Newsletter & Specials
Start by soaking your feet in a warm cardamom and coconut foot bath while you receive a 15 minute hand massage, and 20 minute head, neck, and shoulder massage. Then your feet will be treated to a 15 minute foot massage followed by a rejuvenating custom facial by one of our skin care experts. $160
Add an hour Swedish massage to your experience for $75
What’s Happening at The Dragontree?
For the month of November when you make an appointment for a massage or facial on a Wednesday we will treat your feet to a warm honey foot bath for free!
Sugar and Spice Award
Nominate a friend, family member, or other community member to win our Sugar and Spice Award. Just think of someone that you believe deserves a day at the spa, someone who is everything nice! Then go to our website at www.thedragontree.com/nominate any time between now and December 20th and tell us why you think they are the most deserving candidate! Our staff will then choose the nominee that needs it the most and treat them to hours of relaxation and healing.
This holiday season don’t forget to give your favorite people (including yourself) the gift of relaxation with a gift certificate to The Dragontree!
The Psychology of the Dosha’s
by Briana Borten LMT CAS
In Ayurvedic philosophy, the five elements that make up the universe – space (akasha), air (vayu), fire (agni), water (apu) and earth (prithvi) – are also the building blocks of human form and function. These elements work together as three primary psycho-physiological entities called doshas. The three doshas – vata, pitta and kapha – are each composed of two elements. Vata dosha is made up of space and air, pitta dosha is a combination of fire and water, and kapha dosha is made up of water and earth. The doshas orchestrate all the activities in our world, including those within our bodies and minds.
Each person is born with a unique doshic imprint called our prakruti (innate constitution) which is made up of all three doshas in varying quantities. Most people have a prakruti comprised of two doshas that are basically equally dominant while the third dosha has a more subtle presence. It is somewhat less common for people to have nearly equal proportions of all three doshas or a single predominant dosha as their prakruti. Ayurvedic practitioners (link to ayuveda page) use pulse and tongue diagnosis along with an extensive intake to determine the exact doshic makeup of the prakuti.
In order to preserve good health and well-being a person must maintain the precise doshic balance of their prakruti. This means that each of us is naturally perfect, healthy, and whole. Unfortunately, factors such as diet, lifestyle, environment, and the passage of time can cause an increase of one or more of the doshas, upsetting the original proportion, and creating a vikruti or imbalance. The vikruti, if not corrected, will eventually lead to illness. It is in this sense that the word dosha translates as "flaw." (Hence, when a person says, "My dosha is. . . " they are usually meaning their prakruti.)
When in balance, the doshas have positive attributes. When out of balance (that is, too much), the undesirable qualities of the doshas surface. When we understand the origin of these qualities, they can guide us to more peaceful interactions and solutions for reclaiming balance. Following are some of the basic psychological attributes of the doshas in and out of balance.
Vata, like the air element it contains, is the dosha of movement. It is responsible for all moving processes in our bodies: digestive movement, blood circulation, the flow of thoughts, etc. Those with vata as a dominant constituent of their prakruti embody this airy-ness in many ways, both physically and psychologically. Psychologically, this shows up as worry (the movement of thoughts without any groundedness), anxiety, and flightiness. However, vata in balance is what blesses some people with the positive qualities of adaptability, dynamism, and a knack for thriving in changing circumstances. The role of the space element in vata (once called "ether" for its light, "ethereal" qualities) is to engender creativity, foster spiritual connection, and promote light-heartedness. These are the quintessence of vata in balance. Conversely, an out of balance space element in vata-based prakrutis may cause one to be spacey, flaky, emotionally fragile, or depressed. (Vata depression, caused by too much air and space, tends to have an empty quality which feels like a void.)
Though water is one of the elemental constituents of pitta, its primary element is fire, and, indeed, pitta dosha is often considered the embodiment of fire. Just as fire "digests" all the fuel it burns, the pitta dosha governs all digestive processes. It is in charge of digesting food, metabolizing nutrients, and processing information and life experiences. Those with pitta as the dominant dosha of their prakruti tend to personify fiery qualities – both positive and negative. When out of balance, fire can surface as anger, irritability, and an insatiable drive for success which may leave others feeling burned. On the flip side, healthy fire fuels passion, warmth for loved ones, acuity, determination, and often great charisma.
Kapha is the dosha of structure and stability. Just as the earth is stable (mostly) beneath our feet, people with kapha as a primary ingredient of their prakruti tend to be dependable, emotionally stable, level headed, and strong. However, just as the earth is slow to change, so is kapha. When kapha is excessive, people can become stubborn, controlling, and unable to break their routines. Furthermore, while a kapha-dominant person may not be easily shaken by life’s "earthquakes," if one does crumble, it can be a long, hard road to restoration. The water element also plays a major role in the kapha dosha, providing flow and softness. When in balance kaphas are very gentle, compassionate, and easygoing. They tend to get along with others easily as they don’t often "rock the boat," and they find purpose in their relationships. In excess, however, the water of kapha turns their earth to mud – leading to inertia or heavy and sticky emotional attachments.
This brief survey of Ayurvedic psychology is meant to illustrate the ways a several-thousand-year-old tradition can provide timeless insights to help us better know ourselves, and thus more smoothly navigate life. Rather than viewing these concepts as boxes in which to confine yourself and others, I encourage you to consider how psychological difficulties might evolve as a "blameless" blend of primal energies. In this way, we can examine even our most disliked qualities and discover the strength and beauty that might arise from them.