Determining dosha type allows you to begin to understand how your health is
affected by internal and external influences as you consider your unique blend of
doshas. As you become more familiar with your body, you can observe and experi-
ence the effect of what you eat and do each day, how you think and feel, the state of
your metabolism, digestion, and elimination, the relationships you engage in, your
jobs, and the environment in which you find yourself. Because all of these factors
are interdependent, problems in one area can cause problems in other areas.Seeking Dosha Balance
People’s dosha balance can be disrupted in a number of ways. An inappropriate diet
and lifestyle for your dosha type will cause a slowly developing excess or deficiency
in doshas. If you suffer significant trauma, however, the dosha levels can change
immediately and dramatically. Dosha imbalance can also occur from an accumula-
tion of toxins or when too many experiences of a particular dosha take place with-
out enough experiences from the other doshas. Once you understand your baseline
dosha type, you can assess imbalances that may contribute to disease. Remember, it
is the strongest dosha in your constitution that has the greatest tendency to increase.
For example, if you have a Kapha dosha type, you have a natural tendency to those
things that have Kapha qualities, thus increasing your Kapha energy. If you have a
lifestyle that includes overeating, not exercising, and sleeping excessively, and you
have a desk job, your Kapha dosha can become excessive. You may need to con-
sciously add opposite qualities to pacify or balance your Kapha energy such as
decrease your food intake, eat more pungent and bitter vegetables and astringent
fruits, and increase your exercise.
Achieving balance of the doshas does not happen quickly—you need to work at it
consciously. In some cases, lifestyle changes may be difficult, such as the nature of
your job, while others may be easier, such as a change in leisure activities. Typically,
people find that diet, exercise, and leisure activities are the most amenable to
change. For example, television and computers increase Vata through stimulation of
the eyes and ears and increase Kapha by the passive nature of these activities. If the
television program makes you angry or your computer program will not do what
you wish, your Pitta may be stimulated. Limiting the time spent watching television
and being selective with programs may help you balance your doshas and move
toward a healthier state. Likewise, if you spend a lot of time at your computer, you
need to take frequent breaks, move and stretch your body, and rest your eyes.Balancing Vata Dosha
If your strongest dosha is Vata, you need to develop more regularity in your daily
routines such as eating regular meals, having an established bedtime, and slowing
down and taking time to think. Because you have a tendency to dry skin, oil your
skin regularly.66 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE