Tridosha with detailed explanation

vāyu: pittaṃ kaphaśceti trayo doṣā: samāsata: || vikṛtā’vikṛtā dehaṃ ghnanti te varttayanti ca |

(Ashtanga Hridayam 1/6)

Vata, Pitta, and Kapha- The three bio-energies responsible for the existence of life. These energies are needed to be balanced to maintain a healthy body and mind constitution.

Vata manages the nervous system; Pitta with its fire element controls the metabolism and hormonal flow whereas Kapha works as the support system of our body.

Their poise and perfect balance is essential for a flourishing mind and body whereas disturbance of natural function can be destructive beyond our understanding and belief.

Doshas	Mahabhuta (Elements)	Qualities in Nature
Vata	Air + Space	light, cold, rough, dry, subtle, unsteady
Pitta	Fire + Water	hot, sharp, subtle, light, slightly unctuous, abounding in qualities
Kapha	Water + Earth	thick, heavy, slow,liquid, unctuous, cold, soft

One must learn his body constitution to live a sophisticated and healthier life.

According to Ayurveda, every other person possesses a different type of Prakriti (Body Nature) depending on their unique Tridosha constitution. Though no human being has the body constitution consisting of a single or dual dosha but all three, however, there is always one dosha or two doshas that dominates over the other. That one dosha decides one’s Prakriti (Body type). Depending on this dominant guy your body has different physiological and psychological functioning.

Let us take a closer look at what are the specific characteristics of a dosha-body type.

Characteristics	Vata Body Type	Pitta Body Type	Kapha body Type
Body Frame	Thin, prominent veins and bones	Moderate body frame, medium muscle, and delicate frame	Large body frame, broad chest, thick skin, and bones not prominent.
Body Weight	Lean and slender	Moderate or medium weight	An obese or rapid tendency for weight gain
Skin Type	Thin, cool, dry prone to wrinkles	Soft, warm, moist, prone to acne.	Thick, cold, oily, and pale
Complexion	darker color, prone to pigmentations	Reddish, yellowish or copperish	white, Fair and Bright
Hair	Dry, curly, thin	Thin, fine, silky, and slightly oily	Thick, soft, dark, more oily
Eyes	Dry, small, and sunken	Sharp, medium size, and penetrating gaze	Dense, Wide and big, prominent
Weaknesses	Anxious, nervous, fearful, low will-power	Irritability, jealous, and anger	Greed, possessiveness, attachment, and self-centered
Physiological Traits	Craves for sweet sour salty food	craves Sweet, Bitter, Astringent Strong appetite, good digestion and metabolism, slightly higher body temperature than average, sharp voice	Pungent, Bitter, Astringent Slow digestion, good stamina, moderate body temperature, and sound sleep, soft voice, slow and steady walks
happy state Qualities	Lively, enthusiastic, and joyful, inspired, loves to move, self motivated, creative, learns quickly, forgets quickly, talkative, easy to make friends, dreams of flying, intolerant to cold, flexible, less sleeping hours, speaks fast, walk fast	Passionate, competitive, focused, and assertive, strong hunger and thirst, shining and naturally glowing skin, intelligent, logical, analytical, dreams of fire, strong digestion, intolerant to heat Sharp, leader ambitious, quick grasp, and powerful memory	Loving, faithful, relaxed, stable, strong, heavy, patient, forgiving, giver, takes time to learn but never forgets, firm compact joints, eats small amount and adds weight easily, dreams of water, smooth thick oily hair, calm, content, loyal, and tolerant, slow grasp, short term weak but long term good memory, sleeps long hours, talks slowly
careers	artist, dancer	athlete, doctor,engineer	nursing, teaching, chef

Since we now know that a balanced state of these Tridosha is strictly necessary to maintain a healthy body, mind state and conscious soul awareness. But what if there is an imbalance in the functions of Tridosha? I am listing down the signs of aggravation and alleviation of Tridosha so that whenever you experience discomfort, you will know which dosha is making trouble inside your body.

Tridosha	Main Symptom of increase	Increase
Vata	pain	gas, bloating, constipation, dry skin, irregular appetite, feeling restless, forgetfulness Emaciation, black discoloration, tremors, constipation, loss of strength and senses, and irrelevant speech.
Pitta	burning	acidity, diarrhea, rashes, sour taste in mouth Yellow discoloration, urine, eyes, and skin; excess thirst and hunger
Kapha	itchiness	lethargy, low energy, brain fog Weak digestion, excess salivation, laziness, feels sleepy, cold, and respiratory disorders.

Important point: we all struggle with vata, as it increases with aging.

In children, Kapha dosha is dominant; in young ones, Pitta dosha dominates the body; whereas in old age, Vata dosha dominates the whole body.