Thousands of years ago, the sages and physicians of the time categorized everything in nature in relation to the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether). Various combinations of the elements were called doshas or natural constitutions. The 3 doshas are called vata, pitta, and kapha and each dosha digests emotions, thoughts, stress, and even foods differently.

We are born with our own unique combination of vata, pitta, and kapha. Each dosha has unique strengths and also natural challenges when under stress.

Here are a few of each dosha’s unique challenges when it comes to self-sabotage. Which do you most easily relate to?

• Vata gets overwhelmed quickly, lacks focus (think “squirrel”), becomes anxious and ungrounded easily, tires quickly, and can’t seem to get any one thing done from beginning to end. Vata often gets in her own way of succeeding because she lacks daily routines that keep her grounded. She forgets easily and gets distracted even going from one room to the next.
• Pitta will take on too much responsibility (especially if no one else is stepping up) because she is a natural leader. Her perfectionist tendencies get in her way through overthinking and over-working. Because she figures things out way before everyone else and knows what everyone needs to do, her inner critic struggles to relax, slow down, listen to others, and ask for help.
• Kapha’s naturally relaxed and easy-going nature can quickly turn to couch-potato mode when she’s overwhelmed making it hard to take action and meet her own goals. When kapha becomes sedentary, her tendency is to become emotionally heavy and mentally “stuck” in unhelpful patterns.

Remember these are “shadow” sides of the doshas. Each dosha also has numerous positive characteristics  that govern how you move through the world in your best light. Learning about your natural strengths and challenges is your first step in developing the skills to work with doshas and self-sabotage.