August 16, 2025 • 32 mins
In this special Q&A episode of She Asked, host Anna McBride sits with her producer Jennifer Martin to explore the wisdom of Ayurveda.
Together, we break down the three doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—and what they reveal about your mind, body, and energy. Anna shares how to recognize when you’re out of balance and offers simple, practical ways to return to harmony, no matter your constitution.
If you’ve ever wondered why you feel off and how to realign with your natural rhythm, this episode is a grounding and empowering guide.
DISCOVER YOUR DOSHA - Take the Quiz
https://iamsahararose.com/dosha-quiz/
COACH WITH ANNA - Balance your dosha
https://www.annamcbride.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Okay, hello, hello, welcome back to she Asked.
Welcome back.
This is Anna and Jennifer, andI am so excited to have a little
Q&A session after yourAyurvedic episode that you just
recorded on Pitta.
So highly recommend watchingthat first, pitta.
(00:28):
So highly recommend watchingthat first.
But if you haven't quite yet, Iwant to recap the three doshas
when it comes to Ayurveda Veryquickly.
Ayurveda is a sister science ofyoga.
It is the science of life,correct, and is there anything
else you want to add?
To just be very brief aboutwhat Ayurveda is before we dive
deep to just be very brief aboutwhat Ayurveda is before we dive
deep.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Sure, so it's over 5,000 years old.
That's important to note.
It was created in India andreally was born out of their
curiosity on how to live more inbalance with nature.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Okay, awesome.
And so, with these balances,our body has a balance of three
doshas the vata, which is anelement of air and ether, the
pitta, which is the element offire and water, and kapha, which
is the element of earth andwater.
Correct, and we're going to befocusing on pitta today, which
(01:23):
is that fire and water.
So can you repeat and brieflyexplain what that means and
entails?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Okay, I first want to identify, so understand, that
each these three doshas arebased on the five basic elements
that we all are made up fromand all of life is made up from,
and that is earth, fire, water,air and ether right.
These elements exist in theuniverse and they actually exist
(01:52):
in each of us in some form ofcapacity.
So these doshas take intoaccount of the fact that what is
within us is outside of us andthat we each have a constitution
based on a combination of theseelements.
Ayurvedic principles suggestthat we have all of these doshas
(02:15):
within us, yet some of us willhave more of one than the other.
So, for me, my dosha ispredominantly pitta, meaning
fire and water.
Fire is about digestion, aboutpassion, about adventure,
basically, and then water is thesubtlety, the cooling, the
(02:38):
nourishing, the balancing, thecleansing part of us.
That is very important tobalance out the pitta's fire.
And so what Ayurvedic peoplebelieve is that, because of we
live in the world and notsecluded, we are imbalanced, all
(03:01):
of us most of the time, and soit's important to not only
identify your dosha, they alsowant to identify what are your
imbalances, and so, for me, as apitta, my imbalance was the
inaction that I was taking in mylife, how I was frozen when I
(03:22):
became too overwhelmed withthings in my life or confused,
and fire is clear.
Right, as it turns out throughthe study of this form of
medicine, is that I had someaddictive patterns in my life,
in my thought processes, in mymind, because Ayurvedic is based
(03:42):
on mind, body and spirit.
Right, we want balances in allthree and the dosha applies to
all three.
I'll have a dosha signature ofpitta in my mind, I'll have it
in my body and I'll have it inbalance in my spirit.
So my goal is to align my mindand body with my spiritual
(04:05):
balance and I have to understandwhat that means.
So Pitta really is aboutdigestion and how we approach
things in life, what is theenergy we bring to it and how do
we see clarity in things andneed clarity.
It also is about how are wenourishing ourselves Like, how
(04:26):
are we resting?
How are we taking ininformation?
Is it helpful to us or are weallowing it to harm us?
So I had to learn how tobalance that out.
Because of all three doshas,this is one of the ones.
It's not the easiest to get outof balance, but it's the second
(04:47):
easiest, the hardest.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
The one that's the easiest to out balance is vata
yeah, and you think that makessense because it's all about
movement, vata's movement,vata's air, right, but there's
like tangible movement.
You can see the water move youcan see the fire ablaze right.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, but the invisible part of Vata is what's
really hard to appreciate,right, the mind part as well as
the breath part, and often,going back to the dosha that I
had, what made it difficult wasto practice the balance.
You have to incorporate theother two doshas to help you.
(05:27):
So I needed to be more grounded, which is what the earth
element, the kapha, is about,and I needed more movement that
was deliberate, that was reallybreath based, because I was an
athlete and I was constantlychasing this anaerobic type of
(05:47):
breath style and what I neededwas something more aerobic and
learning how to get the breathto move through my tissues in a
way that was cleansing and notin a way that was further taxing
.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Wow, that sounds like some deep work.
I want to go back a bit,depending depending on where you
are in understanding Ayurvedayou've never heard of it or
you're a deep practitioner.
Let's just go to the basics andtalk about the three doshas and
how they might manifest in yourphysical body.
I don't want to explain this ina way that puts your body type
(06:23):
in a box, but there are certaincharacteristics, so let's go
through those and I'll sharewhat I know, and I'd love you to
elaborate With Vata.
These are going to be alreadytaller, thinner, both in body
length and also maybe in yourhair and in your skin.
They're going to be ones thatare very creative, maybe a
(06:45):
little airy, but they are fullof ideas and they're great
conversationalists.
That's getting into lessphysical.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
That's actually them in balance right.
These are balanced types of Vata.
I can speak to complement that.
The imbalance version great.
So often vata people tend tostruggle to focus because their
mind is going all over the place.
The movement of the mind andthen in terms of their body it's
(07:16):
often similar.
It's difficult for them to bestill, sit still.
They have shortness of breath,like it's's very rapid,
fast-moving, just upper chestarea.
It's not deep, it's not slow,it's short and it's shallow and
rapid.
Also, their skin will tend tobe dry.
So there's that problem, ortheir hair could be dry again.
(07:39):
If they're out of balance,they're going to their emotional
state.
