the Doshas fluctuates according to the periods of life , and even according to the seasons or the hours of the day.
A humid environment, for example, increases the Water element in us, just as being around angry people increases the Fire element.
However, we have an overall trend , a Dosha that remains predominant despite these fluctuations.
To provide advice on healthy living , the Ayurvedic doctor must take into account both the predominant Dosha and the external elements likely to influence it.
Association between Doshas
Ideally, we should carry the three Doshas within us in a perfectly balanced manner, because all these energies are essential for the proper functioning of our organism and our psyche.
This is all the more important as the Doshas are linked to each other .
So, Vata is the "root" of all Doshas, it is this energy which animates the other two.
Therefore, Vata is the origin of all organic processes. Pitta , the intermediate Dosha, is responsible for all phenomena of light and heat. And Kapha supports the other two Doshas by acting as the material substrate of this entire energetic edifice .
One cannot imagine one of the Doshas in isolation from the other two. Each, with its different manifestations , is in its own way an expression of the primordial energy that animates the universe .
We will see in a future article, the main characteristics of the three Dosha in detail.
