I was first introduced to Dosha through the Ayurveda treatment I used to go for my skin condition. I was a patient at the time and wasn’t very informed about Dosha. In our first week of Yoga Teacher Training, Master Weiling went through Dosha, the three Gunas, and food. We were told to do an Ayurveda Dosha quiz afterward and my results were as follows:
Attributes which do not change & childhood: Pitta (10 points)
Attributes which change: Pitta-Kapha (8, 7 points respectively)
Mental & Emotional Attributes: Kapha (11 points)
I was amused with the quiz results because according to my Ayurvedic doctor, I am Kapha-Pitta! The day after we were introduced to Doshas, I asked Master Sree what he thinks my Dosha is and he said Kapha-Pitta too! This intrigued me and prompted me to research more about the Kapha-Pitta type.
I learned that the Dosha combination of Kapha-Pitta is a healthy variant because the fiery aspect of Pitta works with the grounded Kapha, which ideally maintains balance. It is said that the Kapha-Pitta type has the “right degree of Agni (digestive fire)”. However, having this duality doesn’t mean I don’t have to listen to my body. There is still a need for me to keep an eye on the food I eat because Kapha can be a threat to the fiery nature of Pitta. With this duality, the different Doshas are more active at different times – Kapha being more present from February to May and Pitta from June to September.
With regard to a Kapha-Pitta diet, I found that it is essential for a proper acid/alkaline balance because if Kapha is aggravated, it shifts the balance to alkaline and if Pitta is aggravated, it shifts the balance towards an acidic state. The latter however depletes Kapha and its protective actions, which causes various types of excoriating and inflammatory disorders. I also found it particularly interesting that skin diseases were listed under typical Kapha-Pitta disorders. I guess this explains my inflammatory skin condition, eczema. Therefore, my diet should be something that keeps both Doshas in balance.
Some guidelines I found interesting while researching:
- Have freshly cooked, warm food over raw and cold food
- Sit peacefully and eat in a calm atmosphere
- White meat is recommended over red meat
- Excess dairy and excess seafood aggravate Kapha
- Most vegetables (except tomatoes and capsicum) are suitable for Kapha-Pitta
These were interesting to me because some of the food I currently stay away from are in fact, red meat, dairy, seafood, tomatoes, and capsicum (and peanuts but they weren’t listed). And yes, I do appreciate warm (not hot!) food and sitting peacefully with my meal. I take my meals seriously because I see it as my me-time. 🙂