Ayurveda is not merely an ancient healing system but a complete knowledge of leading a healthy life. It imparts wisdom to stay vital while realizing full human potential. It provides guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diets, and behaviors with proper use of the senses. As per Ayurveda, health is a balanced and dynamic integration between the environment, body, mind, and spirit. The universe and the human body are made up of five elements. These five elements govern the three body doshas, or energies. These energies, or doshas, are the Vata dosha, the pitta dosha, and the kapha dosha. Every individual has a particular pattern of doshas (like the unique fingerprint patterns everyone has). A balance between the doshas is called good health. and the imbalance of doshas is called ill health. The symptoms of imbalanced Ayurvedic doshas are:
Symptoms of an imbalanced Ayurvedic Dosha-Vata?
The following are the symptoms of an imbalanced Ayurvedic dosha-Vata:
Physical:-
- Dry and rough skin
- Constipation
- Dehydration
- “Gas formation or abdominal distension
- Body pain
- loss of strength, fatigue, low vitality
- Lack of sleep
- Sensitiveness to cold and desire for warmth.
- Feelings of loneliness.
Behavioral:-
- Impatient, Irrational, Nervous, Agitated, and Anxious.
- Wanting to run away
- Feeling fearful, confused, and shaky
- Excessive movement and talkative.
Possible health issue due to imbalanced Ayurvedic doshas-Vata:-
- Wasting of muscles
- Headache
- Constipation
- Joint pains
- Weight loss
- Convulsions, tremors, paralytic attacks
- Cramps
- Phobias
Symptoms of an imbalanced Ayurvedic Dosha-Pitta?
The following are the symptoms of an imbalanced Ayurvedic dosha-pitta:-
Physical:-
- Heartburn and acidity.
- Excessive thirst and hunger
- Strong body odor
- burning sensation in eyes, hands, and soles
- Hot flashes on the body
- Skin rashes, acne, boils
- Hypersensitivity to light
- Nausea and headache
- Loose motions
- Sensitiveness to heat and desire for a cool environment.
Behavioral:-
- Anger, irritability, hostility
- Judgemental or criticizing tendencies
- argumentative and aggressive attitude.
- Impatient and restless.
- Frustrated
- Snappy speech and actions
Possible health issues due to imbalanced Ayurvedic doshas-Pitta:-
- Hyperacidity
- Inflammation
- Bleeding
- Hypertension
- Burning sensation
- Skin rashes, pimples boils
Symptoms of an imbalanced Ayurvedic Dosha-Kapa?
The following are the symptoms of an imbalanced Ayurvedic dosha-Kapha:
Physical:-
- Lethargy
- Water retention
- less appetite.
- Congestion, mucus formation
- Secretions in the mouth
- Excessive sleep
- Breathing difficulties
Behavioral:-
- Feelings of heaviness
- Dull inactiveness
- Feel a lack of support or love?
- Depression sadness
Possible health issues due to imbalanced Ayurvedic doshas: Kapha:
- Obesity
- Depression
- Water retention
- Excess mucus formation
- Swelling
- Extra growth
How to balance body Doshas?
Common factors that affect the balance of energies are stress, unhealthy diet, weather, and strained relationships. Understanding our Ayurvedic body type and associated symptoms of imbalanced Ayurvedic doshas and accordingly adopting appropriate measures to balance them- helps us to lead a healthy life.
Balancing- Vata dosha:-
Vata is the combination of air and space (ether). The following tips will help you to rebalance your Vata Dosha.
Keep yourself warm and calm:-Ensure you have a warm and cozy place for relaxation. It will help a lot in balancing your Vata dosha. Massage yourself with warm oils. Surround yourself with warm colors, soothing music, and sweet aromas.
Nourishment:- Food plays a vital role in creating Vata imbalance as well as restoring the balance of Vata dosha. Vata balance can be restored by consuming flavors that are sweet, sour, or salty. Consuming ginger tea and ensuring that your body is getting healthy fats and oils helps a lot in balancing Vata dosha. Avoid foods that are cold, frozen, or dried. Small beans should be preferred over large beans- As they tend to cause gas problems. Flavors that are bitter and pungent should be avoided.
Adopting meditation and remaining active: Meditation helps in making your mind calm. It also helps in relieving stress and strengthening your relationship with your inner self. Engaging in light exercise can promote your body’s flexibility and balance. Yoga, cycling, walking, and dancing are a few activities to be adopted for Vata imbalance.
Balancing-Pitta dosha:-
Pitta consists of fire and water. The following tips may help you with regaining a balanced Pitta to restore harmony with nature.
Nutrition: Food and digestion play a vital role in disturbing and restoring the balance of Pitta dosha. To regain balance, consume warm and freshly cooked meals. Add foods like ghee, coconut oil, coconut water, lime, cucumber, coriander, fennel, and cardamom. Avoid foods that are hot, spicy, fried, sour, salty, savory, or fermented. Nightshades like tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc. should be avoided. Flavors that are sweet, astringent, and bitter help restore balance.
Adopting meditation and remaining active:- Practising meditation, consuming healthy seasonal food, and staying cool and comfortable play a key role in restoring Pitta balance. Yoga, self-massage, walking, reducing workloads, and avoiding conflicts are a few examples of activities that promote healthy Pitta balance.
Balancing-Kapha dosha:-
Kapha contains earth and water elements. The following tips will enable you to balance the Kapha imbalance and regain good health.
Keep yourself warm, dry, and active: ensuring a warm and dry place for rebalancing Kapha helps a lot. Remaining physically active and mentally alert, like reading books and participating in games, helps to correct Kapha’s imbalance naturally. Massage yourself with warm oils, surrounding yourself with warm colors, upbeat music, and good company may also ensure the rebalancing of Kapha imbalance.
Nutrition: Nutrition plays a crucial role in rebalancing the Kapha dosha. Foods like bitter melon, gourds, turmeric, apples, pomegranates, quinoa, tofu, beans, lentils, ginger tea, and an optimum quantity of fats and oils help to maintain or rebalance Kapha dosha. Consuming warm foods and avoiding cold and frozen foods also help. Choose pungent, bitter, and astringent flavors. And avoid sweet, salty, and sour flavors.
Adopting meditation and remaining active: -Strengthen your relationship with your inner self by adopting meditation. Meditation also helps in easing stress and calming your mind, which naturally helps to regain and maintain balance. Engaging yourself in exercise to promote stamina and energy levels—yoga, jogging, biking, dancing, and martial arts play a vital role in promoting a healthy and balanced Kapha.
By knowing our Ayurvedic body type and the symptoms of imbalanced Ayurvedic doshas, we can balance our dosha by making lifestyle changes to lead a healthy life naturally. It helps in maintaining good and balanced personal, family, and professional relations. Ayurveda enables us to reclaim our good health by suggesting balanced dietary guidelines, effective sleep patterns, daily and seasonal routines, and herbal remedies. Following a few guidelines may also help us to lead a healthy life:-
Wishing all to be in a healthy state. For treatment please consult your healthcare provider.
For awareness purposes only.
Get our new blogs regarding Ayurveda and healthy living delivered to your inbox.
Surinder Bhalla
Blogger & Marketing consultant with 40+ Years of experience in the healthcare industry.
Pingback: What are 10 Ayurvedic tips for Healthy Living? - Maansisurvivalaidfoundation