Dosha Comparison Chart - Vata, Pitta, Kapha

What Are the Doshas?

The doshas are three functional principles that govern all physiological processes in Ayurveda. Everyone has all three doshas - what varies is their proportion. Understanding your unique dosha balance reveals your constitutional strengths, vulnerabilities, and the lifestyle choices that support your health.

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Vata

Air + Space

The principle of movement

Governs circulation, breathing, nerve impulses, elimination, thought

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Pitta

Fire + Water

The principle of transformation

Governs digestion, metabolism, body temperature, comprehension

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Kapha

Water + Earth

The principle of structure

Governs stability, lubrication, immunity, memory, emotional grounding

Physical Characteristics

Characteristic	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Body Frame	Thin, light, narrow	Medium, athletic	Large, solid, sturdy
Weight	Low, difficult to gain	Medium, can gain or lose	Heavy, easy to gain, hard to lose
Skin	Dry, rough, cool, thin	Warm, oily, sensitive, prone to rashes	Thick, cool, oily, smooth
Hair	Dry, thin, frizzy, dark	Fine, straight, oily, light/red, early gray	Thick, wavy, lustrous, dark
Eyes	Small, dry, nervous, dark	Medium, penetrating, light/gray/green	Large, attractive, calm, blue/brown
Lips	Thin, dry, cracked	Medium, soft, red	Full, smooth, pale
Teeth	Irregular, protruded, receding gums	Medium, yellowish, bleeding gums	Large, white, strong
Nails	Rough, brittle, cracked	Soft, pink, flexible	Thick, strong, white
Joints	Prominent, cracking, cold	Loose, flexible	Large, well-lubricated, stable
Body Temperature	Cold extremities, dislikes cold	Warm, dislikes heat	Cool, tolerates cold well
Perspiration	Minimal, no odor	Profuse, strong odor	Moderate, pleasant odor
Appetite	Variable, irregular	Strong, sharp, irritable if missed	Low but steady, can skip meals
Digestion	Irregular, gas-prone	Quick, strong, tends to acidity	Slow, steady
Elimination	Dry, hard, constipation-prone	Regular, loose, tends to diarrhea	Regular, heavy, sluggish
Energy Pattern	Bursts of energy, tires easily	Steady, moderate stamina	Slow to start, excellent endurance
Sleep	Light, interrupted, insomnia-prone	Moderate, falls asleep easily	Deep, heavy, loves sleep
Voice	Low, weak, hoarse	Sharp, clear, commanding	Deep, pleasant, melodious
Speech Pattern	Fast, talkative, may ramble	Precise, argumentative	Slow, deliberate, thoughtful

Mental and Emotional Characteristics

Characteristic	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Mind Quality	Quick, restless, creative	Sharp, focused, analytical	Calm, steady, methodical
Learning Style	Learns quickly, forgets quickly	Learns moderately, retains well	Learns slowly, never forgets
Memory	Short-term good, long-term poor	Sharp, accurate	Takes time, but retains permanently
Decision Making	Indecisive, changes mind	Decisive, committed	Deliberate, sticks to decision
Creativity	Highly creative, imaginative	Creative problem-solver	Implements, brings to completion
Emotional Nature	Sensitive, changeable, enthusiastic	Intense, passionate, driven	Steady, loving, attached
When Balanced	Enthusiastic, flexible, joyful	Intelligent, courageous, warm	Loving, patient, forgiving
Under Stress	Anxious, worried, scattered	Irritable, critical, aggressive	Withdrawn, depressed, possessive
Primary Fear	Loneliness, abandonment	Failure, loss of control	Change, loss of security
Communication	Talkative, digressive	Direct, persuasive	Reserved, thoughtful
Social Nature	Loves connection, many acquaintances	Selective, enjoys leadership	Loyal, few deep friendships
Spending Habits	Impulsive, spends quickly	Spends on quality, status	Conservative, saves
Work Style	Multi-tasks, starts many projects	Focused, goal-oriented	Steady, completes what's started
Response to Change	Adapts easily, may overadapt	Plans for change, controls it	Resists change, needs time

Inherent Qualities (Gunas)

Each dosha has characteristic qualities that manifest when that dosha increases.

