Pitta – the Resourceful Dosha

Your Material Self …
… and Your Emotional Self  –discerning, inventive, idealistic

Dosha is a philosophical idea invented by the adepts of ancient India for the science of Ayurveda. Ayurveda aligns your body type with three elements: air, fire or earth.

The idea of “dosha” is similar to the idea of “humor”, known in the West from Hippocrates, a Greek physician in the 400s – 300s, BC.

How does this work? How can natural elements represent the human body?

In ancient times, watching and noting the elements was key. Ayurvedic scientists looked at the elements and realized that the elements were each a potent form of energy replicated everywhere in nature.

The three body types are known as doshas or types of energy.

Dosha stands for the three kinds of energy in human beings – the Vata, Pitta and Kapha aspects – that each contribute to a person’s body type (or constitution) and psyche. The three doshas are not an isolated idea, but belong under the umbrella of the Sanskrit term, ‘Prakriti’, which means “constitution”.  Any living thing has Prakriti, the original material or nature of a being.

I find it fascinating that human body types are modelled from the energies of the universe, Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Thinking about these broad concepts helps me understand the body or constitutional types.

This essay is about the subtleties of the Pitta body constitution and Pitta emotional type. The Pitta dosha type can be dominant in a person, or paired with another dosha.  Pitta is sometimes very strong in one person, while another person exhibits a combination of body types, such as Kapha-Pitta, or Vata-Kapha. 

Pitta, defined

When you look at Pitta qualities do you see your physical and emotional self?

Despite the fact that you are, by special design plus the genes you were born with, unique and perfect in every way, sometimes you are not as energetic as usual or suffer from bodily annoyances on a daily basis.  This could mean that your dosha fault is overactive (see below).

Image: A Holiday by painter Edward Henry Potthast, 1915, from the Art Institute of Chicago, Collections, see Notes, below.

Pitta is often cited as a Summer season dosha. And that’s only because of Summer’s hotter temperatures and Pitta’s signature elements of Fire and Water.

Viewing the body’s energy over a lifetime, Pitta is the fire of the determination, manifestation, and drive needed to propel us forward from late childhood (Kapha) to late middle age (Vata).  Pitta represents the energy we need to thrive, to reproduce, to be productive, and to manage our life.

Fire, A Natural Element

Fire, stands for the physical acts of consuming and digesting, it is the heat needed by the body for the functions of ingesting food and breaking it down into components the body uses for immunity, reproduction, restoration, in short the promotion of growth and the maintenance of health. Each dosha being made of two elements, Pitta dosha shares the quality of water with Kapha, and represents metabolism.

As a body type, a Pitta label suggest structure, well-formed muscles and joints, a penetrating gaze, and sensitive skin. The physical and functional characteristics of Pitta are converting matter, parsing it as usable substance, and to keep stoking the fire of digestion.  As a result pure Pittas are constantly hungry, both for food and for intellectual stimulation.

Pitta emotions are supported by initiative and drive.  Personal aspirations and desires are initiated by overarching goals.  These goals are strongly related to a Pitta type’s beliefs about what is right and necessary in life, personal projects, goals, aspirations.

In comparison, Vata and Kapha, the other two doshas, stand at opposite poles with regard to physical and emotional characteristics.  Vata’s lively nature changes from moment to moment while Kapha’s basic nature is interpersonal and stable.  Having a Pitta nature therefore is likely to be at odds with a true Vata or Kapha type, family member or friend, co-worker, etc.

The Tri-Doshic Body

Each dosha carries out certain functions in the physical body, but needs to be regulated by the other two doshas.  Pitta (Fire) doesn’t exist alone in our natural bodies, but is a counterpart to Vata (Wind) and Kapha (Earth) doshas.

Many people are tri-doshic, they have attributes of each dosha distributed over their physical body, their internal body, and their emotions.  However, it’s not uncommon to find that attributes of two doshas are prominent in a person, physically and emotionally, with only a tiny bit of a third dosha present.  See NOTES at bottom and how to request a Dosha Questionnaire for your own use.

Image of Chrysanthemums and Bee, a painting by Katsushika Hokusai from Unsplash, see Notes, below.

Pitta Dosha & Summer

A particular Dosha can be understood in any season.  However, with Summer approaching, the characteristics of Pitta dosha seem to match those of Summer.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Summer unfolds from late June through late September.  We’re now at the exact opposite of Winter’s currents of energy.  The energy of Summer features intense light and temperatures making for hot and dry condtions.  This is seen as Pitta, or the Fire element, in full character.