They will have a tendencytowards anxiety is one of the
common ailments within a Vata,imbalanced person.
They will also have a tendencytowards holding on to traumas
and recycling them over and over.
(08:00):
So there's that, and I wantjust caution to say that anybody
who has suffered some sort oftrauma.
It can create an imbalance.
If you're a Vata, however, it'snot a preterminate of it.
It just means that if you are,let's say, vata and you have a
trauma in your life, lettingthose episodes go and not cycle
(08:23):
through them is one of thepotential imbalances and what
that does?
It further exasperates theability to focus and for the
nervous system to settle down.
This is another imbalance.
Common within vata is that yoursympathetic nervous system is
constantly revved up.
That's the form of the centralnervous system, or the side of
(08:47):
it that is, for fight or flight,and so when we are really when
vatas are really out of balance,that's a common one.
So there's some of theimbalances that you would see in
vata, but vatas are great ideapeople.
They're very creative.
They're known for being able tomove through things.
(09:08):
Again, this is balanced version, and so when I say that, what I
mean to describe is if you knowsomeone, or if you are someone
who can roll through situationsand not let it stick to you.
That is a balanced version ofVata, where they move through
and not pick up things that arealong the way.
(09:30):
They tend to feel lighter, havea lighter sense of humor, have
a lighter type of personality.
They're easier to be around asa result.
So those are some more of thebalances.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Great, I guess.
My last question on Vata, whichanother physical characteristic
that I remember is like justbright eyes, like lighter eyes,
and again, I think if some ofthese characteristics sound like
you, that could be because youare a.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Vata.
But I want to also point out,like the seasonal correlation.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And so that was spring.
Right, so that's what wasspring.
Yeah, it's spring, so great.
I was wanting to touch up onthat.
Let's say we are in spring.
What are some home practicesthat you would?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
do so again to get to restore balance.
We lean on almost the oppositedosha and bring in some of those
practices.
So we talked about vatas asbeing prone to movement and
almost lack of focus, and so theopposite of that lack of focus
(10:37):
would be pittas that take actionand are very specific.
They're almost routinefollowers.
Right, they have a structure,but they just move right through
it.
So that would be very great forvatas, meaning they need
structure, which is alsosomething that's relevant to
kaphas.
(10:57):
Kaphas are really known forbeing a system-oriented or
structure-based people.
Vatas can benefit from thosetypes of practices.
The other things would be likethe food.
So in the spring we the thingabout ayurveda is that they
bring in seasonal food, seasonalpractices.
(11:19):
Now, because vata is likemovement, we would want to bring
in more grounded movement.
So there are certain yoga poses, for example, that are very
beneficial, that are moreinclined to balance out the
movement.
So something like that'stouching the ground, like the
(11:40):
warrior poses, even child's pose, or when you're on your back or
on your hands and knees.
Those are probably some of thebest poses that you can do to
ground someone who's out ofbalance as Vata, and you could
sit into meditation, that wouldbe a great one, and focused,
(12:00):
intentional breath that is slowand long.
And foods, for example, wewould want something that is
warm, because vatas preferthings that are usually cooler,
light, maybe even moresalad-like, right or raw.
We would want things that aremore soupy and stewy to balance
them.
It's not going to be theirpreferred meal, but in Ayurveda
(12:23):
land we do a lot of khichri,which is a stew-based type of
meal, and those are sonourishing and warming and
balancing for the body,particularly if they're done
with particular spices that areintended to ground the body.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Okay, and the last thing I want to ask let's say
that you identify as a vata.
What are some key indicatorsthat you're imbalanced and what
are some activities or foodsthat you should avoid if you're
imbalanced.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
All right.
So some key indicators.
I think this is related torunning.
If you run a lot, if you runnot only physically, emotionally
, also like you avoid.
If you're an avoidant, chancesare you're imbalanced in Vata.
And, for example, a way thatcan look like is if you're
(13:18):
somebody who goes on socialmedia to get away from focusing
on difficult tasks or upset inyour life.
Right, if you're escaping, likeI used to do it through
daydreaming I used to actuallyused to I was vata, in balance
and I was meditating overmeditating.
So overdoing anything is anindication of an imbalance.
(13:43):
And so foods to avoid thingslike salad, as great as they are
vatas, you got to be carefulnot to overdo it.
Often what happens with vatasis that they will stop eating.
If they're really imbalanced,they're highly prone to stop
eating or not eat much or forgetabout eating, lose appetite.
(14:04):
They lose their appetite andthat's an indicator.
So when that is happening, it'simportant to name it, claim it
and get some help, and often thevery first thing to do is to
talk to somebody about it.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Okay, wonderful.
So let's move into Pitta.
Okay, what are some of thecharacteristics I know, because
I am one as well.
You sweat a lot, you sweat alot.
You're a sweaty creature Sweaty, but we also have already, like
, a lot of natural muscle.
We build muscle pretty easily.
We're naturally athletic.
(14:38):
We are decision makers, we areleaders.
Yes, we execute.
Yeah, we're not afraid to takeaction.
Your eyes might be a little bitmore intense.
Action, your eyes might be alittle bit more intense.
Your hair may be a little bitmore thicker, curly and probably
have good skin, or you don't,or you don't.
So that's what I remember.
(14:59):
What do you have to add?
Physical characteristics, sophysical characteristics.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
We definitely got a more athletic build.
Not that vatas aren't athletic,they're just more lean in
nature.
Not that kaphas are athleticRight, they're just a little bit
more stockier in build, butpittas are.
They're that in-between wheretheir body is built for action,
and so therefore they can movequickly.
(15:25):
They're more agile.
They're more muscular muscular,as you mentioned, they're
definitely because of the agniinside them that's always
burning.
They're prone to perspire more.
They're glandular, they're moreglands or their pores are
bigger.
So you know you're going tohave more moisture showing.
That's the water side of it,right?
(15:47):
So, structure-wise, as youmentioned, the eyes are stronger
, their bones are strong,whereas vatas tend to be thinner
.
