In Ayurveda, the three doshas — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha — are the functional energies that shape your body and mind. Everyone carries all three; the proportions you were born with are your prakriti (constitution), and how they shift day to day is your vikriti (current state).
Vata — air and space
Vata governs movement: breath, circulation, nerve impulses, and elimination. In balance it brings creativity and lightness; aggravated, it tends toward dryness, anxiety, and irregular digestion.
Pitta — fire and water
Pitta governs transformation: digestion, metabolism, and body temperature. In balance it brings focus and warmth; aggravated, it tends toward heat, irritability, and inflammation.
Kapha — earth and water
Kapha governs structure and stability: tissues, lubrication, and immunity. In balance it brings steadiness and calm; aggravated, it tends toward heaviness, congestion, and sluggishness.
Why it matters
Knowing your constitution is the starting point for tuning diet, routine, and movement to keep you in balance — always as general education, never a diagnosis.