Will Playing Daddy's Violin

Nat's Scarf

Pitta with Yellow Tulips

Kapha

(Information from blog:  HeyMonicaB on Kapha:  Energy of Construction)

Kapha is the dosha responsible for lubrication and construction of the body.

Everybody loves a Kapha.  They are comfortable and happy in one place and don't like to change.

Kaphas are prone to heavy, static diseases like obesity, diabetes, and dullness of mind.

Kaphas are the peacemakes, the joyous hosts,  the listeners, the nurturers.

Their mind is steady, the attitude is positive, and their body is strong.

Their skin is usually pale, their eyes big and beautiful, their teeth strong, their lashes long.

They gain weight easily.  The best thing they can do is get moving.

A light diet is best and they need to fast.

Because of their sturdiness, Kaphas tend to be the heaviest of the three doshas, including their mental energy.  They are extremely tolerant and patient.

For the image, think of the Kardashians.

PITTA: Description

(From AYURVEDA:  A LIFE OF BALANCE by Maya Tiwari)

The Pitta Personality:  The brillance of a raging fire dragon in the city of sparkling gems.

Pitta demands the lion's share and usually gets it.  Energy, ambition, and aggression are the primary qualities of Pitta.

Born of the radiating energy of the universe, Pitta transforms ideas into reality.

The Pitta types naturally enjoy absolute control over all situations.  Ram-powered for success, they are brilliant and able to focus single-mindedly on the task at hand.

Pitta types lose control with great rapidity.  Tempering the Pitta will is tantamount to controlling a raging forest fire.

Consideration for others is the main issue that Pitta types must keep foremost in mind.

It is a common mistake for Pitta types to feel that material conquests are the pinnacle of success.

They are equipped for the Hundred Years' War each day.

Physical characteristics include:  red, blond or prematurely grey hair; soft, warm, freckled skin; medium build, athletic and well-toned.

Emotional characteristics include:  intelligent, arrogant, self-centered, alert, irritable.

Vata Observed

Instead of writing about my own life as a Vata type, I want to tell you about a younger woman I observed at a bridge tournament recently.

She was so obviously a Vata type and she was also struggling, it seemed to me, to be "in the world."

Much younger than I am, blond.  But her hair was fine and thin and dry.  She was a lovely thing, and I spent most of my time at the bridge table admiring her jewelry and her striking appearance.

Her mind was so quick, it was flitting around, ahead of everybody else's.  Once her partner said, "Wait on me, partner, the game's not over yet."  She had already, in her mind, finished that hand and was like a race horse at the starting gate, chomping at the bit for the next one.

Once she left the table.  When she came back, she was breathing so hard, I thought for a minute she was going to pass out.  But she finally calmed herself.

Her three team mates went out for lunch, but she stayed behind.  I don't know if she ate, but she went outside for a while -- to smoke??  I don't know.  Smoking seems to be very calming to the Vata.

She was so intense and focused that the air was charged with electricity.

Her hands and joints seemed large in comparison to the rest of her.

She seemed to be unaware of anyone else around her.   Yet, she was lovely in her isolation.

Ayurvedic Body Types: VATA

(Based on AYURVEDA:  A LIFE OF BALANCE by Maya Tiwari)

Ayurveda, the 5000 year old Indian science of improving your life by staying in balance, has long been a favorite of mine.  The body types described according to Ayurveda gave me the first insight I have ever had about how to eat, sleep, not exercise, dress, and live so that I could be comfortable in the world.

These posts are going to be a sketchy introduction to this ancient way of being by means of introducing it to those of you who have never heard of it.

The three main body types are vata, pitta and kapha, but with all of the combinations of those three there are nine.

Vata is my own body type so I'm going to deal with it first and probably in more detail.  The Vata person is thin, fast moving, with a quick mind, and is easily unbalanced.

From now on, I am quoting from the book:

The Vata personality and psychological nature:  swift as a deer, cold as ice.

This type always appears to be on the precipice of isolation....Influenced by the air and space elements....Vata permeates the subtle body....A person evolving from the fourth chakra has a very short karmic slack....Vata types must allow their numinous nature to revel in the true spirit of universal sensuality....The most common mistake make by the Vata person is to attempt to meld into the routines created by Pitta and Kapha....The so-called norms are to be avoided by Vata types....The most vital insulation for the austere structure of Vata is fine and harmonious sound....Vata is also ruled by a heightened sense of touch....Vatas need the gentle buffering of soft, flowing clothes....Vatas need to maintain a consistent daily schedule, one that allows for reflection, napping, and nurturing the body and mind....Vata does not need intense exercise....With a nature steeped in aesthetics, Vata is the natural clothes horse.

So--next time, I will reflect on how this impacts my own life.