You have either taken a dosha quiz or an Ayurvedic practitioner has identified that you are a Pitta body type. Now you are intrigued to know if you really are one and what are the characteristics of pitta similar to your personality.
It is really fascinating to see that Ayurvedic principles categorise your body and mind tendencies in energy frameworks like doshas. It makes your life extremely simple and having a lifestyle that suits your energy is the best way to go about it.
Pitta is the combination of fire and water, where fire brings radiance and water brings cohesion. In balance, this keeps the skin hydrated, joints lubricated and mind sharp.
Pitta people are hot, sharp, oily and sensitive. Their brains are extremely organised and their thinking is extremely rational and focused on the present. They understand the art of being in the present and dealing with things at hand. They are action-oriented and complete what they start.
When out of balance, it can form excess acid in the stomach. This results in problems like ulcers. Excess pitta can weaken the lining of the inner organs and leak into the blood-stream. This increases the risk of auto-immune diseases and skin problems.
If you want to read a detailed guide on Pitta dosha and how to balance it, you can read it here. In this post, we have compiled 12 characteristics of Pitta people that you can relate with.
1. They can eat a lot
Pitta people have a lot of fire inside and have a really strong digestive system. They can digest anything quickly. They should eat regular meals. They can eat 3-5 meals in a day without getting fat.
They have a strong metabolism. It is advisable for them to eat small meals every 2 hours to avoid feeling hungry all the time. They are big foodies and love experimenting with food. They love hot food like curries. However, it is not advisable for them to eat hot and spicy food as it aggravates pitta even more.
2. They get cranky when hungry
Since they have a strong digestive system, it is highly likely that they get hungry soon. If you find someone raging with anger at the thought of missing a meal, they are pitta type. The digestive fire of pitta type people is very strong. It is imperative for them to have three proper meals a day or small meals at a difference of every 2 hours.
3. They have a troubled skin
Pitta people can have troubled skin. Excess pitta can cause acne, cysts, eczema or dermatitis. Pitta is the fire or the acid in the body. Excess pitta leads to ulcers and boils. Excess pitta burns the epithelial layers of tissues and leaks into the body via blood or lymph. This pitta causes toxins in the system leading to several skin issues. Home-based Panchakarma, a simple detox can work wonders for people with excess pitta.
4. They sweat a lot
Pitta people are constantly sweating. Because they have so much heat in the body it becomes important for the body to cool down and sweating comes to the rescue. They are the ones with the biggest sweat patches on their shirts even when the air conditioning is on full blast.
5. Their hair greys prematurely
Pitta people experience premature greying or balding very often. They start having a salt and pepper look as soon as they are 30. The reason for this is excess pitta in their blood, which accumulates onto the scalp. The roots of the hair get blocked and nutrition cannot reach them properly.
The best way to prevent this is coconut oil. Use a few drops of a good quality extra virgin coconut oil after bathing or washing your hair every day. Or you can massage your scalp before and then shampoo later. In both cases, blood circulation will increase and coconut oil will soothe the scalp. It will also remove any buildup from the scalp.
6. They are very rational and practical
Pitta people have a really strong mind and are very practical and rational. Since they have a strong mind they have the ability to organise and breakdown information in small modules and take a decision accordingly. They don’t get overly attached to things or people. They see the world as it is and take rational and practical decisions. They might come off as cold for some people.
7. They are very determined
They are usually very determined and can accomplish anything they set their minds on. Their will power is the best compared to Vata. They are action-oriented and don’t believe in dreaming like a Vata or being laid back like Kapha.
They make good business people as they take very rational decisions and have an extremely high risk-taking ability.
They do well in administrative positions. These people are doers. No matter how difficult a situation gets, they always find a way out.
8. They are very competitive
If you have ever found a person trying to outrun you in the park, he/she is probably a pitta dominant person. They make great athletes and sportsperson.
Their competitive skills make them a little annoying. Sometimes they become excessively obsessed with winning and they can bring competition within their own families or friends. They lose their long term goal and focus on their short term goals and ruin their relationships with friends and family.
9. They are very ambitious
Pitta is the fire in the body, so is the drive to achieve something. Pitta people are extremely ambitious and set high goals or definition of success for themselves. They don’t believe in day-dreaming. They go out and do whatever it takes to achieve their dreams.
The good thing is that they know their own strengths and weaknesses and set goals accordingly. When out of balance they set high goals for themselves which sets them for failure. Not getting that appraisal or not being the best in their trade can make them irritated, anxious and depressed.
10. They are good at planning
Pitta people have a very strong intellect. They are good at maths and subjects that involve a lot of calculations and strategising. They reason with data and don’t believe in anything someone heard or said.
They are very structured in their work. They have the ability to breakdown a problem into smaller modules and work on them. They plan their lives and make sure they are on the track to follow the plan. They will have an extensive itinerary for any vacation.
11. They are good judges
One of the most significant characteristics of pitta people is how good they are at identifying people. Pitta people are very good judges of situations and people. Since they have a great ability to structure things in their head, they remember clearly the patterns of conversations. They have a very good long term memory too. This makes it difficult to mess with. A simple lie you told will be remembered by Pitta and they will bring it out at the right time.
12. They are great leaders
Pitta people are leaders by birth. They have a strong mind and are very stable emotionally. They have a very sharp and structured mind and it is very easy for them to structure information and present it accordingly.
13. They get riled up quickly
Pitta people are easy to trigger. They already have a lot of heat inside their bodies. They are hot-headed and you do not want to face the wrath of a pitta. They are very good friends and bosses, however, if something does not go according to them, they have a tendency to become temperamental.
Conclusion
Every dosha has its own characteristics which allow Ayurveda practitioner to identify your dominant dosha. Throughout your life, your doshas will keep changing according to seasons and situations. However, your Prakriti or the dominant dosha during your birth will always determine your underlying characteristics.
Here are some more interesting dosha guides for you,
What is Vata dosha and how to balance it?
What is Kapha dosha and how to balance it?
When your doshas are imbalanced there can be chronic problems associated with your mind and body. It is imperative to follow a lifestyle suited to your dosha.
For example, people with excess Vata are prone to joint pains and emotional imbalances, people with excess pitta develop skin issues, ulcers or auto-immune disorders and people with Kapha are prone to lifestyle disorders like obesity or diabetes.
Ayurvedic therapies like Panchakarma allows to balance your vitiated doshas and bring back the balance in life. You can read some interesting resources on panchakarma treatment here.
Comments below and tell us how many characteristics of pitta people do you share.
If you know some more characteristics of pitta, share it in the comments below.
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Chakshu is a US alliance certified yoga teacher, a biotechnologist and an Ayurveda evangelist. Her passion is to help people live a toxic-free life, emotionally and chemically. She loves reading self-help books. When she is not writing, she is busy thinking about life.
