What Is Tridosh

In Ayurveda, all biological organisms and processes occur due to three energetic principles. All of these combined make up tridosha. All three doshas are formed by a combination of two, out of the five universal elements — earth, water, wind, fire and space.

Every being, whether human or not, is born with a unique balance of tridosha, which is called their prakriti. All bodily systems, along with psychological and spiritual phenomena, are governed by these three alone.

The Tridosha Includes:

1. Vata

2. Pitta

3. Kapha

Vata – The Catabolic Dosha

Vata is the combination of wind and space, which makes mobility its principal characteristic. According to the tridosha theory, this dosha is associated with all movement in the body — whether spiritual, like the flow of thought, or physical, like the flow of blood through the veins. One of its major functions is the flow of neural impulses. In addition, Vata also controls and governs the other two doshas, which means that keeping it in balance is the first priority. Since this dosha is characterised by movement, it can become unbalanced more easily than the other two.

The five sub-doshas of Vata include:

Prana – the controller of the senses, found in the head.

Udana – controls voice and intellectual abilities, found in the chest area.

Vyana – controls all the controlled bodily actions, found in the heart.

Apana – controls discharges through the urinary tract, found in the anal region.

Samana – controls digestive processes, found in the stomach.

Pitta – The Metabolic Dosha

Pitta dosha is formed by the synergy of fire and water. Fire symbolises its relation with energy and the changes it brings about in the body. All processes pertaining to metabolism, transformation and heat in the body are governed by Pitta — changes that can be mental as well as physical. Its main roles are digesting food and using it to generate energy, along with governing the judging capabilities and the power of perception.

This is further divided into five sub-categories:

Ranjak – production of Rakta or blood, found in the stomach.

Aalochak – provision of sight, found in the eyes.

Sadhak – found in the heart, it governs the psychological capabilities.

Pachak – located in the duodenum part of the small intestines, it mainly maintains digestive functioning.

Bhrajak – found in the skin, it controls skin pigmentation.

Kapha – Anabolic Dosha

Being the synergy of earth and water, the third dosha is associated with the stability of the earth while being a fluid humour. Its role is to provide structure and vitality to the mind and body. It also governs the water content of the body, even at the cellular level, filling the empty spaces within the body. At a psychological level, this dosha is associated with primal emotions such as love, envy and forgiveness.

The further sub-classifications of this dosha are:

Kledak – for assimilation of food, found in the stomach.

Shleshak – for lubrication of joints, found in all the joints of the body.

Tarpak – governs intelligence, found in the head.

Avalambak – lubricates the heart and throat, found in the chest.

Bodhak – governs and is found in the sensory organ of taste.