Yoga_Doshas

Yoga & Meditation

The Doshas

Taken from John Douillard’s course on pulse reading

Basic Definitions:

Vata – Air & Space (Ether)

Winter is the season its "home" in the body is the Colon. For vata in general, the principle characteristics are windy, cold, dry, movement, breathing, natural urges (impulses). The basis of vata is creation with focus on activity or movement, therefore vata’s characteristics are with anything that has activity or movement, such as, the sensory functions, excretions, motor functions and nervous system.

Under stress emotions and symptoms are: fear, worry, constipation, anxious.

Pitta – Fire & Water

Summer is the season and its "home" in the body is the Intestines. For pitta in general the principle characteristics are heat, digestion, enzymatic processes that digest. Guiding focus is on perception, hunger, thirst, intelligence. Under stress emotions and symptoms are: anger, competitiveness (over), jealousy, hate, digestive imbalances and skin irruptions.

Kapha – Water & Earth

Spring is the season and its "home" in the body is the heart and lungs. For kapha in general, the principle characteristics are stability, strength, moisture, energy/endurance, calm and abundance (wealth). Under stress or imbalance kapha characteristics and symptoms are: congestion, allergies, attachment, obesity and asthma, greed.

Functions of the Doshas

Vata – Movement, transformation of tissues, un-groundedness, secretions, excretions, emptiness.Pitta – Heat (body), temperature, digestion, perception, understanding (as in mental digestion), hunger and thirst, and intelligence.

Kapha – Stability, endurance, unctuousness (and lubrication), forgiveness, kindness.

Attributes of the Doshas

Vata – dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, clear, dispersing

Pitta – oily, penetrating, hot, light, mobile, liquid, sour smell.

Kapha – heavy, slow, cold, oily, slimy, dense, soft, static

Commonalities between the Doshas

Pitta & Vata have lightness in common

Vata & Kapha have cold in common

Pitta * Kaphy have oiliness in common

What's your dosha - taken from John Dolliurd's Pulse Reading Course

Circle the answer that most suits your long-term personality. Try to select only one answer that best describes you. If two answers apply, then check both. If none apply then leave the question blank. Then, total the columns at the end. The higher scores indicate your body type.

Mental Profile	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Activity	Quick mind, restless	Sharp intellect, aggressive	Calm, steady, stable
Memory	Short term is best	Good general memory	Long term is best
Thoughts	Constantly changing	Fairly steady	Steady
Concentration	Short-term focus best	Better than average concentration	Can focus for long time
Grasping power	Quick grasping power	Medium grasp power	Longer to grasp new information
Dreams	Fearful, flying, running	Anger, firey violent	Water, cloud, relationships
Sleep	Interrupted, light	Sound, medium length	Sound, heavy, long
Talk	Fast, sometimes missing words	Fast, sharp clear cut	Slow, clear, sweet
Voice	High pitch	Medium pitch	Low pitch

Behavioral Profile	V	P	K
Eat	Quickly	Medium Speed	Slowly
Hunger	Irregular	Sharp, needs food	Can miss meals
Food & Drink	Prefer warm	Prefer cold	Prefer dry & warm
Mood	Changes quickly	Slowly changing	Steady, non-changing
Sex drive	Variable-low	Moderate	Strong
Weather	Aversion to cold	Aversion to hot	Aversion to damp, cool
React to stress	Excite quickly	Medium	Slow to excite
Financial	Doesn’t save, spends quickly	Save, but big spender	Save Regularly
Friendships	Tends towards short term friendships	Tends to be a loner (friends related to occupation)	Accumulates wealth lasting friendships

