The Three Doshas
Central to the philosophy of Ayurveda is the belief that we are composed of three vital energies or body types known as the doshas. These are unique to us at the time of our conception. In Western terms, this blend of energies is known as our blueprint or DNA. In Ayurveda it is called our prakruti.
Knowing that the best defence against illness is a strong constitution if our doshas become imbalanced, through bad habits, food or overwork for example, we become susceptible to dis-ease. Ayurveda helps to prevent the development of dis-ease by working with our constitution, aiming to restore it to its prakruti state (what we were uniquely born with).
What are the Doshas?
The three doshas, (or tridoshas) are known by their Sanskrit names of vata, pitta and kapha where our constitution is governed by all three in varying degrees. Most of us are governed by one or possibly two dominant doshas and less common, an even balance of all three, known as tri-doshic.
You can see how the dosha types are structurally similar to the three body types, or somatypes that William Sheldon first introduced in the 1940s as general categories that many people might feel describes their body type.
