Summary of Doshas, Dhatus and Ojas

Vata
Prana vayu: Inward moving. Original or primary vayu because life force energy (prana)
must first come into the body. Associated with movement of thought & intake of
emotions. Resides in brain; moves downward into chest. Vitiation: excess thought, fear,
worry, anxiety (reflected in breath); can lead to addictions. To treat: take in healthy
impressions, control desires, mgmt of food and breath. Avoid harmful impressions.
Enhance receptivity to divine.
Samana vayu: Moves from periphery to center. Balancing air. Carries sensory
impressions to brain, venous blood to heart, nutrients into bloodstream and oxygen into
bloodstream. Governs absorption. In the mind, balances and stabilizes other vayus.
Resides in small intestine; its the air that stokes the fire. Since air is unstable, digestion
is variable. Since samana vayu draws things toward center, causes you to be centered,
and when we lose our center/balance, dont digest well. To treat: establish healthy
routines.
Vyana vayu: Moves from periphery to center. Diffusing air. Major role in circulation
(arterial circulation, nerve energy, movement of thought, carries sweat to outside of
body). Force that moves the joints. Resides in the heart (center of circulation). When
vitiated, dry skin, stiff joints, tremors and ticks. To treat: surrender, open to flow of
universe.
Udana vayu: Upward and outward moving air. Energy that motivates action; motivates
expressions through the use of the muscles and voice. Resides in throat and chest. When
vitiated, problems with self-expression, speech impediments, dry cough, difficulty with
recall, abnormal enthusiasm, vomiting. To treat: cultivate harmonious action and
spiritual aspiration, also mantra.
Apana vayu: Downward and outward moving air. Resides in colon. Responsible for
elimination of waste. Imbalances lead to constipation, diarrhea, altered menses,
short/long labor, low semen volume. Clears negativity from mind. Treat build-up with
mental fasting (silence) and cultivation of clarity.
Pitta
Sadhaka pitta: Resides in mind, brain. Digests & makes sense of sensory input (digests
info); burns illusion away from truth. If lots of fire in the mind, crave info. Fire of
sadhaka pitta gives off light and heat; heat provides passion, courage, anger. The light
provides wisdom and clarity. To heal: need rest (opposite of stress).
Pachaka pitta: Most important fire (biggest fireplace). Resides at home of pitta in
small intestine and lower half of stomach. Converts food to form that can be absorbed;
fire of digestion. Regulates body temperature. When vitiated: burning irritation, high
temperature, diarrhea, hyperacidity. To treat: proper diet and herbs.

Ranjaka pitta: Located in liver (also gall bladder, spleen, blood). Imparts color. When
vitiated: red or yellow eyes, red or yellow skin, yellow urine, yellow or green stools.
Treat with 5 sense therapies (e.g., blue cools down liver, treats jaundice).
Alochaka pitta: Resides in eyes (pupils). Digest light/visual impressions. On higher
level, related to perception; if eyes are clear, perception is clear and you can perceive
truth (relationship between eyesight and inner vision). When vitiated: distorted vision,
conjunctivitis. Treat with honesty; honest with yourself, clear perception of self and
environment.
Bhrajaka Pitta: Resides in skin. Digests touch, temperature, pressure, pain. When
vitiated: skin becomes red, leads to rashes, acne, skin cancer. To treat: avoid external
heat (sun, fireplace). Also, avoiding overheating mind prevents overheating body.
Kapha
Tarpaka Kapha: Resides in head/brain. Protects (lubricates) mind, brain, nerves from
heat generated by critical thinking & heated emotion and from movement of thought and
nerve impulses. If too high, mind becomes sluggish. To treat, avoid excess sleep.
Avalambaka kapha: Located in chest (heart and lungs). Protects lungs and respiratory
tissues. Related to attachment and holding on to things and to weight gain. When
vitiated, mucous accumulates in lungs and respiratory system (build up of mucous chief
sign of disturbance). Treat with 5 sense therapies, and by freeing from attachments; give
away possessions.
Kledaka kapha: Located in stomach. Protects lining of stomach against acids. When
vitiated, kapha accumulates; heaviness in system; food doesnt digest well; mucous
causes nausea. Treat with diet and herbs.
Bodhaka kapha: Located in mouth. Moistens mouth; saliva. Protects mouth from heat of
food and roughness of food and chewing. Responsible for aesthetic taste. When vitiated:
excess saliva. Treat with diet and herbs.
Sleshaka kapha: Located in joints. Provides lubrication in joints, allows for fluid
motion, provides joint stability. When vitiated: swelling, arthritis, limited motion, joint
stiffness, limited motion. If earth kapha joint problem, treat with motion, exercise. If
water kapha problem, treat with rest, heat and herbs.
Dhatus
Rasa dhatu: Fluids, plasma (watery component of blood). All fluids in body; lymph,
chyle, breast milk, menses, plasma. In subtle body, provides satisfaction. When vata
invades: dryness of tissues, decreased menses and breast milk, dissatisfaction,
constipation, gas. When pitta invades: inflamed, burning mucous membranes. When
Kapha invades: swelling, high blood pressure, complacency.

