Pitta Dosha

Pitta dosha is made up of the elements of fire and water through which it manifests the qualities of pungent, hot, penetrating, oily, sharp, liquid, spreading and sour. Its primary function is transformation and is the force of metabolic activity in the body associated with the endocrine function, digestion, body temperature, visual perception, hunger, thirst, and skin quality.

In Western terms we can categorise the activities of pitta in terms of amino acids, enzymes, bile, hydrochloric acid and hormones. This explains the seemingly contradictory combination of fire and water to form pitta. Pitta exists as water or oil in the body, thus preserving the tissues from the destructive aspect of fire. It resides in the eyes, blood, sweat glands and lymph but its primary site is in the small intestine.

Mentally it plays a role in understanding, in digesting sensory impressions. You need to balance the heat of pitta if many of the following conditions are present:

• Your skin is overly oily and prone to acne.

• You are prone to rashes, fevers or inflammatory skin conditions

• You have excessive hunger or thirst.

• You sweat profusely and have overly hot hands and feet.

• You suffer from infections, access acidity, ulcers and heart problems.

• You are overly aggressive and prone to anger and frustration.

• You experience lose or hot, watery stools and diarrhoea-type elimination.

• You tend to be overly critical, domineering, obsessive or controlling in nature.

• You experience frequent eyestrain or tension headaches.

• You are going prematurely grey or balding.