What Are The Doshas?
The doshas are part of an ancient medical system known as Ayurveda. This entirely holistic approach has been practiced for over 5000 years and is still going strong. In this tradition there are three body types or constitutions;
Each dosha is composed of the five elements responsible for the chemistry of the entire universe; air, fire, water, earth, and ether (space). Each individual has his/her own unique combination of the doshas, known as Prakriti. It heavily influences the individual’s mental, physical and emotional characteristics.
Pitta
The combination of fire and water creates pitta. This polarity is an important aspect of pitta as it produces an energy of transformation. The energy is neither moving nor still, but like fire and water, it spreads. Pitta controls our enzymes and neurotransmitters, turning impulses from our nervous system into thoughts and actions. It is also responsible for converting food into energy, and conscious thought into reality.
Physical Characteristics
Mental Characteristics
How To Balance Pitta
• Keep food light and fresh. Avoid oily foods, spicy foods or large, hot meals. Use herbs like peppermint, coriander, and fennel.
• Stay away from aggression and competition. Fire feeds the fire!
• Practice compassion. We should all be doing this, but pittas can find it hard to stay open-minded when they become irritable
• Balance rest and activity. Be careful not to over-fill your days or create unnecessary time pressures for yourself.
• Surround yourself with fresh colors. When picking an outfit, or choosing colors for a room, opting for silver, greens and blues could be all it takes to provide relief from stress.
• Keep the body and mind cool by practicing slow breathing techniques.
Nutrition For Pitta
• Reduce the consumption of sour fruits such as; apricots, grapefruits, and berries.
• Avoid very spicy foods. Instead, choose cooling spices. For example, coriander, saffron, cilantro, and fennel, are all great for calming the Pitta fire.
• Dairy can help to reduce the fiery heat of Pitta