Go! Go! Go! Do! Do! Do! This is the pitta constitutional type. In my post La Dosha, Part I of my series What's Your Dosha? from 10/23/10 I discuss the vata dosha in detail, but it’s imperative for my readers to be familiar with all three doshas, especially the pitta. I am a pitta. Most people I surround myself with are pitta.  We tend to lead rather than follow, we are reliable overachievers who refuse to stop until the job gets done. We always go the extra mile in hope of attaining the elusive gold star. Pittas make things happen. They are planners who need to be in control. Uncertainty is pitta’s Achilles heel. Pitta is manifested through the interaction of fire and water. When water is boiled long enough it transforms into steam. Pittas carry a lot of heat within them, hence the fire element. Tapas is a pitta-like quality. For example, when you take a sweaty vinyasa yoga class or when you sit in a sauna you are creating tapas by purging and purifying toxins from your body. Rumi, a 13^th Century Sufi poet sums up the ontological nature of pita perfectly with the quote: “Spirit is the art of getting what’s stuck unstuck.” This is the very essence of pitta. Excess pitta can be detrimental. Typically, someone with too much pitta in his or her constitutional make up is prone to inflammatory conditions (think about all that fire in the body) and is susceptible to physical and psychological burnout. Water, when mixed with fire creates steam. Extreme steam is unmanageable. Anxiety is common to both, the pitta and the vata. Vata manifests through the elements of air and space. When checked with the other two doshas vata is adaptable to any situation. When vata becomes the dominant dosha the individual becomes prone to indecision and therefore subject to anxiety.  Similarly, the pitta’s industrious diligence, when checked by the other two doshas, translates into productivity. Conversely, when the individual’s constitution becomes overly clouded by pitta he or she becomes predisposed to burnout and anxiety as well.

Lastly, there’s the kapha or what I like to call k-ahhhhhh-pha. Kapha manifests through the elements of water and earth. Mixing water and earth results in mud. Kapha and pitta share water as a common element. Water is the dynamic element that gives rise to kapha’s consistent and dependable nature, similar to the pitta. Kaphas are rational and methodical and are resistant to change. However, when kapha isn’t checked by the other two doshas the individual becomes vulnerable to lethargy, depression and fatigue. Water, when mixed with earth creates mud. Mud is heavy, thick and dirty. Individuals with excess kapha tend to carry more body weight, especially around the middle.

 YOGI TIDBIT TO TRY:

I’m not promoting the judging of others since that’s the antithesis of what yoga purports; however I think this is an interesting experiment to try. With that said, take the information in this post and from the post La Dosha and apply it to an individual. Perhaps it’s your mother, boyfriend, teacher, a stranger, or even a pet! Yes, doshas are all around us and are relevant not only to other individuals but also to our environment, pets, and even inanimate objects. Doshas are intangible, yet they’re certainly observable because they are energetic and the frequency with which these energies vibrate determine the dominant dosha.