What is Pitta Dosha?

Pitta Dosha is composed of Fire and Water energies. Pitta Dosha is present in ALL of our bodies and serves many important functions. A Pitta constitution, however, means that you have predominantly Pitta Dosha present in your body, slightly stronger than Vata and Kapha Doshas. This manifests in different body characteristics which we will explore more here.

What does Pitta Dosha control in the body?

Pitta Dosha is primarily responsible for digestion and action within the body. Fire dissolves, burns, and extracts. A few duties of Pitta Dosha are the following:

• It governs metabolism and the digestion that takes places in the lower stomach and small intestine.
• It allows nutrients from your food to be assimilated into your deeper tissues.
• It controls the liver, spleen, pancreas, and gallbladder, which control blood sugar and blood quality.
• It is the source of action, motivation, ambition, and leadership. Anyone with these qualities typically has a strong Pitta constitution.
• It controls vision and eye health.

On a subtler level, Pitta Dosha is related to “Tejas,” which is the life energy that, according to Ayurveda, allows all processes taking place within the body to happen. Without a healthy flow of Tejas, none of our tissues or organs would be able to perform their vital functions.

How do I know if I am a Pitta constitution?

All five elements (Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth) are present within all of us. However, due to many factors such as our parents’ constitutions and body types, the time of conception, mother’s emotions during fetal development, and other influences, we are born with certain elements being more pronounced than others. Although Pitta Dosha is composed of Fire and Water, the “Water” component is more of a viscous, oily water, instead of the flowy, heavy Kapha-like Water element. Pitta Dosha has the following qualities:

• Mobile
• Subtle
• Hot
• Light
• Sharp
• Penetrating
• Oily

Pitta types are usually of medium frame and build with good muscle tone. They tend to have light eyes, straight/thin/oily hair, and many freckles/moles. Their skin is warm to the touch, and they usually prefer cool, raw foods and cooler climates.

Pitta types are ambitious, focused, passionate, and full of energy. They make great leaders and CEOs and can easily manage many tasks, people, or things. They also tend to be highly competitive and critical. They enjoy vigorous exercise and challenges but can get burnt out if they don’t balance their innate fire. They have good digestion with at least two bowel movements a day and very strong appetites.

What happens when Pitta Dosha is out of balance?

When imbalanced, or when there is excess heat and oil in the body, Pitta types can get diarrhea, inflammation, skin disorders, liver and spleen issues, bile in the stool, etc. Over time, this can lead to GERD, hyperacidity, hyperthyroidism, IBS, psoriasis, diabetes, and more. When the fire becomes too strong, it can affect their mental state, making them irritable, quick to anger, judgmental, and critical of others or themselves. It can also can an excessively strong appetite, causing them to gain weight.

How to find balance with a Pitta constitution?

Pitta types need to be kept calm and cool so that they don’t overheat and start burning their deeper tissues and immunity. A diet rich in “earth” and “air” foods, like beans, raw salads, whole wheat, cruciferous vegetables, and brown rice, along with cooling yogic breathing exercises, will benefit them greatly.

You can find specific recipes to balance Pitta Dosha in the Recipe section!

Do you have a current Pitta imbalance?

If you are experiencing some of the symptoms of imbalance above, you may have an excess of Pitta Dosha in the system. There may also be several Doshas affected, which can cause Pitta Dosha to increase. If you would like to learn more about your constitution and how to balance your unique body type, sign up for my newsletter above to stay up to date on future E-books that will help each dosha find their unique balance through diet and lifestyle.