Kapha Dosha
Kapha is the heaviest of the three doshas. It provides the structures and the lubrication that the body needs. These qualities help to counterbalance Vata's movement and Pitta's metabolism. A big, heavyset football play or wrestler is a person with a predominance of Kapha. Kapha provides the following functions:
Strength - to perform physical tasks Moistness & Lubrication - to prevent excessive friction from occurring between the various parts of the body Stability - to add the necessary grounding aspect to both mind and body Mass & Structure – to provide fullness to bodily tissues. Fertility & Virility - to produce healthy offspring
Qualities of Kapha Dosha
Cool, Heavy, Dense, Stable, Oily and slimy
Pitta Dosha
The Pitta dosha is associated with fire or heat. Wherever there is transformation, there is Pitta (doing its job). Whether it is in the GI tract, liver, skin, eyes or brain doesn't matter, for these are all locations where Pitta works. Pitta provides the following functions:
• Metabolism - at all the various levels from digestion of food to transformation of all other material
• Thermogenesis - maintains the proper body temperature
• Vision - converts external images into optic nerve impulses
• Appetite - the feeling of hunger and thirst
• Comprehension - of information into knowledge, also reasoning and Judgment
• Courage & Braveness - to face the situation
• Complexion - gives color and softness to skin
Qualities of Pitta Dosha
Hot, Sharp, Slightly Oily, Penetrating. Liquid. Light and can be sour and foul smelling when excessively increased
Vata Dosha
The Vata dosha is the most important of the three doshas. This is for two reasons. First, if Vata becomes imbalanced for long enough and sufficiently enough, it can also cause the other two doshas (Pitta or Kapha) to become imbalanced. It can even cause both Pitta and Kapha to become imbalanced; this is called a Tridoshic imbalance and is the most difficult to overcome. Secondly, Vata is the main driver or mover of the body, including the other two doshas all the tissues (dhatus) and all of the waste products (malas). Vata provides the following functions:
• All eliminations: fetus, semen, feces, urine, sweat, and a few others
• Assists with all the various metabolisms in the body (called Agni in Ayurveda)
• Controls all of the various movement of body (both physical & mental), including such things as respiration, heart beat, motivation and contraction of muscles
• Relays all sensory input from the various sense organs to the brain
Qualities of Vata Dosha
Cold, Light, Dry, Rough, Hard, Mobile and the Ability to penetrate fine particles