As someone who has a fair amount of Pitta, I had this major aha moment when I started to learn about Ayurveda and the signs of a Pitta imbalance. My Pitta dosha has been in excess for most of my adult life!

Once I took residence in this knowledge, and forgave myself for a lot of intense moments, I began balancing Pitta dosha through the knowledge I will share here.

“I have so much to do, don’t get in my way, don’t talk to me, let me just get it done even if it takes all day and I never move from this chair. I told you don’t talk to me!”

Does this sound like you or anyone you know? Or am I just calling myself out?

This is an example of a Pitta when imbalanced. 

Pitta is made up of the elements Fire and Water. Fire is hot and transformative. The mythical creature, the Phoenix, rose from the ashes of the fire, transformed and radiant. 

The water element does not share the same qualities as cold river water. It’s more of an oily/thick water. Think of gasoline on a fire. It ignites the flame 5x brighter and hotter.

It’s no wonder Pitta’s are so intense with all of this fire and (oily) water!

The qualities of Pitta are hot, sharp, oily, rough, and spreading.

A pitta walks on stage

A typical Pitta body type is medium so they are larger than Vata but smaller than Kapha. One way to really tell a Pitta from across the room is if they have prominent muscle tone. Five bicep curls and they have biceps, triceps, and an 8-pack. How did that happen?!

Their face is oval, shaped with sharp feature such as a chiseled jaw line and deep set eyes. Bright blue eyes are a Pitta feature. Their lips, nose, and neck are all medium. Another dead give away is red hair. If someone has naturally red, or strawberry blonde hair, you can bet they have a lot of fire within them. 

A few of my favorite Pitta celebrities are Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Biel, and Amy Adams.

Amy Adams screams Pitta – look at her natural red hair and bright blue eyes! That girl is a firecracker! 

Balanced Pitta Dosha

When balanced Pitta’s are movers and shakers! These are the people that get things done, without needing to be asked, on-time, and perfect. They’re incredibly goal oriented and the most competitive of all three doshas. Tell a Pitta they can’t do something and they will do whatever it takes to prove you wrong. 

Pitta’s are leaders and not afraid to be in front of the spotlight. This is why we see so many Pitta actors, lawyers, politicians, and academics. Their eye is on the prize and no one can stop them from achieving. 

These aspects of Pitta are beautiful. We need Pitta friends because they light the fire under our behinds and make us get up and go!

They are very intelligent, have an acute memory, and discerning. Their speech is articulate and may love a good debate. Pitta’s have a magnetic personality. As a result they are natural born leaders and problem solvers.

If there was one word to describe Pitta it would be productive. To add a second, it would be intense.

Their digestion is strong due to the fire element, and sometimes, too hot. Feed a Pitta at least 3 large meals a day because this person gets HANGRY! Maybe even sprinkle in a snack or two just to be on the safe side. 

A Pitta overworked and overheated

Have you ever been at someones house, everything is great, and then all of a sudden out of nowhere, the family dog comes up and starts barking right at you? 

That is a Pitta imbalance. One second they are doing their thing and in the zone but then the next they are biting your head off because you didn’t put the empty glass in the dishwasher.

Pitta’s tend to overwork themselves often, and easily. Their productivity has a downside which is burnout. However, Pitta’s don’t realize they are burnt out until their fire is so intense it’s burning them up, and the people around them. 

Redness, rashes, and ulcers

Remember the spreading quality of Pitta? Physical manifestations of Pitta will show up as acne, rashes, hives, burning eyes, and irritated skin. Your skin is your largest organ and Pitta will show it’s fiery self quickly when it’s out of whack. 

Strong body odor, bad breath, and profuse sweating are signs that there is too much heat in the body. Have you ever worked out at a gym and 5 minutes into the workout the person next to you smells so pungent you can barely breathe? That person most likely has a Pitta imbalance.

Digestive symptoms such as loose stools, frequent diarrhea, hyper-acidity, GURD, and acid reflux all point their pretty fingers to aggravated Pitta. The fire is literally burning through food which is not allowing it to form and be absorbed, hence the diarrhea. Also, the heat is so intense that the acidity in the stomach cannot be contained.

Mental and emotional signs of imbalanced Pitta are sometimes easy to spot. This is the person that is quick to anger, frustration, impatience, critical, and will jump down your throat. 

The next time your boss is a jerk, just realize they have a Pitta imbalance, and offer them a coconut water. 

The biggest hurdle to overcome with a Pitta imbalance is the person has to realize they need to slow down otherwise they are going to continue burning themselves up. Literally. Their digestive fire is so hot that they are burning through their food and not absorbing any of its nutrients. 

Taming the dragon

First of all, an imbalanced Pitta just needs to take a chill pill (but never tell them that). Slowing down, taking a deep breath, and pressing pause on a task that is overexerting you is a must. This takes a lot of self awareness. 

Cooling foods such as cucumber, coconut water, cilantro, oats, coconut, and dates are wonderful for rebuilding the Ojas of Pitta. 

If you start to have acne, rashes, hives, or rosacea then Pitta is making it’s way to the surface of your skin. Taking ½ cup 2x a day of high quality aloe vera juice can help cool down Pitta. Just be mindful of too much aloe vera in winter. It’s very cooling so you don’t want to accidentally imbalance Vata or Kapha by overdoing it during cool seasons. 

Pitta’s are already spicy so they don’t need to overly spice their foods, however, some spice is great. Small amounts of black pepper, coriander, cumin, and saffron are lovely. Herbs such as mint, cilantro, dill, green onion, parsley and tarragon are great.

Gentle forms of exercise such as meditation, walking, yoga, and pilates cool down the intense qualities. Sitali pranayama is a classic Pitta balancing breathing technique. 

Telling a Pitta to cut back on their high-energy workouts may be challenging because they may need an outlet to release intense energy. So instead of completely cutting out the HIIT workouts instead reduce to 2-3x a week and substitute more calming forms of exercise on the off days.

Creating a regular routine is wonderful for Pitta because it provides stability. Eating 3 large meals around the same time every day, taking 10 minutes after lunch to relax and digest, along with going to bed before 10pm are a few ways to start creating a regular routine.

Liver is the home to anger

The liver is the seat of Pitta which means it easily shows up here. The liver houses emotions such as anger, frustration, and criticalness. These are emotional symptoms of excess Pitta. When we are experiencing these emotions focusing on liver cleansing is a great way to pacify, or reduce, Pitta. 

Take in more green juices, leafy greens, and herbs such as dandelion tea, brahmi, and passionflower will help to cleanse the liver and reduce stagnant heat. 

Abhyanga with coconut oil or Banyan Botanicals Pitta oil is soothing, calming, and brings coolness into the body through the skin. Use code Kate15 for 15% off your first purchase. 

Learn more about the other doshas by checking out these articles on Vata and Kapha!

Banyan Botanicals Pitta oil. Use code Kate15 for 15% off your first purchase. 

If you are experiencing a Pitta imbalance, book a 1:1 consultation to determine the root cause and receive a personalized plan towards a path of radiant health.

Drop a comment or send me a message on Instagram!