Ayurveda. Don't Push your Pitta.

Pitta dosha is aligned with the fire element.

In Ayurveda, the doshas are protective barriers against disease.  We are a combination of all three doshas:  vata, pitta, and kapha.  If our doshas are aligned with our prakruti (our doshas at birth; our constitution at birth), this is considered perfect health.  If they are misaligned, imbalance results and unless we tip the scales toward balance, disease may manifest.  Ayurveda teaches awareness.  Being aware of the natural order of things enables us to recognize when things are out of balance.

The pitta dosha is most closely aligned in nature with the fire element.  Its primary function in our body is transformation.  Certain qualities constitute the pitta dosha:  oily, sharp, hot, light, spreading, and liquid.  It is most closely associated with the bitter and pungent tastes.  If the qualities inherent in pitta are aggravated, then a pitta imbalance can occur.  Some causes of a pitta imbalance may be:  hot, spicy food; the hot sun; sour citrus fruits; prolonged fasting; aggressiveness; competitiveness; and the summer season.  Emotions such as anger, hate and jealousy also contribute. 

Ayurveda teaches us to first identify and treat the cause.  Treating the cause with its opposite is generally the most effective method of treatment.  For instance, if you eat too much hot, spicy food, you may develop acid-indigestion.  By minimizing the quantity of the hot, spicy foods you consume and opting for more cooling foods and spices such as cilantro and coconut, you will counteract pitta’s hot and sharp qualities.  Your bouts of acid-indigestion should decline or be eliminated entirely.  Ayurveda teaches us to respect our own body’s intelligence.  All we need do is listen.

Ayurveda Lecture, Ayurvedic Studies Program Level 1, Student Manual 2010-2011, The Ayurvedic Press, 2010.