So that was one thing I didmention for vatas is they have a
tendency towards osteoporosis,whereas opitas don't.
When they're in balance Now,their personalities are fiery.
(16:08):
They're very strong willed,they're very opinionated.
They're very, as you described,leader oriented.
They like to take charge.
They are doers.
They're not people to juststand by and watch.
They want to take and be a partof the action.
They're talkers.
Vatas can talk a lot also,however, not as much as a Pitta.
(16:34):
Pittas tend to really want totalk because they have a lot to
say, and they want people tohear them.
I think it's also important tounderstand and appreciate,
rather, the nuances around thethinking patterns.
So with a vata it's creative,with a pitta it's about action,
and so that may seem verynuanced, and it is.
(16:57):
But this is the differencebetween the vatas come up with
the ideas, the pittas not onlysee it, yet they get the clarity
on what to do to make it happen.
And often that's the differencebetween those two elements is
that one is about creating theidea in space, the next one is
bringing it to fruition, andthat's why they make great
(17:19):
leaders.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
So that's the Pitta Okay and a Pitta imbalanced.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Oh boy.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
You mentioned in your previous video lots of
digestion issues, probably a lotof anger.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Reactivity.
As a result, they will react,and so, therefore, I would
describe it like this, becausethis was me once I would chop
off heads and scorch villagesbefore I asked questions, and
that was a good day when I wasupset and then I'd look around
and see what was left over andwhat we want to move into,
(17:52):
because a balanced version of apitta would be someone who would
recognize that they're upset,be able to speak to that upset
and be able to navigate thatconflict through communication,
effective communication, whichcould resolve the situation,
(18:13):
de-escalate it, in other words,whereas an imbalanced version of
Pitta's would take anysituation and turn it into a
crisis because they're angry orthey feel hurt or something.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
They just have undigested emotions and correct
me if I'm wrong.
A lot of this is happening inthe solar plexus, which is all
about like confidence.
So sometimes with confliction,if you feel threatened, if your
ego is feeling threatened, thenyou want to double down and
assert your dominance.
(18:46):
Is that kind of resonating withwhat you just mentioned being
out of balance and feelingsmaller, so then trying to get
bigger to compensate?
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah, understand that the ego is a part of the mind
and the mind is so prone toimbalance.
So what imbalance starts in themind will ultimately form some
sort of dis-ease in the body.
When I was studying it, wealways said what came first, the
chicken or the egg?
Was it the imbalance in themind or the imbalance in the
body, and it doesn't reallymatter.
(19:18):
So when you were describingthose feelings, those upsets,
those reactions are really asignature of an imbalanced mind,
an imbalanced ego that isover-identifying.
You said this.
I can't believe you did thatand blah, blah to me and I'm the
victim.
Whatever the scenario is, andfrom a Ayurvedic standpoint, is
(19:45):
that we've got to first try tocool down the mind and then come
back and address the thoughtthat created the problem to
begin with, which is often whenwe involve the Ayurvedic
psychology, they say all right,a thought is really at the
beginning of imbalance, becausewe will over identify with a
(20:09):
single thought.
So our work is a meditation inorder to try and slow down the
thoughts, because pittas areknown for being over thinkers.
Also right, and particularly ifwe have a vata imbalance, which
is one of the most commonimbalances in pittas, is vata
(20:30):
the overthinking, the ruminating, the worrying about the future.
These are all vata, meaning thethoughts moving through the
mind.
That's why we associate it withvata, and yet it is a
misunderstood interpretation ofthe imbalance within the vata.
Pitta, dosha is that this air,that thoughts moving through the
(20:55):
mind, can become so enrapturedand fired up, so to speak to use
the terms of the dosha and thenit becomes the thing we just
can't let go of and we can'tcool it.
The water is pretty much driedup at that point and fire is
just raging through us andthat's what becomes the
(21:16):
inflammation, the agitation, thedigestion issues, because, as I
mentioned earlier, we aredigesting not just food, we
digest thoughts.
When we talk about things likedisordered eating, which was a
part of my work in therapy,often the person who is
(21:39):
suffering from disorder eatingnot always, but a lot of the
times we notice that it beginsat the dining room table because
one, two or more of the peopleat that table are upset.
Generally speaking, let's justsay, if a child is suffering
from this disorder, the parentsare coming to the table, the
(22:00):
authority figures with an upset,or there was some upset before
the meal was even meal time itwas.
So the best scenario is and itcould be unrealistic in most
homes is to have a calm dinnertime where you're actually
having a positive conversationthat's uplifting and then
(22:22):
therefore your body is calm andthen the food is entering a calm
system.
Yet if we're rushing to thedinner table or rushing on to
the next thing, or the peoplecoming are agitated, it's
already a heightenedly chargedenvironment and when that's the
case, our body systems becomeheightened and charged and then
(22:45):
therefore, when we introducefood to that, we don't digest it
well.
So a common practice that we'llsay, for Pitta's particularly,
is if you are upset, don't eat,take maybe take a soup, maybe
drink a cold water, maybe gotake a bath bath, maybe go for a
swim, maybe get some fresh air.
(23:06):
Calm your system down beforeyou eat.
And I I never understood that.
I always thought you got to eatthree meals a day and upset
have some cake that's right feedthe upset.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, wow, what a stark difference of what you've
learned through ayurveda and howyou were taught as a kid but to
address the imbalances.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
And again you want to use a, an opposite type of
dosha, to help you.
So you're going to pull fromvata, meaning you're going to
pull meditation in and see,since pittas are known for
movement, they're not known forsitting still, getting them to
do meditation and doing a typeof practice, that a type of
(23:56):
meditation which is a little bitlonger, a little bit lighter, a
little bit more ethereal.
What I mean by that, that isthat you're not focusing on
breath, you're not focusing onphysicality, you're focusing on
how to almost let go of the bodyitself.
This is why I startedpracticing Yoga Nidra, because
(24:19):
it is a particular type ofmeditation practice in which you
lay still in your body.