Rakta dhatu: Blood, red blood cells. Also involves blood vessels, liver, spleen. Contains
fire element; invigorates tissues and mind. When vata invades: anemia, arteriosclerosis,
cold, loss of motivation. When pitta enters: liver and spleen disorders, red rashes,
bleeding, aggression, highly invigorated. When kapha enters: large blood cells with low
hemoglobin, arteriosclerosis.
Mamsa dhatu: Muscles, ligaments and skin. Composed mainly of earth and some water
and fire. Psychological function: courage, fortitude, self-confidence. When vata enters:
minimal musculature, thin skin, hyper mobile ligaments, prone to fear , worries, low selfconfidence. When pitta enters: myositis, inflamed skin and ligaments, pitta arthritis.
When kapha enters: muscle bound, thick skin, hyper mobile joints (strong but less
mobile). As person becomes stronger, become gentler due to water increase.
Medas dhatu: Fat (composed primarily of water). Lubricates tissues of body through
oiliness (vs. rasa provides water moistness). Psychological function: ability to love and
receive love. When vata enters: emaciation, cold (less insulation), dry skin, dry cracking
joints, low body weight, dry hair. Personality rough and hard. When pitta enters:
excessive sweating, cellulitis. Heat dries up the oil. Voice sharp; less able to love.
When kapha enters: skin and hair become oily; weight gain. May be loving, but less
pure; conditional.
Asthi dhatu: Bones, nails, teeth, hair. Composed of air and earth-provides framework.
Psychologically; stand tall, attain stature. When vata enters: become diminished,
osteoporosis, bone irregularity, crooked teeth, brittle nails, thin hair, vata arthritis, bone
spurs. When pitta enters: become overheated, bone infections, inflammatory arthritis,
teeth and nails yellow, hair turns early grey, osteomyletis. Courage but less stature.
When kapha enters: increases. Bones, nails and teeth become thick and dense. Thick
hair. Bone spurs and kapha arthritis. Osteoblastic bone cancer. Stubborn, closed, like a
wall.
Majja dhatu: Nervous system (also anything that fills an empty space-brain, spinal cord,
bone marrow. Also sclera of eyes). Composed of water and earth. Psychologically: full,
complete, whole, peaceful, calm, anxious, depression, grief. When vata enters:
deficiency; movement disorders; fear; nervous; twitching; tremors; dyskinesia. Eyes
dark, vacant. When pitta enters: increased heat in nerve tissues. Burning nerve pain
(neuritis), yellow eyes. When kapha enters: tissue becomes denser, difficult for nerve
impulses to move through. Sluggish response, decreased pain, cloudy eyes, depression.
Shukra dhatu: Reproductive tissue, sperm, semen, prostrate fluids, seminal vesicles,
prostate gland, ovum, ovaries. Composed of highly refined water; contains the essence of
all other dhatus. Psychologically; ability to sustain creativity (sexually and creative
projects). When vata enters: becomes diminished; infertility, low semen volume, low
sperm, weak ovum, decreased sexual desire, inability to complete projects, hard to sustain
pregnancy and manifest creativity. When pitta enters: overheated; infection or
inflammation, testiculitis,prostatis, inflammation of ovaries or tubes. When kapha enters:

leads to excess; benign prostatic hypertrophy,prostatic cancer, ovarian cysts, ovarian

cancer. Large semen volume, low motility.
Ojas
Ojas is not really a tissue or dhatu; rather it is the essence that gives the tissues strength
and endurance, the force that keeps the tissues healthy. Composed primarily of earth and
water (qualities similar to kapha). Produced from essence of shukra. Ojas is the force of
stability, provides the body with the ability to endure stress. When strong, no disease
can affect the body. Stabilizes the mind.