What on Earth are the DOSHAS... and how do they relate to my yoga practice? (by NYN Teacher Shea Walker)

The short answer? According to Ayurveda, the doshas are related to your physical and mental “constitution” and depending on your current constitution, yoga asana can create either balance or imbalance in mind and body. 

Ayurveda, often referred to as yoga’s ‘sister science’, is the science or knowledge of life.  It is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems, originating in India, at least 5000 years ago.  In Ayurveda there is a focus on healing the root cause of dis-ease and not only treating symptoms.  The root cause is seen to be related to an imbalance in a person’s consciousness; basically, the illusion that we are separate from the Universal Consciousness.  The underlying belief in Ayurveda that everything in life is connected is epitomized in the 5 element theory.  This theory sees all life as a combination of 5 elements; space/ether, air, fire, water, and earth.  Everything can be described in terms of these elemental qualities.  These energetics also combine to create the doshas, often referred to as our “constitution”.  The 3 doshas are Vata (space+air), Pitta (fire+water), and Kapha (water+earth).  Each of these doshas have the qualities of the elements that create them. And each individual has a combination of all 3 doshas but 1 or 2 will often dominate their unique blueprint.  (rarely will all 3 doshas be equally present in an individual’s blueprint).  I often prefer to use the term “Ayurvedic Blueprint” instead of the term “constitution” because just like reading a map, knowing our Ayurvedic Blueprint allows us insight into our inherent strengths and possible challenges regarding our health and well-being.

Each of us has our own unique combination of the 5 elements and doshic dominance.  The word dosha actually translates to “fault” or “that which darkens” so these elemental qualities are seen as dis-ease building.  Have no fear though, there are also positive, health building qualities to the elements as well.  But for now, we are going to focus on creating balance in our own blueprint using the doshas.

Let’s take a look at the doshas from a more Western perspective; maybe you’ve met someone who is described as a creative person who can “go with the flow”, who may have a small physical frame and small bone structure.  This person may also have a tendency to feel cold or anxious, possibly experiencing dry skin and bouts of forgetfulness and/or anxiety.  An ayurvedic analysis would see these qualities as related to Vata dosha.  The elements present in Vata dosha are space (sometimes called ether) and air.  The qualities of these elements are dry, cold, rough, mobile, subtle, and clear.  When these qualities are balanced for the person’s natural blueprint, the strengths are being able to “go with the flow” and feel a sense of creativity moving through them, as well as clarity of mind.  But when these qualities are in excess, however, the challenges could be things like experiencing panic attacks, unable to retain information, inability to focus, digestive issues like constipation, bloating, gas, or the inability to properly nourish one’s body with food…just to name a few.  Again, each dosha has its own set of qualities that can be applied to everything.  Knowing our unique blueprint can then lead us to making choices that will create healing through balance.

The foundation of Ayurvedic treatment focuses on being able to recognize which dosha(s) is in excess because excess is the imbalance leading to dis-ease.  Treatment utilizes Opposite Therapy, balancing with opposite qualities of the elements that are in excess.  So, in the example of someone who may have Vata excess, bringing in qualities that are wet, warm, smooth, stable, dense, and heavy will begin to create balance and reduce Vata excess.

Opposite Therapy, or balancing with opposites, can apply to many things like the foods we eat, the daily routines we have, our movement practice or workout, spiritual practices, and even things like using herbs.  Yoga asana (the physical practice of yoga) is a wonderful way to balance our Ayurvedic Blueprint and each dosha requires a different approach.  And because our doshic excess will shift throughout life, our approach to creating balance using yoga asana will need to shift.

My upcoming workshop, “Yoga for the Doshas”, will take you through the basic tenets of ayurveda, the 6 categories of poses and how those categories affect the subtle elemental qualities in the body, and how to sequence a practice to create balance and healing, for yourself or your students if you’re a yoga teacher.

I hope you will join me for this opportunity to learn more about your unique Ayurvedic Blueprint and how to use yoga for balance and healing.