So the body becomes detachedfrom the practice itself and
your mind can go in a completelydifferent direction and you
have much better chance ofsoothing and healing the mind
quicker.
And then we would pull fromkapha, meaning that's more
(24:40):
earthy.
We would want to do a type ofyoga poses about bringing us
down to the ground.
Do child's pose to dead bug, doknees up, legs up the wall
doing, shavasana doing and thenbreathing in a little bit more
deeper.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
It could be rapid but then slow so it's not just one,
it's the other and finding away to just cool the mind and
the body down, and often that'sdone through slower movements,
using okay, kafa, I like tothink of it as these are the
people that have the deep eyesthat you can just like, hustle
(25:24):
in and they provide the warmesthugs, and they're the caregivers
, they're the nurses and theteachers, the parents, and they
already bring a sense of peace.
So what can you add to that?
And what is a balanced kapha?
Look like.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Okay so a balanced kapha look like.
Okay so, a balanced kapha.
Structurally they're definitelyshorter in statue and thicker
in bone and their hair can belonger.
It can be both thick or thin,but it's there's a lot of it.
And their eyes, as youmentioned, there's a deeper,
almost just like you could likeyou said you could get lost in
(26:04):
their eyes.
Their eyes are just so big anddeep and their facial features
tend to be bigger.
A pitta's face we didn't mentionit is medium.
A vata's face is long, maybeoval, but a kapha's face is wide
and broad.
And the other parts of thephysicality is that they are
more pear-shaped.
But a more bigger area of thephysicality is that they are
(26:25):
more pear-shaped but a morebigger area of the body, like
they can be more heavier set.
Let's put it that way.
They're less athletic, althoughdoesn't mean that they aren't
athletic.
They're less inclined to that.
And yet they're also known forbeing strong.
They're used to carrying a lotof weight because they have a
strong grounded structure andsolid, all right.
(26:45):
So we they're.
That's their physicality.
So a balanced kapha is someonewho is patient.
So this is their minds, ofcourse patient.
They're discerning, they taketheir time, they have a process.
They're process-oriented people.
They won't be rushed, theyconsider before they give you a
(27:09):
response and they are goodsleepers they're probably some
of the best sleepers and theyhave a strong appetite, and that
if they can eat anything,whereas Pintas have a certain
type of food that they like,usually pittas like spicy, hot
food and of different types, buta lot of protein Kaphas will
(27:32):
eat anything.
Vatas, on the other hand, aremore vegetarian in nature and it
is interesting to understandthat, and so kaphas are also.
When they're in balance,they're careful to pick their
words out, they speak slower andthey consider before they give
(27:54):
you a response.
The other thing that they dowhen they're balanced is that
they don't get thrown.
They are the person that youwould want, the personality you
would want when you're in acrisis, because they would be
there to hold your hand.
They wouldn't get caught upinto the crisis.
They can be detached, they cansee things in a different
(28:15):
perspective because they're moregrounded, whereas Pittas, they
see an action plan and want toact it, and Bhattas have a
different point of view, meaningthey're more ethereal.
So they tend to look fromup-down, whereas kaphas are
looking from down-up and it'sjust a different perspective.
So that's a balanced version ofa kapha.
(28:36):
Let's talk about imbalance.
Kaphas are probably next tovattas, most known for being out
of balance and the way it lookslike is that they don't do
anything.
They're lethargic, they'redepressed.
Right, they tend to be prone todepression, prone to inaction.
We talk about the centralnervous system and how.
(28:57):
Vatas are the flight version,pitas are the fight version,
kapha's are the freeze or fawnversion, and fawning for those
that don't know that term, itmeans people pleasing.
They tend to gain weight whenthey're out of balance.
They tend to oversleep whenthey're out of balance.
(29:19):
And then, when it comes todigestion, as I said, they're
prone to gain weight becausethey're not digesting.
Things are sitting in theirsystem for extended period of
time.
So their digestive tracts are,for different reasons, very
toxic because waste is in them.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Yeah, and there's so much that we can talk about
these and we will in futureepisodes, but I do want to sum
this up in asking you how do youfigure out your dosha and what
do you recommend?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
That's really a great question.
Thank you, jennifer.
We can actually put in thispart of the Q&A quiz a dosha
quiz, very commonly used, whichwill basically speak to your
body frame, your height, yourpersonality, nature and the time
of year.
We said that spring was Vata,pitta's is summer and Kapha's
(30:12):
are fall and winter, so there'sseasonal resonance that you
would consider.
So these quizzes are importantand they're not foolproof
important and they're notfoolproof.
So actually talking to somebodywho is an Ayurvedic counselor
or coach would be the best way,because there's diameter of
wrist, even your tongue, evenyour eye setting are three
(30:37):
features that we look at and todiagnose more perfectly a dosha.
You can get a pretty good ideathrough the quiz.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Cool and I think, just like thinking about doshas,
almost astrology we're not justour sun sign, we have a moon
sign, we have a rising and wehave to think about the
complexity of ourselves, muchlike in the doshas and Ayurvedas
.
Yes, I identify mostly as pitta, but I can get into vata when
(31:07):
I'm going crazy in my mind and Ican be surely lazy.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
And it's important to do these exercises of
self-study, to know, yes, andrebalance and adjust and then
fine-tune yeah so you get intoequilibrium the goal is to
strive for balance, knowing thatwe are out of balance most of
the time, and so it's again.
It's a target, it's not adestination and, depending on
(31:36):
the season of the year, that'sanother contributor to imbalance
, besides what's going on in ourlife and what we're eating in
our rest cycles.
So there's a lot ofcontributors to it.
Talking with someone who cancoach you through that will help
you understand not only thatthese five elements play a
factor.
The dosha combination rightplays a factor, and then these
(31:57):
seasons and these experiencesand your lifestyle.
It's a lifestyle.
That's the point.
It's not a quick fix.
It's not like a pill spoileralert that you get out of a
bottle.
So that's my two cents on that.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yes, and if you're still curious on how you might
achieve that, anna is open forclients in her coaching business
.
