Fall Equinox 2012

On Saturday, September 22^nd at 8:49 AM Mountain Daylight Time, we celebrate the Fall Equinox as the sun crosses the celestial equator making its journey south towards the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year).

Happy Ganehsa Chaturthi!

Celebrated as Ganesha’s birthday, Ganesha “Chaturthi” (which literally means the fourth) refers to the fourth day after the new moon of the lunar month Bahdrapada, which usually falls around August-September.

10 Ways to Beat the Heat this August

So here we are in the dog days of summer. As the heat and humidity go up in the world around us, so does Pitta within us. Have you felt any of the following signs of high Pitta recently?

• Rashes or redness in the skin
• Hot flashes
• Impatience
• Acid reflux or heartburn
• Irritability over little things
• Road rage
• Inflammation

Excess Water & Earth

Kapha dosha keeps a person stable and grounded.

However, when a Kapha individual becomes out of balance they are more likely to develop diseases connected to the element of water such as, flu, congestion, excess mucus, and weight gain. And as we have discussed, Kapha dosha is also made up of the earth element and can therefore result in imbalances that make the body solid, e.g., tumors, gallstones, and kidney stones.

Blessed by Endurance & Compassion

Today we’ll celebrate the sweet love and divine grace of Kapha Dosha.

Kapha is made up of the elements Water and Earth.

In Sanskrit the term Kapha कफ means flourished by water.

Kapha in the body governs structure and support, a dosha relatively underdeveloped in our culture, especially in comparison to the overly celebrated multitasking of Vata and intense drive of Pitta.

Pitta provoked!

In human beings, Pitta’s primary responsibility is to coordinate digestion and healthy body temperature.

However, when Pitta dosha gets elevated above an individual’s unique “norm,” then signs of heat emerge: diarrhea, fever, inflammation, irritation, hot flashes, and rashes are common Pitta symptoms.

In the mental-emotional realm, aggravated Pitta can create anger, irritation, annoyance, rage, and a shorter fuse than usual.

The Transformation of Fire

In the last few posts, we’ve been learning about Vāta Dosha, the energy of  Ether (Space) and Air. Today, we dive into the fire of Pitta Dosha.

In Sanskrit the term Pitta पित्त comes from the word tapa, meaning heat or concentration.

So what deranges Vāta?

I’m so glad you asked! Vāta is considered to be very important and was described by the ancient teachers as the universal creator of all things, the soul of all beings, the sustainer of life and the lord of death. Therefore it is highly recommended to make all effort NOT to disturb Vāta dosha!

The Bridge Between Body, Mind & Consciousness

Vāta is the energy of Ether (Space) and Air.

The Sanskrit term vāta वात is related to the verb vah, meaning vehicle, to carry or move.

Vāta is present in movement, circulation & rhythm of the world around us and in our body and mind.

The Tridosha

A foundational concept of Ayurveda that has no parallel in Western science is the theory of the tridosha. The word dosha refers to an organizing principle or pattern in nature. The ancient teachers of Ayurveda noticed that certain constellations of qualities show up in nature together and move in predictable ways with predictable outcomes.

They observed three primary forces in the world, and they correspond to the major elements. Since there is no parallel in English, we still use the Sanskrit terms for these organizing principles: Vāta, Pitta and Kapha.