As I said in this post, Ayurveda is meant to be contemplative. This is my contemplation on the wisdom of pitta dosha.
I love how much I love things.
My passion for writing, walking, cooking, Ayurveda, tall trees, picking wild blackberries, backyard gardening, mamahood, food, sex, pranayama, storytelling, friendship, self-discovery, creativity, music, literature, learning, and absolute rest is its own inspiration. My passion is an insatiable fire that lights itself every time my mind fixes on some temporary object in this illusion of a world.
In other words, pitta dosha is the most dominant part of my constitution.
The Purpose of Pitta’s Fire
Fire is fuel. And pitta is fire. Those of us for whom pitta’s fires shine brightly are often at odds with a world that seems intent on everyone existing at a low hum. But whenever I see the first evening star, I imagine what would happen if we truly shined.
Pitta is sharp, direct, and hot. It is our intelligence, the thirst for knowing. Any quest has pitta as its guide. Any great feat was made possible by pitta.
And yes, the boasts — pitta is there too. Because, just like a fire, pitta doesn’t know how to stop itself.
How to Heal Pitta Dosha
The more we’ve stomped on our fires, the more that fire turns to scorch the earth. Hostility, burning resentment, and braggadaccio can only exist when the fire knows its value but receives no reverence.
Reverence — quite different from empty praise or inflated ego — means to bow to one’s power. It means to sit in awe of the brightness of a being that lights up the night.
In other words, we can and should bow to the power of our passions.
This does not mean we fall into a cult of self-worship (that is a trap of imbalance pitta, up there with hair loss and loose stools). Don’t bow to the I sense that holds your name and face — but to the greater animating power within each of us that illuminates our desires for life.
If your contemplation about pitta is simply wondering if you can drink coffee or eat ginger, you’re missing the brilliance of learning how this dosha works.
In the immortal words of Katy Perry: Baby, you’re a firework. Come on, show them what you’re worth.
Journal prompts:
- What kinds of passions do you have? If you can’t think of any, when was the last time you felt passionate?
- Name at least one way you are actively reclaiming your fire for life. Write about it as a celebration of you.
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