And to sum up, what I think isthe best way to balance for any
dosha is meditation.
Yeah which is also somethingthat anna has plenty of
recordings for you to downloadon her website at annamcbridecom
(32:32):
.
So this has been she asked.
My name is jennifer and I amanna, and we're so glad that you
joined us today.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yes, and until soon be well.
Okay, hello, hello, welcome back to she Asked.
Welcome back.
This is Anna and Jennifer, andI am so excited to have a little
Q&A session after yourAyurvedic episode that you just
recorded on Pitta.
So highly recommend watchingthat first, pitta.
(00:28):
So highly recommend watchingthat first.
But if you haven't quite yet, Iwant to recap the three doshas
when it comes to Ayurveda Veryquickly.
Ayurveda is a sister science ofyoga.
It is the science of life,correct, and is there anything
else you want to add?
To just be very brief aboutwhat Ayurveda is before we dive
deep to just be very brief aboutwhat Ayurveda is before we dive
deep.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Sure, so it's over 5,000 years old.
That's important to note.
It was created in India andreally was born out of their
curiosity on how to live more inbalance with nature.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Okay, awesome.
And so, with these balances,our body has a balance of three
doshas the vata, which is anelement of air and ether, the
pitta, which is the element offire and water, and kapha, which
is the element of earth andwater.
Correct, and we're going to befocusing on pitta today, which
(01:23):
is that fire and water.
So can you repeat and brieflyexplain what that means and
entails?
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Okay, I first want to identify, so understand, that
each these three doshas arebased on the five basic elements
that we all are made up fromand all of life is made up from,
and that is earth, fire, water,air and ether right.
These elements exist in theuniverse and they actually exist
(01:52):
in each of us in some form ofcapacity.
So these doshas take intoaccount of the fact that what is
within us is outside of us andthat we each have a constitution
based on a combination of theseelements.
Ayurvedic principles suggestthat we have all of these doshas
(02:15):
within us, yet some of us willhave more of one than the other.
So, for me, my dosha ispredominantly pitta, meaning
fire and water.
Fire is about digestion, aboutpassion, about adventure,
basically, and then water is thesubtlety, the cooling, the
(02:38):
nourishing, the balancing, thecleansing part of us.
That is very important tobalance out the pitta's fire.
And so what Ayurvedic peoplebelieve is that, because of we
live in the world and notsecluded, we are imbalanced, all
(03:01):
of us most of the time, and soit's important to not only
identify your dosha, they alsowant to identify what are your
imbalances, and so, for me, as apitta, my imbalance was the
inaction that I was taking in mylife, how I was frozen when I
(03:22):
became too overwhelmed withthings in my life or confused,
and fire is clear.
Right, as it turns out throughthe study of this form of
medicine, is that I had someaddictive patterns in my life,
in my thought processes, in mymind, because Ayurvedic is based
(03:42):
on mind, body and spirit.
Right, we want balances in allthree and the dosha applies to
all three.
I'll have a dosha signature ofpitta in my mind, I'll have it
in my body and I'll have it inbalance in my spirit.
So my goal is to align my mindand body with my spiritual
(04:05):
balance and I have to understandwhat that means.
So Pitta really is aboutdigestion and how we approach
things in life, what is theenergy we bring to it and how do
we see clarity in things andneed clarity.
It also is about how are wenourishing ourselves Like, how
(04:26):
are we resting?
How are we taking ininformation?
Is it helpful to us or are weallowing it to harm us?
So I had to learn how tobalance that out.
Because of all three doshas,this is one of the ones.
It's not the easiest to get outof balance, but it's the second
(04:47):
easiest, the hardest.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
The one that's the easiest to out balance is vata
yeah, and you think that makessense because it's all about
movement, vata's movement,vata's air, right, but there's
like tangible movement.
You can see the water move youcan see the fire ablaze right.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, but the invisible part of Vata is what's
really hard to appreciate,right, the mind part as well as
the breath part, and often,going back to the dosha that I
had, what made it difficult wasto practice the balance.
You have to incorporate theother two doshas to help you.
(05:27):
So I needed to be more grounded, which is what the earth
element, the kapha, is about,and I needed more movement that
was deliberate, that was reallybreath based, because I was an
athlete and I was constantlychasing this anaerobic type of
(05:47):
breath style and what I neededwas something more aerobic and
learning how to get the breathto move through my tissues in a
way that was cleansing and notin a way that was further taxing
.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Wow, that sounds like some deep work.
I want to go back a bit,depending depending on where you
are in understanding Ayurvedayou've never heard of it or
you're a deep practitioner.
Let's just go to the basics andtalk about the three doshas and
how they might manifest in yourphysical body.
I don't want to explain this ina way that puts your body type
(06:23):
in a box, but there are certaincharacteristics, so let's go
through those and I'll sharewhat I know, and I'd love you to
elaborate With Vata.
These are going to be alreadytaller, thinner, both in body
length and also maybe in yourhair and in your skin.
They're going to be ones thatare very creative, maybe a
(06:45):
little airy, but they are fullof ideas and they're great
conversationalists.
That's getting into lessphysical.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
That's actually them in balance right.
These are balanced types of Vata.
I can speak to complement that.
The imbalance version great.
So often vata people tend tostruggle to focus because their
mind is going all over the place.
The movement of the mind andthen in terms of their body it's
(07:16):
often similar.
It's difficult for them to bestill, sit still.
They have shortness of breath,like it's's very rapid,
fast-moving, just upper chestarea.
It's not deep, it's not slow,it's short and it's shallow and
rapid.
Also, their skin will tend tobe dry.
So there's that problem, ortheir hair could be dry again.
(07:39):
If they're out of balance,they're going to their emotional
state.
They will have a tendencytowards anxiety is one of the
common ailments within a Vata,imbalanced person.
They will also have a tendencytowards holding on to traumas
and recycling them over and over.
(08:00):
So there's that, and I wantjust caution to say that anybody
who has suffered some sort oftrauma.
It can create an imbalance.
