Understanding Ayurvedic Doshas, Part II: Recognizing Pitta Attributes
If you’ve been following along this year, you’ll probably remember there are 5 elements in Ayurveda that constitute the three doshas:
Ether & Air: Vata Dosha
Water & Fire: Pitta Dosha
Water & Earth: Kapha Dosha
When talking about Pitta dosha, we’re referring to a constitution that’s governed by fire and water. Individuals with these elements must learn how to balance them to find optimal health and avoid “burn out”. For example, it would be in their best interest to avoid overdoing it on spicy food, or practicing hot yoga in the summer. Read on for more…
Beyond elements, some attributes of Pitta are: hot, sharp or penetrating, light, liquid, spreading, oily and sour. Pitta enjoys healthy digestion when in balance. Mentally, sound judgement and discernment are Pitta’s best intellectual qualities.
Pitta is associated with the idea/action of transformation – the ability to absorb ideas, knowledge and food – in order to bring about warmth and color to the body. Our powers of perception are governed by Pitta.
Some actions of Pitta in the body and mind are intelligence, understanding, hunger, thirst, digestion, heat and visual perception.
Physically, Pitta-dominant types have an athletic build. It’s easy to both lose - and gain - weight. They’ll have rosy cheeks (and probably freckles) and fine hair that gets oily when it’s not regularly washed, in addition to early grays. Someone with red hair (that “fiery” color) is likely to have Pitta in their constitution. Men may experience early hair loss (sorry guys, it’s the fire that burns it out!)
Pittas can frustrate easily when they’re out of balance or overheated. Be careful when they get angry! If Pittas aren’t careful, they’ll get sunburned fast! They have pale, fair and soft skin. When digestion is “off” they’ll experience heartburn, diarrhea and nausea. When stressed out they’re agitated and will overanalyze situations. Pittas need to beware of obsessive or compulsive thinking!
Because of their high intelligence and single point-of-focus thinking, Pittas would make really good politicians. They know how to successfully convey thoughts and make clear, logical points. These types of people are also great athletes; it’s the fire that contributes to their competitive nature.
Diet-wise, Pittas would benefit from eating coconuts, cranberries and cantaloupe. They do well with potatoes, squash and broccoli as well as full-fat milk, cottage cheese and ghee (clarified butter). Honey is the best sweetener for Pitta-types and beverages like mint tea and black tea (with milk and honey) would be very balancing. Good news: beer – in small quantities - is also balancing for Pitta.
Some foods to stay away from would be tomatoes, garlic and raw onions. Hot peppers can cause heartburn; so can ingesting horseradish, vinegar and hard alcohol.
Most yoga asanas where the front side of the body are exposed are great for Pitta people; they’re cooling. Think of asanas like Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana), Side Plank (Vasistasana) and Triangle Pose (Trikonasana). Forward folds are also good for balancing Pitta. These asanas are calming and lower heart rate, which can cool the body. Think of Wide-Legged Fold (Prasarita Padattonasana), Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana), Child’s Pose (Balasana).
In closing, now that we’re fully in Pitta season, you’ll notice the Vinyasa practice shift a little bit. You’ll still see the challenging asanas and some fun sequences, but they’ll have a closer eye on keeping the fire in check! Hopefully this post gives you some clearer understanding of Pitta dosha. See if any of this resonates with you.
Stay tuned for more information on Ayurveda and how you can implement this knowledge to suit your day-to-day life. Have questions? Feel free to reach out. You can click “Contact Gail” to send me an email…or just reach out at: gail@gailhamlin.com
Wishing you good health! Until we meet again… Om Shanti. Namaste.
