Beginner’s Guide to Ayurveda: What Are Vata, Pitta and Kapha?
Written by Katja Patel
Originally published on 11 March 2022 | Updated for clarity and flow
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the sister science of Yoga.
Ayur means life or longevity, and Veda means science or knowledge—so Ayurveda is often called the science of longevity.
Ayurveda serves three purposes:
- To prevent illness
- To maintain health
- To support healing and longevity
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A Brief History
Ayurveda originates from the Vedas, dating back as far as 6000 BC. These ancient texts contain detailed information about healing plants, treatments, even surgery.
Yes, surgery! One of the Ayurvedic scriptures, the Sushruta Samhita, includes drawings of surgical instruments that look remarkably similar to those used today.
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The Basic Concept of Ayurveda
Everything in the universe is made up of five elements:
Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth
Each has unique qualities:
- Ether – empty, light, cold, dry, subtle
- Air – moving, light, cold, dry, rough
- Fire – hot, oily, sharp, light, rough
- Water – cool, soft, moist, heavy, cohesive
- Earth – dense, cool, heavy, stable, unctuous
Everything in nature and us relates to these five elements.
Ayurveda is About Balance
Same + Same = More of the Same
Ayurveda is all about balance. Our body constantly adjusts to maintain homeostasis, a state of balance, without even being aware. It is constantly adjusting, for example, releasing hormones, regulating its temperature, or releasing enzymes for digestion.
Each cell in our body tries to be in a balanced state.
Finding balance is so natural to us, that we don’t even realise that we are doing it:
Our mouth feels dry – we drink water.
We feel cold – we put on a sweater.
We feel hot – we take it off.
So, we are naturally hardwired to balance, but sometimes it seems harder for us, for example, regarding food or our activities and habits.
When we have more heat in our body and we eat chillies, the result will be even more heat, just as it would be to put on another sweater when hot. We increase the heat when we have naturally more heat and practice hot yoga or a strong, fast-paced ashtanga yoga practice.
When the colder elements dominate our body, we tend to have cold hands and feet. If we eat a cold meal or drink a cold drink, we get even more cold.
When the cooler elements are dominant, and we practice in a cold environment or don’t add extra layers during relaxation or breathing practices, the qualities of ether and air increase.
Hence, balancing in Ayurveda is inviting the opposite qualities.
Instead of eating chillies and a hot yoga session, we practice a slow-flowing practice and take a breather in between.
Instead of eating salad and resting without extra layers, we eat a soup and put on warm socks, and bring a blanket.
The Three Doshas
The elements combine to form three doshas:
- Vata = Ether + Air
- Pitta = Fire + Water
- Kapha = Water + Earth
Each has distinct physical and mental traits. Here is a short overview:
Vata:
Qualities: Cold, dry, mobile, rough, light, subtle
Body: Thin, dry skin, cold hands/feet
Mind: Quick, creative, anxious
Pitta:
Qualities: Hot, sharp, oily, light, clear
Body: Athletic, strong digestion, prone to inflammation
Mind: Sharp, organised, can be impatient
Kapha:
Qualities: Cool, moist, heavy, stable, soft
Body: Broad, symmetric, thick hair, strong immunity
Mind: Calm, thoughtful, loyal
Daily Rhythms of the Doshas
Each dosha dominates at specific times of day:
6:00–10:00 am/pm – Kapha
10:00–2:00 am/pm – Pitta
2:00–6:00 am/pm – Vata
An Ayurvedic Daily Routine
6 am: Wake up
- Clean tongue, oil pulling
- Hot water, almonds, Chyavanprash
- Shower, yoga/movement8–8:30 am: Breakfast
12–2 pm: Lunch (Pitta time)
Afternoon: 10 min rest
5–6 pm: Light dinner
10 pm: Bedtime (end of Kapha time)
- Before bed: Wash feet, apply oil (coconut to cool, sesame/almond to calm mind)
Seasonal Rhythms
Each season is governed by a dosha:
Autumn to mid-winter – Vata
Summer – Pitta
Late winter to spring – Kapha
Balance the season's qualities with their opposites.
Final Thoughts
This has given you a little guidance on the concept and principles of Ayurveda. As always, there is so much more to it, but understanding the ground rules makes it easier to appreciate what follows, such as food guidance for the seasons and the doshas, and the development of diseases.
Understanding these basics makes Ayurveda more accessible. A poignant quote from the Yoga Sutras (2.16):
Heyam dukham anagatam - Future suffering can be avoided.
When we start observing the seasons, seasonal food, eating at appropriate times, basically swimming with the stream, we start avoiding future suffering, potential future illnesses, or their severity.
Ayurveda and Yoga have many tools to keep us healthy and strong. One of Ayurveda’s aims is for us to live a long and fulfilled life and stay healthy, strong, and sharp-minded until our last breath.
Now, I’d love to hear from you: Can you see yourself in these qualities and physical and mental makeups? What’s your experience? Let’s chat in the comments!
Let’s start a conversation. Leave a message on Instagram, Facebook, or even a good old email OR comment below :)
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
P.S. Did you know that healthy eating habits are the very base of staying healthy according to Ayurveda?