If you're a Vata, however, it'snot a preterminate of it.
It just means that if you are,let's say, vata and you have a
trauma in your life, lettingthose episodes go and not cycle
(08:23):
through them is one of thepotential imbalances and what
that does?
It further exasperates theability to focus and for the
nervous system to settle down.
This is another imbalance.
Common within vata is that yoursympathetic nervous system is
constantly revved up.
That's the form of the centralnervous system, or the side of
(08:47):
it that is, for fight or flight,and so when we are really when
vatas are really out of balance,that's a common one.
So there's some of theimbalances that you would see in
vata, but vatas are great ideapeople.
They're very creative.
They're known for being able tomove through things.
(09:08):
Again, this is balanced version, and so when I say that, what I
mean to describe is if you knowsomeone, or if you are someone
who can roll through situationsand not let it stick to you.
That is a balanced version ofVata, where they move through
and not pick up things that arealong the way.
(09:30):
They tend to feel lighter, havea lighter sense of humor, have
a lighter type of personality.
They're easier to be around asa result.
So those are some more of thebalances.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Great, I guess.
My last question on Vata, whichanother physical characteristic
that I remember is like justbright eyes, like lighter eyes,
and again, I think if some ofthese characteristics sound like
you, that could be because youare a.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Vata.
But I want to also point out,like the seasonal correlation.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
And so that was spring.
Right, so that's what wasspring.
Yeah, it's spring, so great.
I was wanting to touch up onthat.
Let's say we are in spring.
What are some home practicesthat you would?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
do so again to get to restore balance.
We lean on almost the oppositedosha and bring in some of those
practices.
So we talked about vatas asbeing prone to movement and
almost lack of focus, and so theopposite of that lack of focus
(10:37):
would be pittas that take actionand are very specific.
They're almost routinefollowers.
Right, they have a structure,but they just move right through
it.
So that would be very great forvatas, meaning they need
structure, which is alsosomething that's relevant to
kaphas.
(10:57):
Kaphas are really known forbeing a system-oriented or
structure-based people.
Vatas can benefit from thosetypes of practices.
The other things would be likethe food.
So in the spring we the thingabout ayurveda is that they
bring in seasonal food, seasonalpractices.
(11:19):
Now, because vata is likemovement, we would want to bring
in more grounded movement.
So there are certain yoga poses, for example, that are very
beneficial, that are moreinclined to balance out the
movement.
So something like that'stouching the ground, like the
(11:40):
warrior poses, even child's pose, or when you're on your back or
on your hands and knees.
Those are probably some of thebest poses that you can do to
ground someone who's out ofbalance as Vata, and you could
sit into meditation, that wouldbe a great one, and focused,
(12:00):
intentional breath that is slowand long.
And foods, for example, wewould want something that is
warm, because vatas preferthings that are usually cooler,
light, maybe even moresalad-like, right or raw.
We would want things that aremore soupy and stewy to balance
them.
It's not going to be theirpreferred meal, but in Ayurveda
(12:23):
land we do a lot of khichri,which is a stew-based type of
meal, and those are sonourishing and warming and
balancing for the body,particularly if they're done
with particular spices that areintended to ground the body.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Okay, and the last thing I want to ask let's say
that you identify as a vata.
What are some key indicatorsthat you're imbalanced and what
are some activities or foodsthat you should avoid if you're
imbalanced.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
All right.
So some key indicators.
I think this is related torunning.
If you run a lot, if you runnot only physically, emotionally
, also like you avoid.
If you're an avoidant, chancesare you're imbalanced in Vata.
And, for example, a way thatcan look like is if you're
(13:18):
somebody who goes on socialmedia to get away from focusing
on difficult tasks or upset inyour life.
Right, if you're escaping, likeI used to do it through
daydreaming I used to actuallyused to I was vata, in balance
and I was meditating overmeditating.
So overdoing anything is anindication of an imbalance.
(13:43):
And so foods to avoid thingslike salad, as great as they are
vatas, you got to be carefulnot to overdo it.
Often what happens with vatasis that they will stop eating.
If they're really imbalanced,they're highly prone to stop
eating or not eat much or forgetabout eating, lose appetite.
(14:04):
They lose their appetite andthat's an indicator.
So when that is happening, it'simportant to name it, claim it
and get some help, and often thevery first thing to do is to
talk to somebody about it.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Okay, wonderful.
So let's move into Pitta.
Okay, what are some of thecharacteristics I know, because
I am one as well.
You sweat a lot, you sweat alot.
You're a sweaty creature Sweaty, but we also have already, like
, a lot of natural muscle.
We build muscle pretty easily.
We're naturally athletic.
(14:38):
We are decision makers, we areleaders.
Yes, we execute.
Yeah, we're not afraid to takeaction.
Your eyes might be a little bitmore intense.
Action, your eyes might be alittle bit more intense.
Your hair may be a little bitmore thicker, curly and probably
have good skin, or you don't,or you don't.
So that's what I remember.
(14:59):
What do you have to add?
Physical characteristics, sophysical characteristics.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
We definitely got a more athletic build.
Not that vatas aren't athletic,they're just more lean in
nature.
Not that kaphas are athleticRight, they're just a little bit
more stockier in build, butpittas are.
They're that in-between wheretheir body is built for action,
and so therefore they can movequickly.
(15:25):
They're more agile.
They're more muscular muscular,as you mentioned, they're
definitely because of the agniinside them that's always
burning.
They're prone to perspire more.
They're glandular, they're moreglands or their pores are
bigger.
So you know you're going tohave more moisture showing.
That's the water side of it,right?
(15:47):
So, structure-wise, as youmentioned, the eyes are stronger
, their bones are strong,whereas vatas tend to be thinner
.
So that was one thing I didmention for vatas is they have a
tendency towards osteoporosis,whereas opitas don't.
When they're in balance Now,their personalities are fiery.
(16:08):
They're very strong willed,they're very opinionated.
They're very, as you described,leader oriented.
They like to take charge.
They are doers.
They're not people to juststand by and watch.
They want to take and be a partof the action.
They're talkers.
Vatas can talk a lot also,however, not as much as a Pitta.
(16:34):
Pittas tend to really want totalk because they have a lot to
say, and they want people tohear them.
I think it's also important tounderstand and appreciate,
rather, the nuances around thethinking patterns.
So with a vata it's creative,with a pitta it's about action,
and so that may seem verynuanced, and it is.
(16:57):
But this is the differencebetween the vatas come up with
the ideas, the pittas not onlysee it, yet they get the clarity
on what to do to make it happen.
And often that's the differencebetween those two elements is
that one is about creating theidea in space, the next one is
bringing it to fruition, andthat's why they make great
(17:19):
leaders.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
So that's the Pitta Okay and a Pitta imbalanced.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Oh boy.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
You mentioned in your previous video lots of
digestion issues, probably a lotof anger.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Reactivity.
As a result, they will react,and so, therefore, I would
describe it like this, becausethis was me once I would chop
off heads and scorch villagesbefore I asked questions, and
that was a good day when I wasupset and then I'd look around
and see what was left over andwhat we want to move into,
(17:52):
because a balanced version of apitta would be someone who would
recognize that they're upset,be able to speak to that upset
and be able to navigate thatconflict through communication,
effective communication, whichcould resolve the situation,
(18:13):
de-escalate it, in other words,whereas an imbalanced version of
Pitta's would take anysituation and turn it into a
crisis because they're angry orthey feel hurt or something.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
They just have undigested emotions and correct
me if I'm wrong.
A lot of this is happening inthe solar plexus, which is all
about like confidence.
So sometimes with confliction,if you feel threatened, if your
ego is feeling threatened, thenyou want to double down and
assert your dominance.
(18:46):
Is that kind of resonating withwhat you just mentioned being
out of balance and feelingsmaller, so then trying to get
bigger to compensate?
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah, understand that the ego is a part of the mind
and the mind is so prone toimbalance.
So what imbalance starts in themind will ultimately form some
sort of dis-ease in the body.
When I was studying it, wealways said what came first, the
chicken or the egg?
Was it the imbalance in themind or the imbalance in the
body, and it doesn't reallymatter.
(19:18):
So when you were describingthose feelings, those upsets,
those reactions are really asignature of an imbalanced mind,
an imbalanced ego that isover-identifying.
You said this.
I can't believe you did thatand blah, blah to me and I'm the
victim.
Whatever the scenario is, andfrom a Ayurvedic standpoint, is
(19:45):
that we've got to first try tocool down the mind and then come
back and address the thoughtthat created the problem to
begin with, which is often whenwe involve the Ayurvedic
psychology, they say all right,a thought is really at the
beginning of imbalance, becausewe will over identify with a
(20:09):
single thought.
So our work is a meditation inorder to try and slow down the
thoughts, because pittas areknown for being over thinkers.
Also right, and particularly ifwe have a vata imbalance, which
is one of the most commonimbalances in pittas, is vata
(20:30):
the overthinking, the ruminating, the worrying about the future.
These are all vata, meaning thethoughts moving through the
mind.
That's why we associate it withvata, and yet it is a
misunderstood interpretation ofthe imbalance within the vata.
Pitta, dosha is that this air,that thoughts moving through the
(20:55):
mind, can become so enrapturedand fired up, so to speak to use
the terms of the dosha and thenit becomes the thing we just
can't let go of and we can'tcool it.
The water is pretty much driedup at that point and fire is
just raging through us andthat's what becomes the
(21:16):
inflammation, the agitation, thedigestion issues, because, as I
mentioned earlier, we aredigesting not just food, we
digest thoughts.
When we talk about things likedisordered eating, which was a
part of my work in therapy,often the person who is
(21:39):
suffering from disorder eatingnot always, but a lot of the
times we notice that it beginsat the dining room table because
one, two or more of the peopleat that table are upset.
Generally speaking, let's justsay, if a child is suffering
from this disorder, the parentsare coming to the table, the
(22:00):
authority figures with an upset,or there was some upset before
the meal was even meal time itwas.
So the best scenario is and itcould be unrealistic in most
homes is to have a calm dinnertime where you're actually
having a positive conversationthat's uplifting and then
(22:22):
therefore your body is calm andthen the food is entering a calm
system.
Yet if we're rushing to thedinner table or rushing on to
the next thing, or the peoplecoming are agitated, it's
already a heightenedly chargedenvironment and when that's the
case, our body systems becomeheightened and charged and then
(22:45):
therefore, when we introducefood to that, we don't digest it
well.
So a common practice that we'llsay, for Pitta's particularly,
is if you are upset, don't eat,take maybe take a soup, maybe
drink a cold water, maybe gotake a bath bath, maybe go for a
swim, maybe get some fresh air.
(23:06):
Calm your system down beforeyou eat.
And I I never understood that.
I always thought you got to eatthree meals a day and upset
have some cake that's right feedthe upset.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, wow, what a stark difference of what you've
learned through ayurveda and howyou were taught as a kid but to
address the imbalances.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
And again you want to use a, an opposite type of
dosha, to help you.
So you're going to pull fromvata, meaning you're going to
pull meditation in and see,since pittas are known for
movement, they're not known forsitting still, getting them to
do meditation and doing a typeof practice, that a type of
(23:56):
meditation which is a little bitlonger, a little bit lighter, a
little bit more ethereal.
What I mean by that, that isthat you're not focusing on
breath, you're not focusing onphysicality, you're focusing on
how to almost let go of the bodyitself.
This is why I startedpracticing Yoga Nidra, because
(24:19):
it is a particular type ofmeditation practice in which you
lay still in your body.
So the body becomes detachedfrom the practice itself and
your mind can go in a completelydifferent direction and you
have much better chance ofsoothing and healing the mind
quicker.
And then we would pull fromkapha, meaning that's more
(24:40):
earthy.
We would want to do a type ofyoga poses about bringing us
down to the ground.