Physical Profile	V	P	K
Amount of Hair	Average	Thinning	Think
Type of Hair	Dry	Medium	Oily
Color of Hair	Light brown	Read/Auburn	Dark/brown/black
Skin	Dry/rough	Soft	Medium
Skin Temperature	Cold hands/feet	Warm	Cool
Complexion	Darker or yellowish	Pink-read	Pale-white-creamy
Eyes	Small	Medium	Large
Whites of Eyes	Bluish/brownish	Yellowish or redish	White and glossy
Teeth	Crooked and very large or very small	Small-medium	Medium-large and straight
Weight	Thin, hard to gain	Medium weight	Heavy, easy to gain
Elimination	Dry, hard, thin constipation	Many, soft to normal	Heavy, slow, think
Resting pulse rate
Men	70-90	60-70	50-60
Women	80-100	70-80	60-70
Veins & Tendons	Very prominent	Fairly prominent	Well covered

Athletic Profile	V	P	K
Exercise Tolerance	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Fair	Good	Excellent
Strength	Fair	Good	Excellent
Speed	Very good	Good	Not so fast
Competition	Doesn’t like competition	Excellent (driven) competitor	Easily deals with competition
Gait speed	Fast, quick	Average	Slow and steady
Muscel tone	Lean, low body fat	Medium with good definition	Bulk with higher fat percentage
Runs like	Deer	Tiger	Bear
Body size	Small frame, lean or long	Medium frame	Large frame, fleshy
Reaction time	Quick	Average	Slow

Totals
Mental
Behavioral
Physical
Athletic

Your Doshic Type

Doshic characteristics in the pulse

In pulse reading, each pulse has a "place" and a quality.

Vata – Taken with the index finger its characteristic quality is a "sharp" beat like a snake that strikes. Therefore, the Vata pulse is referred to as a snake.

Pitta – Taken with the middle finger its characteristic quality is a "bounding or hopping" beat like a frog. Therefore, the Pitta pulse is referred to as a frog.

Kapha – Taken with the ring finger its characteristic quality is "smooth or flowing" like a swan swimming on a lake. Therefore, the Kapha pulse is referred to as a swan.

Qualities of dual constitutions - taken from Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy by Mukunda Stiles

Vata/Pitta – Have enjoyment of their body and naturally take to exercise to maintain their vitality.

Vata/Kapha – Is an unsettling constitution in that one is constantly struggling to balance the extremes of these two opposing doshas.Pitta/Kapha – Is a lover of the senses and tends to be both healthy and robust.

Pitta/Vata – Has the potential for highest intelligence of all types. Evolved PV types can manifest change in their bodies when they understand their imbalance.

Kapha/Vata – This large bodied person will have the most difficulty in maintaining "balance". They often have difficulties in facing their changeable emotional and mental states.

Kapha/Pitta – This constitution, in addition to being charismatic, is the healthiest of all.

The Subdoshas - taken from John Doulliard's pulse reading course

The subdoshas are very important in Ayurvedic diagnosis using the pulse.

Vata

(V1) Adya Prana – governs intake and moves from the head into the chest. Imbalances cause respiratory disorders, mental problems and neurological problems.

(V2) Udana Prana – governs output and moves upward from the chest toward the head. In a spiritually-developed individual, Udana becomes elevated and transformed then renamed as Kundalini Shakti. Imbalances cause disorders of the ears, nose, throat, speech problems and diseases of the chest.

(V3) Samana Prana – governs absorption. It rules the region of the abdomen and moves outward from there, spreading nutrients into the tissues throughout the body. Imbalances cause digestive problems, anorexia and diarrhea.

(V4) Apana Prana – governs elimination. Its major motions is downward and outward thus creting excretion of waste through urine, feces. Imbalance creates constipation, menstrual problems, sexual dysfunctions and compromised immunity.

(V5) Vyana Prana – is the subtlest form of Vata and rules circulation. Its connected with all diseases especially circulatory problems, coldness of the extremities and motor problems. It is also associated with ones "aura."

Pitta

(P1) Pachaka – is the fire of digestion. It is responsible for absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. This is the primary form of pitta and mnifests as the digestive fire known as "agni" (ahhg-nee). Imbalance either causes heart burn or weak digestion.

