Dosha

The three dosha's and the 5 great elements they are composed from

A dosha is one of three bodily humors that make up one's constitution according to Ayurveda. These teachings are also known as the Tridosha system.

The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily humours or doshas called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

• Vāta or Vāyu (wind) is the impulse principle necessary to mobilize the function of the nervous system. It affects the windy humour, flatulence, gout, rheumatism, etc.^[1]
• Pitta (bile) is the bilious humour, or that secreted between the stomach and bowels and flowing through the liver and permeating spleen, heart, eyes, and skin; its chief quality is heat.^[2] It is the energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion and hence metabolism into the venous system.
• Kapha (phlegm) is the body fluid principle which relates to mucous, lubrication and the carrier of nutrients into the arterial system.

All Ayurvedic physicians believe that these ancient ideas, based in the knowledge discovered by the Rishis and Munis, exist in harmony with physical reality. These Ayurvedic concepts allow physicians to examine the homeostasis of the whole system. People may be of a predominant dosha or constitution, but all doshas have the basic elements within them. There are 5 types of pitta dosha 1) Pachaka 2) Ranjaka 3) Alochaka 4) Sadhaka 5) Bhrajaka.

Notes and references

1. ^ Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford, 1899
2. ^ Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford, 1899