Do child's pose to dead bug, doknees up, legs up the wall
doing, shavasana doing and thenbreathing in a little bit more
deeper.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
It could be rapid but then slow so it's not just one,
it's the other and finding away to just cool the mind and
the body down, and often that'sdone through slower movements,
using okay, kafa, I like tothink of it as these are the
people that have the deep eyesthat you can just like, hustle
(25:24):
in and they provide the warmesthugs, and they're the caregivers
, they're the nurses and theteachers, the parents, and they
already bring a sense of peace.
So what can you add to that?
And what is a balanced kapha?
Look like.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Okay so a balanced kapha look like.
Okay so, a balanced kapha.
Structurally they're definitelyshorter in statue and thicker
in bone and their hair can belonger.
It can be both thick or thin,but it's there's a lot of it.
And their eyes, as youmentioned, there's a deeper,
almost just like you could likeyou said you could get lost in
(26:04):
their eyes.
Their eyes are just so big anddeep and their facial features
tend to be bigger.
A pitta's face we didn't mentionit is medium.
A vata's face is long, maybeoval, but a kapha's face is wide
and broad.
And the other parts of thephysicality is that they are
more pear-shaped.
But a more bigger area of thephysicality is that they are
(26:25):
more pear-shaped but a morebigger area of the body, like
they can be more heavier set.
Let's put it that way.
They're less athletic, althoughdoesn't mean that they aren't
athletic.
They're less inclined to that.
And yet they're also known forbeing strong.
They're used to carrying a lotof weight because they have a
strong grounded structure andsolid, all right.
(26:45):
So we they're.
That's their physicality.
So a balanced kapha is someonewho is patient.
So this is their minds, ofcourse patient.
They're discerning, they taketheir time, they have a process.
They're process-oriented people.
They won't be rushed, theyconsider before they give you a
(27:09):
response and they are goodsleepers they're probably some
of the best sleepers and theyhave a strong appetite, and that
if they can eat anything,whereas Pintas have a certain
type of food that they like,usually pittas like spicy, hot
food and of different types, buta lot of protein Kaphas will
(27:32):
eat anything.
Vatas, on the other hand, aremore vegetarian in nature and it
is interesting to understandthat, and so kaphas are also.
When they're in balance,they're careful to pick their
words out, they speak slower andthey consider before they give
(27:54):
you a response.
The other thing that they dowhen they're balanced is that
they don't get thrown.
They are the person that youwould want, the personality you
would want when you're in acrisis, because they would be
there to hold your hand.
They wouldn't get caught upinto the crisis.
They can be detached, they cansee things in a different
(28:15):
perspective because they're moregrounded, whereas Pittas, they
see an action plan and want toact it, and Bhattas have a
different point of view, meaningthey're more ethereal.
So they tend to look fromup-down, whereas kaphas are
looking from down-up and it'sjust a different perspective.
So that's a balanced version ofa kapha.
(28:36):
Let's talk about imbalance.
Kaphas are probably next tovattas, most known for being out
of balance and the way it lookslike is that they don't do
anything.
They're lethargic, they'redepressed.
Right, they tend to be prone todepression, prone to inaction.
We talk about the centralnervous system and how.
(28:57):
Vatas are the flight version,pitas are the fight version,
kapha's are the freeze or fawnversion, and fawning for those
that don't know that term, itmeans people pleasing.
They tend to gain weight whenthey're out of balance.
They tend to oversleep whenthey're out of balance.
(29:19):
And then, when it comes todigestion, as I said, they're
prone to gain weight becausethey're not digesting.
Things are sitting in theirsystem for extended period of
time.
So their digestive tracts are,for different reasons, very
toxic because waste is in them.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Yeah, and there's so much that we can talk about
these and we will in futureepisodes, but I do want to sum
this up in asking you how do youfigure out your dosha and what
do you recommend?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
That's really a great question.
Thank you, jennifer.
We can actually put in thispart of the Q&A quiz a dosha
quiz, very commonly used, whichwill basically speak to your
body frame, your height, yourpersonality, nature and the time
of year.
We said that spring was Vata,pitta's is summer and Kapha's
(30:12):
are fall and winter, so there'sseasonal resonance that you
would consider.
So these quizzes are importantand they're not foolproof
important and they're notfoolproof.
So actually talking to somebodywho is an Ayurvedic counselor
or coach would be the best way,because there's diameter of
wrist, even your tongue, evenyour eye setting are three
(30:37):
features that we look at and todiagnose more perfectly a dosha.
You can get a pretty good ideathrough the quiz.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Cool and I think, just like thinking about doshas,
almost astrology we're not justour sun sign, we have a moon
sign, we have a rising and wehave to think about the
complexity of ourselves, muchlike in the doshas and Ayurvedas
.
Yes, I identify mostly as pitta, but I can get into vata when
(31:07):
I'm going crazy in my mind and Ican be surely lazy.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
And it's important to do these exercises of
self-study, to know, yes, andrebalance and adjust and then
fine-tune yeah so you get intoequilibrium the goal is to
strive for balance, knowing thatwe are out of balance most of
the time, and so it's again.
It's a target, it's not adestination and, depending on
(31:36):
the season of the year, that'sanother contributor to imbalance
, besides what's going on in ourlife and what we're eating in
our rest cycles.
So there's a lot ofcontributors to it.
Talking with someone who cancoach you through that will help
you understand not only thatthese five elements play a
factor.
The dosha combination rightplays a factor, and then these
(31:57):
seasons and these experiencesand your lifestyle.
It's a lifestyle.
That's the point.
It's not a quick fix.
It's not like a pill spoileralert that you get out of a
bottle.
So that's my two cents on that.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yes, and if you're still curious on how you might
achieve that, anna is open forclients in her coaching business
.
And to sum up, what I think isthe best way to balance for any
dosha is meditation.
Yeah which is also somethingthat anna has plenty of
recordings for you to downloadon her website at annamcbridecom
(32:32):
.
So this has been she asked.
My name is jennifer and I amanna, and we're so glad that you
joined us today.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Yes, and until soon be well.
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