Vata Qualities

Light (laghu) - low weight, light sleep
Cold (shita) - cold hands/feet, seeks warmth
Dry (ruksha) - dry skin, constipation
Rough (khara) - rough skin, cracking joints
Subtle (sukshma) - sensitive, perceptive
Mobile (chala) - restless, traveling mind
Clear (vishada) - clear-minded when balanced

Pitta Qualities

Hot (ushna) - warm body, strong digestion
Sharp (tikshna) - sharp intellect, hunger
Light (laghu) - light sleep, medium frame
Liquid (drava) - loose stool, sweating
Spreading (sara) - inflammation spreads
Oily (snigdha) - oily skin, loose joints
Sour-smelling (visra) - strong body odor

Kapha Qualities

Heavy (guru) - heavy bones, slow metabolism
Slow (manda) - slow digestion, movement
Cold (shita) - cool skin, calm demeanor
Oily (snigdha) - oily skin, lubricated joints
Smooth (slakshna) - smooth skin, gentle nature
Dense (sandra) - dense tissue, thick hair
Soft (mrdu) - soft skin, compassionate
Stable (sthira) - stable mind, steady energy

Signs of Imbalance

Recognizing imbalance is the first step toward restoring health. Here are common signs of each dosha in excess.

System	Vata Excess	Pitta Excess	Kapha Excess
Skin	Dry, rough, cracked	Rashes, acne, burning	Oily, clammy, pale
Digestion	Gas, bloating, constipation	Heartburn, acid reflux, ulcers	Sluggish, heavy, nausea
Elimination	Dry, hard, irregular stool	Loose, frequent, burning	Sticky, heavy, mucoid
Sleep	Insomnia, light, interrupted	Difficulty falling asleep, intense dreams	Excessive sleep, groggy on waking
Energy	Fatigue, depletion, burnout	Driven, can't stop, eventual crash	Lethargy, heaviness, inertia
Mental	Anxiety, worry, fear, scattered	Anger, irritability, criticism, perfectionism	Depression, attachment, stubbornness
Nervous System	Tremors, twitches, pain	Headaches, inflammation	Numbness, heaviness
Respiratory	Dry cough, hoarseness	Infections, bloody nose	Congestion, mucus, asthma
Joints	Cracking, pain, stiffness	Inflammation, burning	Swelling, water retention
Weight	Unintended loss	Variable, tendency to lose	Unintended gain

Common Causes of Imbalance

Vata is Disturbed By

Irregular routines
Excessive travel
Cold, dry, windy weather
Raw, cold, dry foods
Too much screen time
Insufficient sleep
Excessive exercise
Worry and overthinking

Pitta is Disturbed By

Excessive heat
Spicy, oily, acidic foods
Alcohol and caffeine
Competition and conflict
Overwork and ambition
Skipping meals
Exposure to chemicals
Suppressed emotions

Kapha is Disturbed By

Excessive sleep
Lack of exercise
Cold, damp weather
Heavy, oily, sweet foods
Overeating
Sedentary lifestyle
Daytime sleeping
Lack of stimulation

Balancing Strategies

Like increases like; opposites bring balance. Use opposing qualities to restore dosha equilibrium.

Category	Balance Vata	Balance Pitta	Balance Kapha
Key Principle	Warm, moist, grounding	Cool, moderate, calming	Light, warm, stimulating
Tastes to Favor	Sweet, sour, salty	Sweet, bitter, astringent	Pungent, bitter, astringent
Tastes to Reduce	Bitter, astringent, pungent	Sour, salty, pungent	Sweet, sour, salty
Food Qualities	Warm, cooked, oily, moist	Cool, fresh, moderate oil	Light, dry, warm, spiced
Best Foods	Soups, stews, root vegetables, warm grains, ghee	Salads, coconut, cucumber, melon, sweet fruits	Leafy greens, legumes, light grains, honey
Foods to Avoid	Raw salads, dried foods, cold drinks, crackers	Chilies, fermented foods, alcohol, fried foods	Dairy, wheat, sugar, fried foods, ice cream
Exercise	Gentle yoga, walking, swimming, tai chi	Swimming, hiking, moderate activity, cooling sports	Vigorous exercise, running, hot yoga, dancing
Lifestyle	Regular routine, early bed, warmth, oil massage	Work-life balance, nature time, cooling activities	Early rising, variety, new experiences, stimulation
Environment	Warm, calm, quiet, stable	Cool, beautiful, natural, peaceful	Warm, bright, stimulating, varied
Daily Routine	Consistent times, abhyanga with warm oil	Moderate pace, cooling pranayama	Wake early, dry brush, vigorous movement
Yoga Style	Slow, grounding, restorative	Cooling, non-competitive, moon salutations	Vigorous, heating, sun salutations
Meditation	Guided, grounding, breath-focused	Loving-kindness, cooling visualization	Active, walking meditation, stimulating mantras
Colors	Warm, earthy - orange, yellow, red, gold	Cool, calming - blue, green, white, silver	Bright, stimulating - red, orange, yellow
Aromas	Warming - ginger, cinnamon, lavender	Cooling - sandalwood, rose, jasmine	Stimulating - eucalyptus, rosemary, camphor

