Dosha Report – Pitta
What it means to be a
Pitta
DOSHA
CHARACTERISTICS
IMBALANCES
RECOMMENDATIONS
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
We often think of our health in terms of symptoms, however, symptoms are just signs of an underlying problem or imbalance. We want to treat the underlying cause of the imbalance and not just the symptoms.
- 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
In order to eliminate symptoms and get back in balance, consider the following specific recommendations by clicking the link below:
Exercise
Mental Health
Eating
Body Care
Sleep
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.
Pitta Skincare
- If you like, you can add 3-4 drops of a pure essential oil such as sandalwood, another cooling oil, lavender or rose to 2 oz. of massage oil. Mix well before use.
- Two or three times a week, massage your scalp with warm oil, and let the oil stay for an hour or two before you shampoo. After your shower or bath, apply a pure, gentle moisturizer all over your body or spray your skin with pure rose or sandalwood water to keep your skin feeling cool all day long.
- 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.
Triphala
Triphala is made up of three fruits and is most commonly purchased as a powder.
Triphala has the following effects:
- Assists natural internal cleansing
- Gently maintains regularity
- Nourishes and rejuvenates the tissues
- Supports healthy digestion and absorption
- Natural antioxidant
Triphala is most commonly known for its use as a gentle bowel tonic, being helpful in digestion, and supporting regular bowel movements. The combination of the three fruits has a synergistic effect to bolster many other systems as well.
In addition to the GI tract, Ayurveda uses triphala to support healthy respiratory, cardiovascular, urinary, reproductive, and nervous systems. Triphala has also been shown to be a powerful antioxidant, protecting cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.
The three fruits involved in making triphala are also known for their individual effects:
- Tamalaki (Emblica officinalis): Has a cooling effect that manages pitta, supporting the natural functions of the liver and the immune system.
- Bibhitaki (Terminalia belerica): Is particularly good for kapha, supporting the respiratory system as well as kapha accumulations in all systems.
- Haritaki (Terminalia chebula): Though having a heating nature, it is still good for all three doshas (vata, pitta, and kapha). Is known for its “scraping” effect, which removes toxins and helps maintain healthy levels of weight.
Sleep
- If Pitta dosha is out of balance, you may find that you can’t fall asleep easily and often stay up late – in fact you probably say that you do your best work late at night! It is important to get to bed early, so that you can get adequate rest each night. A cup of warm milk, with some cardamom, can be helpful before bedtime.
- Sleep in a cool, dark room and use natural materials like cotton or silk sheets so that your skin can breathe and you don’t overheat.
Start your healing journey today
Each of us is unique and your dosha gives you tremendous insights into your unique nature. If you would like more help on how to connect the dots to stay happy, healthy and disease free. Start your healing journey today by booking a complimentary consultation.