Ayurveda or the science of holistic health can trace its roots to Indian Vedic culture. It’s been in existence for more than 3,000 years and it promotes special diets and herbal compounds to stay fit and healthy.1 Ayurveda is all about maintaining a fine balance between the body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda is centered around the concept of gunas and doshas. Let’s look at them in detail and how they affect your personality:
Gunas
Gunas refer to quality, virtue, and excellence. The gunas are responsible for the creation of energy, matter, and consciousness. Gunas are of three types, they are tamas meaning darkness, rajas meaning activity and sattva meaning beingness. These gunas shape your dosha, mental personality and help in the functioning of deeper consciousness.
Let us look at the 3 gunas and how they determine your personality:
1. Sattva
Sattva means purity, a person who has more sattva is generally calm, clear, and peaceful. Sattva helps awaken the soul, it also gives contentment and happiness.
Sattva is based on the principle of peace, love, wideness, and unity.
- Time: Day
- Color: White
- State Of Consciousness: Waking
- Energy: Neutral
- World: Heaven
- Food: Foods that are easily digestible such as fresh fruits, milk, sprouted beans, herbs, grains, and nuts.
2. Rajas
The people with rajas mental side is active and full of energy, these people strongly believe in acquiring a lot of materialistic possessions.
A rajas person always works for their goal and seeks to maximize their power. Rajas people may experience joy and pleasure in their initial life but it will soon lead to pain and suffering.
- Time: Sunrise and Sunset
- Color: Red
- State Of Consciousness: Dream
- Energy: Positive
- World: Atmosphere
- Food: Usually hot, dry, salty, sour, and better. Also, the sattvic foods that have been deep-fried or eaten in excess
3. Tamas
Those who possess more of tamas guna are self-destructive in nature. These people can be ignorant, full of negative thoughts and lazy.
The tamas state of mind promotes disintegration, loss of awareness, and insensitivity.
- Time: Night
- Color: Black
- State Of Consciousness: Deep Sleep
- Energy: Negative
- World: Earth
- Food: Dry foods that are old and decaying. Foods such as canned, processed, or frozen food fall in this category.
Doshas
According to ayurveda, doshas govern the physical side of a person. Doshas are of three types, they are vata dosha, pitta dosha, and kapha dosha. Each dosha is made up of five elements, namely space, air, water, fire, and earth. Each individual is made up of these five elements in varying concentration.
Every individual has all the three doshas in them but one will be more dominant than the others. These doshas perform various physiological functions and an imbalance in any one of them may lead to sickness.
Let us look at the 3 doshas and how they determine your personality:
1. Vata Dosha
Vata dosha people usually have a thin body, they worry a lot, and face difficulty in sleeping. These people are prone to skin related disease, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Vata dosha is responsible for breathing, regulation of circulation, it even helps maintain the heart rate.
- Signs Of Balanced Vata Dosha: High level of creativity.
- Signs Of Imbalanced Vata Dosha: Excessive level of fear and anxiety.
- How To Correct An Imbalanced Vata Dosha: To correct vata dosha one will need to meditate daily, sleep early, follow a daily routine, exercise regularly, and avoid alcohol and cigarettes.
2. Pitta Dosha
People with dominant pitta dosha have large appetites and a medium built body. They tend to be perfectionists and they usually dislike the hot weather. They are prone to digestive problems and hypertension.
Pitta dosha is responsible for the digestive system and metabolism. Pitta dosha even helps regulate hormones.
- Signs Of Balanced Pitta Dosha: Courageous with high ability to take risks.
- Signs Of Imbalanced Pitta Dosha: Gets angry very easily.
- How To Correct An Imbalanced Pitta Dosha: To correct the pitta dosha one will need to meditate daily, do calming exercises such as swimming, spend more time in nature, and eat calmly and peacefully. One should also avoid overworking, alcohol, and cigarettes.
3. Kapha Dosha
People with dominant kapha dosha are strong and have a solid and heavy body structure. They are more likely to have smooth skin and thick hair. They are prone to obesity, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory problems.
Kapha dosha is responsible for balancing vata dosha and pitta dosha. It also helps regulate the immunity system.
- Signs Of Balanced Kapha Dosha: Very positive and a calm mind.
- Signs Of Imbalanced Kapha Dosha: Insecurity and envy.
- How To Correct An Imbalanced Kapha Dosha: To correct the kapha dosha one needs to avoid living luxuriously, devote time to writing and meditation, sleep and wake up early, and avoid overeating.
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