In our effort to understand the doshas we have covered the Vimshati Gunas and discussed how these relate to Vata dosha. At this point we will turn our attention to Pitta dosha.

We again reference the Ashtanga Hridayam to discover Pitta according to the Vimshati Gunas:

Sasneha, tikshna, ushna, laghu, visra, sara, drava.

Translating from Sanskrit we find that Pitta can be characterised as:

Slightly oily, sharp, hot, light, bad smell, mobile, flowing/liquid.

Focusing on the first four attributes, we can deduce that Summer is the season that most closely resembles Pitta – the heat of the season along with oiliness associated with humidity, sharpness of the sun, and light quality to the atmosphere. According to the principle of Samanya, it is during this time that Pitta will most easily become aggravated.

Pitta types also have an affinity for spicy food and because of Samanya (similarities), it can be their undoing. Spicy peppers (eg, jalapenos, habaneros, etc) also share the attributes of Pitta – the obvious heat, oiliness of the plant, sharpness in the taste, and lightness of the food (ie, not dense or heavy).

So, Pitta types need to avoid highly spiced food. But then what do they need to eat in order to balance the natural tendencies of their dosha? We can discover this by looking at the Vimshati Gunas:

dry, dull, cold, heavy, odourless, viscous/dense, steady/static.

Pitta types, due to their enduring internal heat, also tend to have voracious appetites so a meal containing these qualities may not sound like a terribly exciting prospect. Ideally, a Pitta type will learn to develop their taste buds to appreciate the subtle flavours of food and, in doing so, is able to reduce their dosha through diet.

Pitta types are mentally sharp and are considered to be the most ambitious of all the types. It’s in their interests to cultivate a meditative quality in their relaxation time and a good place to start is with non-competitive games or sports. Playing for fun will help to balance their natural desire to be perfect in all endeavours.

If you’re wondering if you might be a Pitta type, consider how you react when you skip a meal (in fact, it may even be the prospect of skipping a meal…). If your hot, fiery temperament comes rushing to the fore causing you to feel angry or agitated, you could well be a Pitta type.

The final installment will be devoted to Kapha, the most supportive and grounded of the three types.