Summary of Doshas, Dhatus and Ojas

Vata
Prana vayu: Inward moving. Original or primary vayu because life force energy (p
rana) must first come into the body. Associated with movement of thought & intak
e of emotions. Resides in brain; moves downward into chest. Vitiation: excess th
ought, fear, worry, anxiety (reflected in breath); can lead to addictions. To tr
eat: take in healthy impressions, control desires, mgmt of food and breath. Avoi
d harmful impressions. Enhance receptivity to divine.
Samana vayu: Moves from periphery to center. Balancing air. Carries sensory impr
essions to brain, venous blood to heart, nutrients into bloodstream and oxygen i
nto bloodstream. Governs absorption. In the mind, balances and stabilizes other
vayus. Resides in small intestine; it s the air that stokes the fire . Since air is u
nstable, digestion is variable. Since samana vayu draws things toward center, ca
uses you to be centered, and when we lose our center/balance, don t digest well. T
o treat: establish healthy routines.
Vyana vayu: Moves from periphery to center. Diffusing air . Major role in circulati
on (arterial circulation, nerve energy, movement of thought, carries sweat to ou
tside of body). Force that moves the joints. Resides in the heart (center of cir
culation). When vitiated, dry skin, stiff joints, tremors and ticks. To treat: s
urrender, open to flow of universe.
Udana vayu: Upward and outward moving air. Energy that motivates action; motivat
es expressions through the use of the muscles and voice. Resides in throat and c
hest. When vitiated, problems with self-expression, speech impediments, dry coug
h, difficulty with recall, abnormal enthusiasm, vomiting. To treat: cultivate ha
rmonious action and spiritual aspiration, also mantra.
Apana vayu: Downward and outward moving air. Resides in colon. Responsible for e
limination 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 (d
igests 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, co
urage, anger. The light provides wisdom and clarity. To heal: need rest (opposit
e of stress).
Pachaka pitta: Most important fire (biggest fireplace ). Resides at home of pitta i
n small intestine and lower half of stomach. Converts food to form that can be a
bsorbed; fire of digestion. Regulates body temperature. When vitiated: burning i
rritation, high temperature, diarrhea, hyperacidity. To treat: proper diet and h
erbs.
Ranjaka pitta: Located in liver (also gall bladder, spleen, blood). Imparts colo
r. When vitiated: red or yellow eyes, red or yellow skin, yellow urine, yellow o
r green stools. Treat with 5 sense therapies (e.g., blue cools down liver, treat
s jaundice).
Alochaka pitta: Resides in eyes (pupils). Digest light/visual impressions. On hi
gher level, related to perception; if eyes are clear, perception is clear and yo
u can perceive truth (relationship between eyesight and inner vision). When viti
ated: 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. Whe
n vitiated: skin becomes red, leads to rashes, acne, skin cancer. To treat: avoi
d external heat (sun, fireplace). Also, avoiding overheating mind prevents overh
eating 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 t
hought and nerve impulses. If too high, mind becomes sluggish. To treat, avoid e
xcess sleep.
Avalambaka kapha: Located in chest (heart and lungs). Protects lungs and respira
tory 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. Whe
n vitiated, kapha accumulates; heaviness in system; food doesn t digest well; muco
us causes nausea. Treat with diet and herbs.
Bodhaka kapha: Located in mouth. Moistens mouth; saliva. Protects mouth from hea
t of food and roughness of food and chewing. Responsible for aesthetic taste. Wh
en vitiated: excess saliva. Treat with diet and herbs.
Sleshaka kapha: Located in joints. Provides lubrication in joints, allows for flu
id motion, provides joint stability. When vitiated: swelling, arthritis, limited
motion, joint stiffness, limited motion. If earth kapha joint problem, treat wit
h 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; lymp
h, chyle, breast milk, menses, plasma. In subtle body, provides satisfaction. Wh
en vata invades: dryness of tissues, decreased menses and breast milk, dissatisf
action, constipation, gas. When pitta invades: inflamed, burning mucous membrane
s. 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 ent
ers: large blood cells with low hemoglobin, arteriosclerosis.
Mamsa dhatu: Muscles, ligaments and skin. Composed mainly of earth and some wate
r and fire. Psychological function: courage, fortitude, self-confidence. When va
ta enters: minimal musculature, thin skin, hyper mobile ligaments, prone to fear
, worries, low self-confidence. When pitta enters: myositis, inflamed skin and
ligaments, pitta arthritis. When kapha enters: muscle bound, thick skin, hyper m
obile joints (strong but less mobile). As person becomes stronger, become gentle
r due to water increase.
Medas dhatu: Fat (composed primarily of water). Lubricates tissues of body throu
gh 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; w
eight gain. May be loving, but less pure; conditional.
Asthi dhatu: Bones, nails, teeth, hair. Composed of air and earth-provides frame
work. Psychologically; stand tall, attain stature. When vata enters: become dimi
nished, osteoporosis, bone irregularity, crooked teeth, brittle nails, thin hair
, vata arthritis, bone spurs. When pitta enters: become overheated, bone infecti
ons, inflammatory arthritis, teeth and nails yellow, hair turns early grey, oste
omyletis. Courage but less stature. When kapha enters: increases. Bones, nails a
nd teeth become thick and dense. Thick hair. Bone spurs and kapha arthritis. Ost
eoblastic bone cancer. Stubborn, closed, like a wall.
Majja dhatu: Nervous system (also anything that fills an empty space-brain, spin
al cord, bone marrow. Also sclera of eyes). Composed of water and earth. Psychol
ogically: full, complete, whole, peaceful, calm, anxious, depression, grief. Whe
n vata enters: deficiency; movement disorders; fear; nervous; twitching; tremors
; dyskinesia. Eyes dark, vacant. When pitta enters: increased heat in nerve tiss
ues. Burning nerve pain (neuritis), yellow eyes. When kapha enters: tissue becom
es denser, difficult for nerve impulses to move through. Sluggish response, decr
eased pain, cloudy eyes, depression.
Shukra dhatu: Reproductive tissue, sperm, semen, prostrate fluids, seminal vesic
les, prostate gland, ovum, ovaries. Composed of highly refined water; contains t
he essence of all other dhatus. Psychologically; ability to sustain creativity (
sexually and creative projects). When vata enters: becomes diminished; infertili
ty, low semen volume, low sperm, weak ovum, decreased sexual desire, inability t
o complete projects, hard to sustain pregnancy and manifest creativity. When pit

ta enters: overheated; infection or inflammation, testiculitis,prostatis, inflam

mation of ovaries or tubes. When kapha enters:
leads to excess; benign prostatic hypertrophy,prostatic cancer, ovarian cysts, o
varian cancer. Large semen volume, low motility.
Ojas
Ojas is not really a tissue or dhatu; rather it is the essence that gives the ti
ssues strength and endurance, the force that keeps the tissues healthy. Composed
primarily of earth and water (qualities similar to kapha). Produced from essenc
e 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 mi
nd.