In the blog Discover the hidden truths about yourself! we discussed that the entire universe, including the human body, is formed from the five basic elements. These elements determine an individual’s unique Tridosha, or constitution, as well as the predominant Dosha. The Tridosha and the predominant Dosha influence an individual’s physical, physiological, and psychological characteristics, and this influence is also known as “Dosha Prakriti”. Each of the three Doshas we discussed before has a distinct Prakriti as we shall discuss below.
This blog will delve into the details of Pitta Dosha (or simply Pitta) and the Pitta (Dosha) Prakriti. In order to understand this blog better, we recommend reading the Discover the hidden truths about yourself! blog first. If most of what you read here applies to you, probably Pitta is your predominant Dosha and you have Pitta Prakriti. We have written separately about Vata and Kapha, the other two Doshas. So let us begin.
Which are the main elements of Pitta Dosha?
We discussed before that all matter, organic or inorganic, consists of the five basic elements. These elements combine in unique proportions to determine an individual’s Tridosha, a combination of the three Doshas, and the dominant Dosha among these three. Pitta comprises Fire and Water elements. Hence the Pitta individual is influenced by the elemental qualities of Fire and Water.
Which energy does Pitta manifest as in the body?
All Doshas derive energy from the underlying elements to be able to perform their functions within the body.
Pitta contains the element Fire, which provides heat energy for several physiological processes in the body. For example, digestive fire is necessary for transforming the food we eat into nutrients that are absorbed by the cells in the body to produce energy.
What is Pitta responsible for?
The origin of the word Pitta in Sanskrit signifies heat, concentration, and austerity.
Heat is responsible for various transformational processes in the body such as the digestion of food, and the absorption and assimilation of nutrients in body. The various enzymes, bile, and acids needed for the entire process are also governed by Pitta.
Additionally, Pitta governs the vision process, thoughts, emotions, intelligence, and intellect, and maintains body temperature. Pitta also influences the quality of blood which in turn leads to better skin complexion.
Where does Pitta reside in the body?
Doshas have different functions, so they are located where they are needed.
Primarily, Pitta is present in the stomach, small intestine, liver, gall bladder, and spleen. Additionally, Pitta resides in the eye, brain, heart, skin, and blood.
How is Pitta characterized?
Dosha Prakriti can be more accurately understood by the qualities or Gunas of the Doshas. In general, an individual experiences the qualities associated with his/her Tridosha, with the predominant Dosha’s qualities being more prominent.
Pitta individuals tend to depict hot, sharp, light, liquid, spreading, and slightly oily qualities physically, physiologically, and psychologically.
How does Pitta influence the physical and physiological aspects of the Pitta individuals?
The qualities of Pitta govern the physical and physiological attributes of Pitta individuals.
Fire is sharp, light, and bright!
The individuals usually have sharply and clearly defined facial features.
Their body is lightweight and their skin and eyes tend to be bright and shiny. Their muscles are soft and delicate due to the liquid quality.
As Pitta is the energy of heat, the individuals usually experience good digestion and metabolism, a strong appetite; and an above-average body temperature.
However, they are prone to diseases involving the “fire” principle, such as fever, skin ailments such as sunburn and rashes, and inflammatory disorders, among others. They have a lower tolerance for sunlight and heat and perspire easily. They may also experience hair loss due to dryness and heavy sweating.
How do the Pitta individuals usually behave?
Pitta individuals depict behavior that reflects the elemental qualities of Fire and Water. Fire is hot, penetrating, sharp and agitating. Pitta individuals are ambitious, make impassioned speeches and compete aggressively. They demonstrate better concentration, understanding, learning, appreciation, and comprehension.
However, when out of balance, the fire principle also makes them short-tempered and irritable.
What kind of food should Pitta individuals consume?
We discussed the six main tastes in Ayurveda in the blog Eat your way to good health! Each of the six tastes, like all organic and inorganic matter, contains the five elements, with two predominant elements, just as the Doshas do. In the blog, you can see that sour, salty, and pungent tastes contain the Fire element.
Pitta types are attracted to sour, salty, and pungent foods, but their constitutions are most balanced by sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes.
The sweet taste balances out pitta’s tendency to overheat and inflame the body. Additionally, it reduces excessive thirst and soothes burning sensation. Astringent and bitter tastes are also cooling to the body and have the same effect.
The Pitta individuals should consume heat-producing foods in moderate quantities. Among these foods are fruits such as mangos, apples, and oranges, herbs and spices such as onion, garlic, black pepper, and ginger, and root vegetables, spinach, beans, and potatoes. Non-vegetarian foods should also be eaten in moderation.
