What is Tri-Dosha?

If you have taken a "Determining your Dosha", test online or been told you are "Tri-Dosha" by your Ayurvedic practitioner or yoga instructor, you may be wondering exactly what this means.

"Tri-dosha" people are those few, in whom, the three Dosha's of Ayuvedic medicine are perfectly balanced at birth. This means, instead of having an inclination towards fire, or air, or earth, you have a good balance of all three elements in your Prakruti or constitution. This can be a very powerful thing, and comes with it's own unique set of challenges and rewards.

Physical Characteristics

Because of the balance of elements in their constitution, Tri-Doshics can be hard to pick out of a crowd. They may have the dark skin of Kapha, the light eyes of Vata and the red hair of Pitta. Or they may not. The one thing that can be said about the physical characteristics of a Tri-dosha, is that they look "balanced", or go together well.

Tri-Dosha in Balance

When in balance Tri-Doshic people often have a lot of friends who are completely difference from each other. If a Tri -Doshic person, is at a job where they must constantly use logical analysis, they will often find the need when they get home from work to do something physically energetic (Pitta), or chat with more intuitive friend on the phone. (Vata)

What Imbalances a Tri-Dosha person?

Being in a state of natural equilibrium to begin with, too much of ANYthing will unbalance a typical Tri-dosha. Tridosha, as a constitution needs a little bit of everything and not too much of any one thing. This is often much more difficult than it sounds

Keeping Tri-Dosha Balanced

Keeping balanced is both easier and more difficult for Tri-dosha people. Naturally, they tend towards balance, unfortunately, when someone who is Tri-Dosha becomes unbalanced, it is often difficult to correct, because they do not have a lead Dosha to "aim for". If you are Kapha dosha and you are imbalanced, it is often a good idea to simply attempt to add Kapha as a first attempt at balancing yourself. Tri-doshic people on the other hand, need to figure out where the imbalance lies and re-balance at least two dosha's, a condition that can become confusing very quickly.

If you are Tri-doshic it may help to pay particular attention to the seasons and how they affect you. This is especially true if you are in an area with a "wet" or "dry" season. Many Tri-doshics find winter leads them to a need for Pitta or Fire, and summer leads them to force themselves to remember their Kapha or earth. Tri -doshics may be "balanced", but that balance is a constantly changing state of equilibrium, that can take time to learn how to adjust and master.

One of the easiest ways to maintain balance is through diet. Tri-doshic people, need, above all, a variety in their diet. One of the things often seen in Tri-doshic diets are eating foods "Out of season". This usually happens when someone who is Tri-doshic, is in danger of becoming unbalanced. During the winter months when Kapha is high, a Tri-doshic may suddenly crave light fruits and raw vegetables, the simple fixings of a Vata diet. Giving into these cravings can be a good idea, as long as it is not over done. Anticipating them and planning ahead can be even more helpful. If you are Tri-doshic, make sure you eat enough fruits and veggies during the winter, and make sure you eat some heavier foods during the summer months. Spice is also often craved during the cold months, and Tri-doshic people normally do well having at least two or three spicy meals a week.

As with the other three dosha's, the key to success is keeping the balance you were born with. This can be a nifty trick and a good deal of work . Try to give your body and mind a little of each element each day. Tri -doshics, even more than the other dosha's may find the need to shut off the cell phones and computer more pressing and more often, in order to ward off the Vata Imbalance that too much information, or too much communication, to quickly, can bring.

Tri-dosha as a constitution, gives you the ability to befriend a wide variety of people, and maintain your balance in a wide number of situations. Learning to keep Tri- dosha balanced will ensure you have a life full of exciting options, good friends to enjoy those options with, and the ability to choose the options will make you happiest.