Imagine that you are looking at a watercolor painting of a landscape. You can see sky, trees, grass and animals. Step back and you can easily see the whole picture, but if you move closer you may only be able to see brushstrokes and smears of different pigments.
In Ayruvedic philosophy, the watercolor painting would be likened to the body as a whole while the various pigments represent the different doshas (energies) that occupy that body. For many people who live in the desert, an overcast, rainy day may leave them feeling depressed and dragged down. Likewise, eating a large dish of fried cheese appetizers may cause you to end up feeling bloated and fatigued.
Rather than lying in bed all day or reaching for the Alka-Seltzer, it is necessary to look at these instances in the larger sense, which is where the doshas come into play. The three main doshas described are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
The leading dosha is vata. Vata embodies movement, coolness and air; within the body, vata is tied to the nervous system, which is why it is often called the king of all the doshas. People who are Vata-dominant tend to be thin and quick with fine dry hair and skin. They may process new information quickly and have excellent imaginations, but they tend to be very energetic and burn out quickly.
Pitta is the dosha of fire and water and, unlike Vata, it is warm and moist. People who are Pitta-dominant flush and get hot very easily. They tend to be motivated and ambitious when it comes to work, yet may get easily frustrated. In the body, Pitta energy is connected with metabolism.
The Kapha dosha is that of earth and water. It is slow, steady, cool and heavy. -People who are Kapha-dominant tend to have a hard time losing those few extra pounds. In general, they have thick, dark, curly hair. They are typically unshakable, loyal, deliberate-thinking and slow to change. In the body, Kapha energy is seated in the chest.
Now, bear in mind that this is merely a brief summary of the dosha in order to introduce terms and concepts. Later on, I will go into much greater detail about the doshas, how to keep them in balance and how to detect an imbalance. There are also simple changes you can make to your lifestyle that can make balancing these energies more effectively.
You can take a simple quiz to determine your dominant dosha. This particular one is courtesy of Deepak Chopra at the Chopra Center.
http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/
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