The Subdoshas

Each dosha divides into five subdoshas with specific locations and functions, enabling more precise understanding of imbalance.

Five Vayus (Forms of Vata)

Subdosha	Location	Direction	Function	Imbalance Signs
Prana	Head, chest, throat	Inward, upward	Breathing, intake, sensory reception	Anxiety, respiratory issues, sensory problems
Udana	Throat, diaphragm	Upward	Speech, expression, enthusiasm, memory	Speech problems, weak voice, poor memory
Samana	Navel, small intestine	Circular	Digestion, assimilation, stoking agni	Irregular digestion, malabsorption
Apana	Lower abdomen, pelvis	Downward, outward	Elimination, menstruation, childbirth	Constipation, urinary/menstrual issues
Vyana	Heart, throughout body	Outward, expansive	Circulation, distribution, coordination	Poor circulation, numbness, heart issues

Five Agnis (Forms of Pitta)

Subdosha	Location	Function	Imbalance Signs
Pachaka	Stomach, small intestine	Primary digestive fire, breaks down food	Hyperacidity, heartburn, ulcers
Ranjaka	Liver, spleen, stomach	Colors blood, governs liver function	Anemia, jaundice, liver disorders
Sadhaka	Heart, brain	Emotional processing, courage, determination	Emotional overwhelm, lack of clarity
Alochaka	Eyes	Vision, perception, discernment	Eye problems, light sensitivity
Bhrajaka	Skin	Complexion, temperature regulation	Skin rashes, acne, inflammation

Five Forms of Kapha

Subdosha	Location	Function	Imbalance Signs
Kledaka	Stomach	Moistens food, protects stomach lining	Weak digestion, excess mucus, nausea
Avalambaka	Chest, heart	Supports heart/lungs, chest structure	Chest congestion, respiratory heaviness
Bodhaka	Mouth, tongue	Produces saliva, enables taste perception	Loss of taste, excess salivation, coated tongue
Tarpaka	Head, brain	Nourishes nervous system, contentment	Lack of contentment, poor memory
Shleshaka	Joints	Lubricates joints for smooth movement	Joint pain, cracking, stiffness, swelling

Dosha Time Cycles

The doshas fluctuate in predictable cycles throughout the day, seasons, and life stages.

Daily Cycle

Time	Dosha	Best Activities
6-10 AM	Kapha	Wake before 6, exercise, heavier meal
10 AM-2 PM	Pitta	Main meal at noon, focused work
2-6 PM	Vata	Creative work, light snack, movement
6-10 PM	Kapha	Light dinner, wind down, sleep by 10
10 PM-2 AM	Pitta	Deep sleep, liver cleansing
2-6 AM	Vata	Spiritual practice, meditation, dreams

Seasonal Cycle

Season	Dosha	Adjustment
Late Winter - Spring	Kapha	Lighter foods, more exercise, cleansing
Summer	Pitta	Cooling foods, moderate activity, shade
Fall - Early Winter	Vata	Warm, oily foods, routine, rest

Life Stage Cycle

Stage	Dosha	Characteristics
Childhood (0-16)	Kapha	Growth, building tissue, prone to congestion
Adulthood (16-50)	Pitta	Achievement, metabolism, prone to inflammation
Elder Years (50+)	Vata	Wisdom, dryness, prone to degeneration

Discover your constitution

Understanding your unique dosha balance is the foundation of Ayurvedic practice. Take the free quiz to learn your type.

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