What Does it Actually Mean to “Balance” Your Dosha?

What Does it Actually Mean to “Balance” Your Dosha? 

For anyone new to the ancient medical system of Ayurveda, it is obviously a vastly complex, many-millennia-old science, but I will do my best to simplify the concept of doshas for the sake of clarity and brevity.

In Ayurveda, the most basic building blocks of the material world (including us) are the five elements: ether  air  fire  water  and earth . The three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) represent the constitutions that are made up of these elements:

Vata = air + ether

Pitta = fire + water

Kapha = water + earth

Most of us, depending on our physical and mental attributes, stage of life, health status and conditions, the climate in which we live, and a variety of other factors, are typically dominant in one or two doshas. Although our makeup includes all five elements in varying proportions, it’s very rare to find someone who embodies a perfect balance of all three doshas.  

Many people make the mistake of conflating their dosha with their identity. For instance, my dominant dosha is Vata, which is characterized by dryness, lightness, and fast-moving mobility.  This does not mean, however that this is who I am. It’s only who I become when I have too much Vata in my system, which is something I am prone to. Nor is it the dominant dosha I was born with. 

One important note is that your dominant dosha can change during different times in your life. You may take on more Pitta qualities, for instance, upon moving to a warmer climate . Kapha may increase in the winter or early Spring, or during pregnancy , and if you are in a busier stage of your life, or experiencing a lot of stress, you may become more Vata-dominant . 

Your “Prakriti” refers to the dominant constitution you were born with, while your “Vrikriti” is the dosha you take on over time, as you adapt to your social and environmental climate and formative experiences.

The ultimate goal of achieving balance in Ayurvedic medicine and, as a result, optimal health, is to aim for a perfectly balanced Prakriti. Of course, if you have a severely unbalanced Vrikriti, that may require more immediate attention so you can address any health issues or other discomforts that may be affecting your ability to function in the day-to-day. 

So how do you go about balancing your dosha? Another mistake many people make is to adopt the foods and lifestyle practices that are in alignment with their dosha, rather than working to counter-balance them. Vata-dominant foods, for example, are light, dry, bitter, and cold (think raw fruits and veggies, salads, smoothies, etc). If you have a Vata-dominant constitution however, you already have an over-abundance of these qualities in your system, and you should try to incorporate heavier, warming, sweet, or oily foods to counter-balance Vata, like soups and stews, warming spices, and healthy fats . This will help to optimize digestion, calm any excess of worry or anxiety you may have, and increase creative energy, all while helping to address any other Vata-related health issues you may be suffering from. 

Besides diet, there are also a number of exercises, lifestyle practices, meditations, and even yoga poses that help to balance doshas. You can find out your current dominant dosha (or Vrikriti) by taking an online quiz; Banyan Botanicals and chopra.com both have reputable ones. 

As always, for the most accurate results and treatment plan, your best bet is to see an Ayurvedic Medicine Practitioner, someone who has undergone extensive training and education in the intricacies and complexities of Ayurvedic medicine. 

In the meantime, please feel free to leave any comments or questions you may have below!