What it means to be a Pitta
YOU ARE PASSIONATE, FOCUSED, AMBITIOUS AND LOVE TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.
YOU ENJOY COMPETING, IN SPORTS, GAMES AND IN LIFE.
YOU ARE NATURALLY BRILLIANT – EVEN FIERY - AND HAVE GOOD INSIGHT AND A KEEN SENSE OF PERCEPTION.
More About Your Dosha
Your body is composed of all three doshas. We have all three doshas in each of us, but we have them in unique combinations. This unique combination is what creates YOU and is the reason why Ayurveda is highly individualized. So let’s look at you.
You are a Pitta and as such have a medium and muscular build with sensitive skin. You can run hot, especially in the summer. Often having sharper facial features, with penetrating blue or green eyes, You can be well-organized, move with intent and pre-plan everything.
Your analytical nature will drive you to ask questions about every aspect of making a decision before deciding something. You can be a fantastic improviser, negotiator and problem-solver because you live in the present.
Just like a slowly growing fire, pittas take a moderate amount of time to go out of balance and a moderate amount of time to come back into balance.
- You tend to be highly focused, competitive, capable, courageous, energetic, and are a clear communicator who gets right to the point.
- You like to solve problems! Everybody’s problems!
- You generally have a good appetite and love to eat. In fact, you hate to miss a meal, and, when hungry, can be irritable and prone to hypoglycemia, with headaches, dizziness, weakness and shaking.
- Your digestion is good, but when you get hot, agitated, or angry, or eat too many hot, spicy or fried foods, you may suffer from indigestion, heartburn, and loose, burning stools.
- You are extremely methodical and organized. You can be rather obsessive about time and I am sure at some time or other been called a perfectionist! In fact..you do not suffer fools easily!
- You handle money prudently and are decisive, aggressive, ambitious and determined, often finding yourself in a position of leadership.
- Self-confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit are hallmarks of the balanced you!
Pitta Characteristics
FACE
Sharp facial features with blue-green or intense piercing eyes, moderately sized lips, an engaging smile.
HAIR & SKIN
Smooth, silky, straight hair with pink, fair and freckled skin.
MIND
Powerful intellect, strong ability to concentrate, good decision-makers.
BODY
Athletic, muscular or medium build.
APPETITE
Excellent digestion, strong appetite that needs to eat regularly.
TEMPERMENT
Precise, chronically witty, often outspoken and their words can sound sharp.
Signs & Symptoms of Imbalance
- Heat in the body
- Inflammation, often starting in the stomach and intestines, causing heartburn, acidity, gastritis, and ulcers.
- Inflammatory skin problems, such as eczema, urticaria, herpes and boils.
- Blood disorders, anemia, high blood pressure
- Headaches and migraines
- Eye problems such as conjunctivitis, styes and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid)
- Hormonal problems, PMS, hot flashes
- Thirst, increased appetite, hypoglycemia, dizziness, diarrhea.
- Anger, irritability, intolerance, aggression, arrogance
- Frustration, perfectionism, obsessions, addictions, insomnia at 10pm – 2am.
Get Back in Balance
Lifestyle Recommendations
Exercise
- Avoid exercising when it’s hot. Walk away from situations that make you see red because when overheated – you can exacerbate the fire that is just below the surface and increase inflammation.
- Water-based activities are ideal exercise for Pitta-dominant people. Try swimming or aqua-aerobics to stay fit but cool. Strolling after sunset, especially along a waterfront, is also a soothing way to fit some leisurely activity into your day. Being next to water is soothing to Pittas as the tranquility of water calms their intensity.
Mental Health
- Balance work and play. Set aside some time for R&R every day, and do not get so absorbed in a project that you are unable to detach from it. Pittas can get pretty intense and sometimes forget to rest. That powering through no matter what is what will cause you to get run down – so go for a walk, play with the dog and rest.
- Set aside about 30 minutes each day for meditation, to help balance the heart and emotions and to enhance body-mind-spirit coordination. As Pitta’s tend to analyze everything and live in their heads – it can be useful to journal, meditate or go into counseling so that you can process emotions well.
Eating
- Do not skip meals, do not fast and do not wait to eat until you are ravenously hungry. Although you can get so absorbed that you do not eat – this can increase acidity and make you irritable.
- Start your day with cooked fruit, followed by some cereal. Eat a sustaining meal at lunch, and a lighter meal for dinner. For snacking, choose sweet juicy fruit–fully ripe mangoes, sweet pears and sweet juicy grapes are excellent Pitta-pacifying choices.
- Delaying meals can cause excess acidity, so eat on time every day. The Amalaki herb helps enhance digestion without aggravating Pitta dosha. It also helps balance stomach acid and studies show that it functions as an antioxidant as well as supports the liver in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels
Here are some great balancing recipes for you
Body Care
- The primary lifestyle recommendation for balancing Pitta is to stay cool–both physically and emotionally. Avoid going out in the heat of the day, especially on an empty stomach or after you have eaten tangy or spicy foods.
- Protect yourself from the heat. Stay cool in warm weather by wearing loose cotton clothing. Cotton allows the skin to breathe and for Pittas – they need to wear natural fibers like silk, cotton, and linen. Synthetic material can heat the skin, aggravating it. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes when you go out. Drink lots of cool water and aloe vera juice which is known to carry cooling qualities.
- To soothe sensitive skin, to balance the emotions and to nourish and tone muscles and nerves, indulge in an ayurvedic massage every morning before you bathe or shower. Use coconut oil for your massage as coconut cools the skin.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, recreational drugs, and other stimulating substances. Stimulants, for you, aggravate acidity.
- Daily elimination is very important to prevent digestive toxins from accumulating in the body. Triphala (a mixture of fruits) helps promote regularity as well as toning the digestive system.
Sleep
If Kapha dosha is out of balance, you’ll tend to feel tired even after a solid ten hours of uninterrupted sleep. Go to bed early and wake up really early in the morning, definitely before sunrise, to improve the quality of your rest. Do not indulge in daytime snoozes.