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A dosha, according to Ayurveda, is one of three bodily Bioelements that make up one's constitution. These teachings are also known as the Tridosha theory. The three bioelements are always fluctuating in the body. They are highly unstable and changes with day and night, and with food.
The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily bio-elements or doshas called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Doshas are the forces that create the physical body, they determine our conditions of growth and aging, health and disease. Typically, one of the three doshas predominates and determines your constitution or mind-body type. By understanding our individual habits, emotional responses, and body type, we can adapt our yoga practice accordingly. The same goes for Ayurveda treatments focused on alleviating any doshic excesses (illness) via powerful herbs and/or via the improvement of general lifestyle practices such as pranayama, meditation and yoga postures.
Something will indicate when you have an excess of a dosha, as it throws your system off balance. For example, with excess vata, there can be mental, nervous and digestive disorders, including low energy and weakening of all body tissues. With excess pitta, there is toxic blood that gives rise to inflammation and infection. With excess kapha, there is an increase in mucus, overweight, edema, lung diseases, amongst other. The key to managing all doshas is taking care of vata, as it is the origin of the other two.
Prana, Tejas and Ojas
Yoga is an alchemical process of balancing and transforming energies of the psyche. At the root of vata, pitta and kapha are its subtle counterparts called prana, tejas and ojas. Unlike the doshas, which in excess create diseases, these promote health, creativity and well-being.
• Prana is our life force and is the healing energy of vata (air)
• Tejas is our inner radiance and is the healing energy of pitta (fire)
• Ojas is the ultimate energy reserve of the body derived from kapha (water)
Ultimately, Ayurveda is seeking to reduce diseases, in particular those that are chronic, and increase positive health in the body and mind via these three vital essences that aid in renewal and transformation. Increased prana gives us more enthusiasm, adaptability and creativity, all necessary when pursuing our spiritual path, in yoga this force is necessary to enable us to perform. Tejas provides us with courage, fearlessness and insight, important when taking decisions. Last, ojas gives us peace, confidence and patience to keep our development consistent and avoiding that we give up. Eventually, the most important element we want to develop is ojas as it gives us physical and psychological endurance. This can be achieved via the right diet, tonic herbs, control of the senses, and devotion.