Pitta Dosha

The word pitta is derived from the Sanskrit word tap, meaning to heat and to be austere. Pitta represents the Fire principle in the body. Literally everything that enters the body must be digested or "cooked" — from the sight of a full moon to a strawberry popped into the mouth. In addition to gastric fire, pitta includes enzymes and amino acids that play a major role in metabolism, and even the neurotransmitters and neuropeptides involved in thinking. Pitta regulates body heat through chemical transformation of food and gives a person appetite, vitality, learning, and understanding.

Pitta is hot, sharp, light, liquid, spreading, and slightly oily in nature. It is sour, pungent, and bitter to the taste, with a fleshy smell, and is associated with red and yellow colors. Pitta people have a sensitive and reactive body with a medium frame and weight, seldom gaining or losing much weight. They may have sharp, yellowish teeth with soft and sometimes bleeding gums. Their eyes are bright but tend to be sensitive to light. Pittas usually have strong appetite and thirst and prefer cold drinks and sweets.

Pitta types have excellent capability for learning, understanding, and concentrating. They are highly disciplined and excellent leaders, blessed with wisdom. They never yield from their principles, which sometimes leads to fanaticism. They can be judgmental, critical, and perfectionistic, tending to become angry easily. They love noble professions and often make large amounts of money to spend on luxurious items, perfume, and jewelry. The pitta constitution is endowed with moderate strength, much material knowledge, wealth, and a medium span of life.

The physiological functions of pitta include digestion of food, maintenance of body temperature, and eyesight. Because eyesight is regulated by pitta, people with pitta prakruti often have poor eyesight. The transparency of the lens and the cornea of the eye are related to pitta, as well as the cone cells of the retina.

Pitta creates flavor in the mouth and taste. Pitta contains agni (digestive fire) and taste is agni. If you have balanced agni—that is, healthy pitta—you have a good sense of taste in the mouth. Agni has fragrance and stimulates the olfactory sense. Appetite is created by pitta but pursuit of appetite is governed by samana vayu, which sends a message to prana that there is too much fire in the stomach. Therefore, appetite is created by pitta, pursued by samana vayu, and regulated by prana vayu.

The glow of the body, the luster of the eyes, hair, and skin are associated with pitta. Pitta governs intelligence and intellect, and is necessary for understanding and comprehension. Pitta gives knowledge, ambition, and bravery. A pitta body is more sensitive and reactive than a vata body and the skin is easily sunburned.

Pitta is responsible for transformation. When you eat food, that food undergoes the process of digestion, absorption and assimilation, and then the food becomes a part of the cells. The moment water, food, and air molecules enter the cell, they become intelligence. Ultimately, pitta transforms food into pure consciousness.