Balancing The Doshas

Doshas 101

The elements of Air, Space, Fire, Water, and Earth are metaphorically represented within each of us.

Vata: Represented by air and space.  In the body, Vata is said to control movement.  In the mind, Vata directs mental balance and well-being. Pitta:  Represented by fire and water.  In the body, Pitta controls metabolic processes that create heat and digestion.  In the mind, Pitta directs cognitive perceptions such as willpower, judgment, enjoyment, ambition, and anger.  Kapha:  Represented by earth and water.  In the body, Kapha is responsible for nourishing the body and giving it strength and structure.  In the mind, Kapha directs emotional support such as love, well-being, and compassion. 

How To Balance Doshas

  • Creating a routine for morning, afternoon, night
  • Eliminating
  • Scraping tongue
  • Drink warm water
  • Oil pulling
  • Splashing cold water on eyes
  • Movement
  • Breath
  • Abhyanga (oil routine) on body and feet
  • Eat with seasons
  • …And many more

Using herbs to balance the doshas

(in our kitachdi)

  • Bay Leaf: warms, digestive
  • Black mustard seeds: digestive with warming effects
  • Black peppercorns: warms, digestive, carminative
  • Cardamon: calms and stimulates digestion
  • Cinnamon: warms and sweetens, a digestive
  • Cloves: very heating, digestive
  • Coriander: cooling, soothing, carminative and digestive
  • Cumin: carminative, digestive, balances all doshas
  • Fennel: cools, sweetens, digestive, tonifying to the stomach
  • Fenugreek: warming, digestive, tonifier, reducer of mass
  • Garlic: warming, strengthening, reducing of ama
  • Ginger: warms, potent digestive stimulant
  • Neem (curry leaves): cooling, bitter, clears and removes wastes
  • Saffron: cooling, tonifying, digestive, balancing all doshas
  • Turmeric: tridoshic, specific for aiding protein digestion

Using Herbs To Balance The Doshas