For more on Pitta and the seasons, see the post Ayurveda Tells Your Body Type, coming soon.

the Physical Body Type in Ancient Texts

Recently, published papers provide concepts that might be useful in modern medicine. They reference ancient texts that describe Pitta dosha as the substance of breakdown ad assimilation. Pitta dosha supports our capacity to digest food.  And Pitta is said to reside mostly in the center of the body, the core organs of heart, liver and skin.

the Dosha fault

By definition, a dosha is seen as a fault when it’s excessive or is an un-balanced condition.  A Pitta body type is frequently described as medium height, well-defined muscles, with thin hair, and at times, reddened or agitated skin. Observed in context of the other two doshas, Vata and Kapha, having thin hair and reddened skin is vastly different from having thick hair and dry skin. Conditions where Pitta is faulted or is excessive include congestion, with too much heat — as skin rashes appear; too much of aggravating substances — as congestion, skin color changes, eyesight conditions of excess. In other words, Pittas’ positive attributes turn out to be good qualities that promote healthy, rather than depleted, states.  (See Vata post, coming soon, or Kapha post, here.)  In addition, Pitta can over-influence the body and mind, causing an unhealthy condition called burnout.  It can happen to anyone, and it’s not fun.  However, Pittas need to slow down sometimes to keep their over-active natures in check.  

Image; Portrait of Berthe Morisot, a painting by Edouard Manet.  See NOTES, below.

Resourceful Dosha

You might think of Pitta as heat or fire, or the material aspect of digestion. Or you might think of the intensity of drive and ambition.  Both the physical and soulful aspects are characteristic of Pitta, the intellectual dosha.

I think the terms “addiction” and “achievement” point to the social character of this dosha, which is hard-wired to produce, to transact, and to do.  Pitta types see themselves as responsible, driven to deliver excellence, because they can.  As author Sara Kucera says, Pitta dosha personality is known for their insistence on productivity, sometimes without regard to  .

A Pitta type or someone who is Pitta-dominant could have the emotional qualities of an active person who is not given to perseverating over faults but will instead go around them, change their mind in an instant, and go beyond negativity—for themselves and others.  We are all a little bit Pitta-like when we are committed to getting something done.

It just might be difficult for others (Vatas or Kaphas) to understand that Pitta is often impersonal and can be obsessive, perhaps even preoccupied with goals such as success.

What does Dosha mean for aromatherapy?

In aromatherapy, a blend of aromas is often custom made, according to the tendencies of the recipient’s body and mind.  If these tendencies are regarded as the energy of the universe residing inside of us, then we can be more calm, with more control over our situations and conditions.

Skin Health for Pitta

Pitta: symbolic of fire, may have sensitive skin which is prone to aggravation, over-heating and inflammation, requires calming and soothing oils.

Face washing with grains or powders can keep Pitta skin from overreacting or redness.  As well, a commitment to drinking enough liquid during the day, a clean diet, low consumption of alcohol and aggravating substances and snacks, plus good sleep hygiene can also contribute to wellness for a Pitta, or combination-Pitta person.  If intrigued with facial care without soap or products from the store, use the contact form, here, and put face in the subject line.

Conclusions

When a person thinks of themselves as primarily a Pitta type, what does that mean?  That they are Summer types who design their days for maximum productivity and never wind up wasting time?  It might reveal those characteristics. Although Pitta types are driven to excel and enjoy activities that Vata or Kapha types sustain only occasionally, they can appreciate down time if they accept it as a necessary hedge to burnout.  Otherwise, it’s evident that Pitta, the fiery nature of digestion in human bodies, is the great consumer.  It needs to consume, or devour and get everything nutritive. Without Pitta’s properties, the movement of Vata or material development of Kapha would be impossible.

However the above Pitta attributes might be difficult to recognize in oneself.  In fact, I used to believe that I was a Pitta type, and I probably was more Pitta as a younger person.  Now that I’ve reviewed the attributes I think I align with, I realize a Dosha Questionnaire can help with investigating my personal self. It doesn’t take long and is a positive way to review what you think you know about yourself!  To get your Dosha Questionnaire, see below.

The idea of specifying a person’s dosha or constitutional type may be helpful in medicine.  Recent interest in explaining the doshas has led to scholarly discussions about the value of this ancient science and specifying herbs and medications for that individual.  At the same time, knowledge of an individual’s constitution or dosha provides additional basis in aromatherapy, to help select the right essential oils for that person’s healthful use.

Send me questions or comments on the Contact Me page, here.

Request a Dosha Questionnaire

Looking at your your constitution’s type (also called your dosha) can be helpful on many levels. What constitution type does is match your strengths and qualities to one of three elements, the metaphors for your individual type. These are air, fire and earth. To find out more, take a personal survey to discover whether you relate to the world from an air, fire, or earthy point of view. To request My Dosha Survey, write to me or use the contact page, here on lotusladyaromatica.com . It’s painless and may spark curiosity and a bit of fun.