What aggravates Pitta?
A major change in the qualities of Pitta mentioned above may also aggravate Pitta in one’s Tridosha, causing an imbalance between the Doshas. This may have a negative effect on the body, mind, and consciousness of the Pitta individual.
For example, a Pitta quality is “heat”, so the onset of summer may aggravate Pitta even further. As a result, Pitta individuals may suffer from various skin-related disorders like skin burns, rashes, and itching when exposed to heat. Psychologically, some people may have short tempers as well.
Pitta can be aggravated by various things, including lifestyle, climate, diet, thoughts and emotions, and specific tastes such as sour, salty, and pungent.
Hence in order to keep Pitta “pacified”, it is necessary to understand its qualities and their impact on body, mind, and consciousness.
If Pitta still becomes aggravated, an Ayurvedic practitioner will usually assess the extent and nature of aggravation and then apply the appropriate qualities to pacify it. This applies to all three Doshas.
Are there any symptoms associated with an imbalance of Pitta?
Different functions of Pitta relate to different locations within the body leading to further subclassification. Accordingly, Pitta has five subtypes. Depending upon which subtype is imbalanced, an individual may experience disorders specific to that location.
In the stomach and small intestine, Pachaka Pitta governs digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food. A disorder of Pachaka Pitta may cause digestive disorders such as indigestion, hyperacidity, and heartburn.
The Ranjaka Pitta is responsible for producing bile, red blood cells, and white blood cells. It is also responsible for giving color to blood, skin, hair, and eyes. Any disorder of this Pitta may cause liver and blood-related ailments such as hepatitis and anemia.
The Sadhaka Pitta influences the functioning of the brain and the transformation of sensations into feelings and emotions. The process of thinking and decision-making, motivation, and self-esteem may be negatively affected by any disorder.
Both Alochaka Pitta and Prana Vata are integral to the visual process – from focusing on an object to forming the image on the retina (perception) and then conveying the image to the mind for interpretation. A disorder can cause eye-related ailments such as myopia or hyperopia, dry eyes, light sensitivity, improper perception of objects, etc.
The Bhrajaka Pitta resides in the skin and is responsible for its texture and complexion, its temperature, and its ability to perceive objects in three dimensions. A disorder of this Pitta disorder may lead to skin-related ailments such as dermatitis, acne, and eczema.
How can the deviation in the current state of Pitta be understood?
We discussed before that Tridosha or the constitution of an individual is formed at their birth. However, as life progresses, the three Doshas may undergo changes and the balance between them may get disturbed due to various factors such as environment, diet, lifestyle, emotions, and stresses of life in general. This is known as “Dosha Vikruti”, the current state of Tridosha, as against the “Dosha Prakruti”, the original and natural state of Tridosha formed at birth.
Ayurveda practitioners assess the Dosha Vikruti and compare the results with the Dosha Prakriti of the individual. Any changes found may be indicative of the individual living outside the parameters of his or her Tridosha formed at birth and may indicate physical or mental illness. It is then possible to prescribe an appropriate treatment to restore the Dosha Prakriti.
The assessment of Pitta Vikruti may take the form of a questionnaire and assesses an individual on various conditions such as skin health, weight, mental and emotional health, and current disorders.
A very good self-assessment quiz can be found here.
How is Dosha Prakriti restored in Ayurveda?
A basic rule to understand when dealing with Doshas is that “like increases the like”. If the diet, environment, or lifestyle of an individual has similar qualities as his/her Dosha, it is bound to increase or aggravate the Dosha. For example, Pitta aggravates in summer because it increases the “hot” quality in Pitta.
Hence, to prevent the aggravation of a Dosha, “like to like” qualities must be avoided in the environment. Applying the “opposite quality” may restore the balance of qualities in the Dosha. It might be a good idea to revisit the Pitta qualities previously mentioned to determine which ones should be adopted and which should be avoided to balance Pitta.
That said, Pitta individuals should limit their exposure to excessive heat and spicy foods or foods with “heating” effects. Foods with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes have cooling effects and can help balance Pitta. The examples provided are only illustrative; an Ayurveda practitioner can prescribe the best treatment after assessing the patient’s Dosha Prakriti.
How is Pitta related to other Doshas in Ayurveda?
Vata means movement, and the body cannot function without movement. The function of Pitta and Kapha, as well as most body systems and organs, depends on Vata. Hence Vata must be kept in balance for the other two Doshas to function normally.