Pitta
dosha
What is Pitta?
Pitta
is made up of the two elements fire and water.
The
most revered ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, defines the
characteristics of Pitta dosha: hot and a little unctuous (sahasnehamushnam);
sharp, burning (tikshnam); liquid and acidic (dravamlam); always
flowing in an unbounded manner (saram); pungent and sharp (katuhu).
Pitta contains fire, but it also contains water. It is the source
of the flame, but not the flame itself. Compare Pitta to gasoline--it
is not hot to the touch, but it can be the source of flames.
People
with more Pitta in their constitutions tend to be of medium proportions,
with a frame that is neither petite nor heavy, warm skin that
is very fair or ruddy and may be sensitive, and fine hair that
tends towards premature graying or thinning. They are sharp and
determined in thought, speech and action. There is an element
of purpose to their step, an intensity to their voice. Ambition
is usually their second name. They are moderate sleepers and gravitate
towards cooler environments. Self-confidence and an entrepreneurial
spirit are hallmarks of balanced Pitta.
If
your prakriti or original constitution has more Pitta in it, you
will exhibit many of the characteristics and qualities of Pitta
when you are in balance than people who have more Vata
or Kapha in their make-up. And
that's natural. But if the qualities become extreme, or more pronounced
than usual at a given time, then the Pitta in you has in all likelihood
become aggravated or imbalanced, and needs to be brought back
into balance. And if a predominantly Kapha or Vata person starts
exhibiting many Pitta qualities, that indicates a Pitta imbalance
in that Kapha or Vata body type. In both cases, it is then time
to follow a Pitta-balancing diet and lifestyle to help restore
the level of Pitta in the physiology to its normal proportion.
Factors
that can cause Pitta dosha to increase in the physiology include
a diet that contains too many hot or spicy foods, fasting or skipping
meals, over-exposure to the sun or to hot temperatures, and emotional
trauma.
Signs
that you need to balance Pitta
- Are
you constantly critical, impatient, irritable?
- Do
you feel obsessed by work or a project, unable to stop for a
break?
- Do
you wake up in the very early hours of the morning and then
find it difficult to get back to sleep?
- Is
your skin feeling irritated or more sensitive than usual, breaking
out or feeling inflamed?
- Is
your hair falling when you shampoo or comb it?
- Do
you have problems with heartburn or excess stomach acid?
- Is
your tolerance of other people or provoking situations lower
than usual? Do you have temper outbursts over minor aggravations?
Do you often feel frustrated?
- Do
you feel hot even when you are indoors? Do you feel thirsty
all the time? Are your eyes red?
- Is
your speech often biting and sarcastic? Do you find yourself
getting into arguments easily?
If
you answered yes to many of the questions above, following a Pitta-balancing
diet and lifestyle can help restore balance to Pitta.
Balance
Pitta with diet >