(P2) Sadhaka – is located in the brain and is the light of right understanding and reason. This form of pitta creates the ability for the mind to realize the true Self. Its movement is inward. Imbalance cause indecisiveness, weak memory and general low cognitive functioning

(P3) Alochaka – governs the eyes and is responsible for visual acuity, perception of depth, color, size and shape. Alochaka, like Udana, moves upward and helps promote a more spiritual vision of the world.

(P4) Bhrajaka – is located in the skin and gives it temperature and color. It promotes absorption thorugh the skin when using mineral waters, medicated oils. It is the heat that generates perspiration. It gives our "aura" its "glow." Its moves similarly to Vyana prana.

(P5) Ranjaka – is located in the liver and is responsible for the secondary level of digestion that takes place at the tissue level. It is associated with Bilirubin which is broken down hemoglobin and gives feces its color. It is also responsible for the color of blood. It moves like Apana.

Kalpha

(K1) Avalambaka – is the primary form of Kapha located in the chest, especially the heart and vertebral column. It protects the vital organs of the heart and lungs and promotes ease of motion and stamina in the back. It is the storehouse of Kapha and all its other forms are dependent upon its for their proper functioning. It moves in a similar fashion as Apana and gives the feeling of emotional stability and groundedness.

(K2) Kledaka – is located in the stomach and acts as a "moistener." It protects the stomach lining from the stomach acids and gases of Pachaka Pitta that are necessary for digestion. It moves in a similar fashion as Samana.

(K3) Bodhaka – is located in the taste buds and mucous of the mouth. It protects the tissues from foods that are too hot or cold. It moves like Udana prana.

(K4) Tarpaka – is in the brain and spinal cord as CSF. It protects the brain from injury and also supplies nutrients to the nervous system. It is a form of water that promotes contentment (tripi). It imparts calmness, happiness and memory. Its primary motion is inward like Adya Prana.

(K5) Shleshaka – is in the joints nad protects them from wear, providing smooth function of the skeletal joints. It is synovial fluid and when healthy prevents arthritis. It moves outward like Vyana prana.

The Gunas - taken from Doug Keller's Yoga For Therapy

The gunas are constituents of nature that are basically principles of movement or kinetic energy (rajas), inertia (tamas) and balance or purity (satva). There is not a one-to-one correspondence between the gunas and the doshas. Each dosha can be influence by a guna. Thus, you can have a sattvic, tamasic or rajasic vata, the same with pitta or kapha.

Sattva expresses essence, understanding, purity, clarity, compassion and love. The sattva mind operated on the level of wisdom and the "heart."Rajas implies movement, aggressiveness and extroversion.The rajas mind operated on a sensual level, motivated by the passions.

Tamas manifests in ignorance, inertia, heaviness and dullness.The tamasic mind operates on the level of creature comforts – concerns of security, food, sleep and comfort.In general, a sattvic dosha (individual) has a healthy body and their behavior and consciousness are very pure. They believe in the existence of a supreme spirit and keep religious obligations and nurture spirit. They are very often holy people.In general, a rajasic individual is interested in business, prosperity, power, prestige and position. They enjoy wealth and are generally extroverted. The may believe in God but they also have sudden changes in belief. They are very political. In general, tamasic people are lazy, selfish and capable of destroying others. They generally have little respect for others and are not religious. All their activities are egotistical.

It is said that:

Aggravated Vata principally produces Fear and Anxiety
Vitiated Pitta principally produces Anger and Envy
Disturbed Kapha mainly produces Attachment and Greed

These temperament types can also be reflected in the breath.

Sattvic breath is full and balanced that is sufficiently deep and diaphragmatic.
Rajasic breath at its extreme, is a "Type-A", with a tendency toward chest breathing, even to the point of hyperventilation.
Tamasic breath at its extreme, is a "Couch Potato", with shallow belly breathing, sometimes labored or with a sighing quality. An audible mouth-breather.