Dosha Yoga by Anna Blackmore

As I write this Summer is coming (well now and then - this is Britain!) Thus we are moving into the time of the fire element when the sun is at it’s zenith. This is pitta time when pitta dosha people, who already have a lot of internal heat, can become quite uncomfortable and will, in particular, benefit from a cooling yoga practice.

Ayurveda the ancient medical system of India describes the human body as being composed of element combinations called doshas. The five elements in the Ayurvedic tradition are ether (space), earth, fire, water and air. [This is closely related but not quite the same as the Chinese system of five elements and similar to the system outlined by Hippocrates, of four elements and humurs: Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic and Phlegmatic]. The 3 doshas are Pitta (fire and water), Kapha (water and earth) and Vata (air and ether).

We tend to have a predominant natal dosha which determines our body type, constitution, temperament, strengths and weaknesses. It is often combined with another or a secondary dosha. Below is a short quiz you can do to get some idea of your dosha(s). It is useful as a framework for understanding how and why we get out of balance and what we can do to redress it. Our main problem is that we often feel drawn towards what we are used to and can thus aggravate our imbalances.

Pitta Dosha

Pitta people, as already mentioned are naturally hot and can overheat easily. They are strong, determined, driven and courageous. When out of balance they tend to suffer from conditions of excess heat; fevers, inflammation, disorders of the digestive fire such as heartburn, acidity, ulcers, colitis, diarrhoea and hot emotions like anger, irritability, aggressiveness and competitiveness. They need calming, balancing and cooling.

A suitable yoga practice for a person with a pitta imbalance is slow and rhythmic, not too dynamic or heating. It contains twists to wring out the mid torso and solar plexus area where pitta resides, back bends to stretch and open that area and forward bends to calm and cool them down. A good inversion is Salamba Sarvangasana (supported shoulderstand). Beware of Sirsasana (headstand) which should not be held too long, as it can cause heat to move into the head, causing headaches, bloodshot eyes, irritability. Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril) pranayama is good for balancing pitta or, on very hot days, a cooling breath such as shitali (breathing slowly in through the mouth over a flat or rolled tongue and out through the nose).

Kapha Dosha

Kapha people are cool and watery and dislike cold and wet climates. They have strong constitutions and are calm, sympathetic, easy going and pleasant to be around but can tend towards sluggishness. An excess of kapha in the body causes water retention, weight gain, oedema, phlegm, congestion, dull aches, fog in the mind, depression and lethargy.

A stimulating, warming yoga practice is good for balancing kapha, one which gets the body moving and stokes the internal fire. It might require a bit of effort at first for them as they tend to be lazy. Back bends are good for opening the chest where kapha resides, but care must be taken not to overwork the lower back, which can be weak. Handstands and postures which work the arms and shoulders also move energy in the chest. Kapalabhati (abdominal pumping) breathing helps stoke the fire and cleanse the respiratory tract of kapha.

Vata Dosha

Vata people are slender, light, dry and airy and dislike the cold and wind, which aggravate vata. They are lively, enthusiastic and vivacious, not very strong and tend to be hyperactive. So they can easily exhaust themselves, strain their joints, get sharp aches and pains and become nervous and anxious.

Restorative yoga is good for balancing vata but vata people may initially need some movement to gradually calm their hyperactive energy. Gentle rhythmic floor work helps to ground them and can be combined with something to challenge their coordination and occupy their restless minds. They need abdominal and lower back strengthening postures which, along with supported forwards bends, work on the lower abdomen where vata resides. Suggested inversions are shoulderstand resting the sacrum on a chair or sofa with some folded blankets to lift the shoulders in relation to the head and protect the neck or  Viparita Karani, with the pelvis raised on a bolster, the head and neck supported on a single floded blanket and the legs up a wall. Covering the eyes and putting a little bit of weight on the top of the head are also for calming vata. Headstand can aggravate it and doing shoulderstand flat on the floor can easily damage the delicate joints of the neck. Abdominal breathing with counting or, for the more experienced practitioner, visama vrtti (uneven) pranayama, lengthening the exhalations, both help to calm vata and quieten the mind.

What Dosha Are You?

Look at the table and see which options best describe you and add up the totals, or download and print off the table.
 

	VATA		PITTA		KAPHA
Body	Slight		Medium		Large
Finger Nails	Cracking, dry, thin		Pink, soft, medium		Wide, white, thick
Weight	Low bony		Medium or muscular		Gains easily
Stool/bowel movements	Small, hard, gas, irregular		Loose, burning		Moderate, solid, regular
Forehead size	Small		Medium		Large
Appetite	Variable		Strong, irritable when hungry		Constant or low
Eyes	Small or unsteady		Reddish or penetrating		Large or white
Voice	Low or weak		High or strident		Slow or silent
Lips	Cracking, thin, dry		Medium or soft		Full, smooth
Which bothers you most?	Cold, dry, wind		Heat, direct sun		Cold, damp
Temperament	Vivacious or nervous		Driven or impatient		Easy going or lazy
Speech	Quick or talkative		Moderate or argues		Slow or silent
Sleep	Light		Moderate		Heavy
Interests	Travel or nature		Sports or politics		Water or flowers
Memory	Quickly grasp, soon  forgets		Sharp or clear		Slow to absorb; never forget
Beliefs	Radical or changing		Leader, goal oriented		Loyal, constant
Dreams	Flying or anxious		Fighting or in color		Few or romantic
Emotions	Enthusiastic, worries		Warm, angry		Calm, attached
Mind	Quick, adaptable		Penetrating, critical		Thoughtful, slow
TOTALS

With so many styles of yoga available, it should be perfectly possible to find the right one for us. The main problem, as mentioned above, is that we tend to be drawn towards what we are used to because it feels familiar and ‘normal’, rather than what will balance us. Observe closely how you feel in the hours after a practice. Do you remain relaxed, calm and energised or are you exhausted, irritable or lethargic? How is your sleep? Is your mind clear? Do you feel more connected to the world or more in competition? In asking ourselves how we truly feel, we can then discover what we truly need.

Copyright 2007, Anna Blackmore, June 2007. www.yogabodymind.co.uk

Anna has been teaching yoga for 25 years. She teaches General yoga in the Soma Centre at the Royal Garden Hotel, remedial yoga at Triyoga, Primrose Hill and gentle yoga at The Life Centre in Notting Hill Gate (UK). She also works at The Life Centre as a therapist doing Yoga Therapy and Shiatsu and combining them with hypnosis in Yogabodywork sessions. She trained and practised, for 11 years, as an osteopath and taught anatomy, physiology, pathology and shiatsu at the European Shiatsu School for 12 years before focusing more on yoga therapy.