🌿 How Your Dosha Can Reveal Unhealed Trauma Patterns (And Help You Heal Them)

Ayurveda - an ancient healing system which originated in India over 5,000 years ago - helps us to understand the connection between our mind and body, and how it responds to trauma. Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind… it lives in the body, the nervous system, and even in our energy.

In this post, I’ll guide you through the three doshas — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha — and how each one might manifest trauma patterns, so you can begin to see yourself more clearly and compassionately.

What Are the Doshas?
In Ayurveda, the doshas are three energies that make up every individual’s body-mind constitution:

• Vata – air + ether: (qualities of this Dosha - fast-moving, changeable, creative)

• Pitta – fire + water: (qualities of this Dosha - passionate, driven, intense)

• Kapha – earth + water: (qualities of this Dosha - grounded, nurturing, stable)

Each of us has all three doshas, but in different proportions. When we experience trauma, these doshas can become imbalanced. Our behaviours or actions can indicate which one is more dominant (imbalanced).

Vata & Trauma: The Frozen Flight

Trauma Pattern: Hypervigilance, dissociation, anxiety, overthinking
Signs You Might Have a Vata Imbalance:

• You feel scattered, overwhelmed, or struggle to stay grounded

• You tend to avoid conflict or flee emotionally

• Your nervous system feels overstimulated — like you’re living in your head

• You struggle with sleep, digestion, or feelings of safety

Why:
Vata is the dosha of movement. When imbalanced from trauma, it can create a flight response — keeping you stuck in survival mode, unable to slow down or feel safe in your body.

Healing for Vata Trauma:

• Grounding practices like restorative yoga, warm nourishing foods

• Nervous system regulation through somatic techniques

• Touch, weighted blankets, and regular routines

• Herbs: Ashwagandha, Brahmi

Pitta & Trauma: (Fire - The Fight in Fight / Flight)

Trauma Pattern: Anger, control, inner critic, shame
Signs You Might Have a Pitta Imbalance:

• You hold yourself to impossibly high standards

• You often feel irritated, defensive, or emotionally intense

• You’re afraid to be vulnerable, so you stay “in charge”

• You overwork or use achievement to feel worthy

Why:
Pitta is the dosha of fire. When trauma is held here, it often shows up as fight energy — needing control to feel safe, and difficulty trusting others.

Healing for Pitta Trauma:

• Cooling practices like yin yoga, breathwork, and meditation

• Journaling your inner critic and practicing compassion

• Soothing rituals that invite softness and play

• Herbs: Shatavari, rose, aloe vera

Kapha & Trauma: Shutdown & Numbness

Trauma Pattern: Emotional shutdown, depression, people-pleasing
Signs You Might Have a Kapha Imbalance:

• You feel stuck, heavy, or disconnected from joy

• You find it hard to let go of the past

• You give and give but feel empty or unseen

• You self-soothe with food, isolation, or over-nurturing others

Why:
Kapha is the dosha of earth. Trauma here often results in freeze responses or emotional numbness — a way to survive by withdrawing and staying quiet.

Healing for Kapha Trauma:

• Stimulating practices like dance, walking in nature, activating breath

• Speaking your truth, even when your voice shakes

• Connecting with others who see your light

• Herbs: Ginger, turmeric, tulsi

Reclaiming Balance: Why This Matters

When you understand how your unique mind and body have been holding onto old wounds, it becomes so much easier to stop blaming yourself and begin to heal. This is where real healing begins — not just in your thoughts, but in your body, energy, and spirit. You get to feel lighter, more connected, and start shining from the inside out.

You are not broken — you are beautifully wired for protection. It's time for you to become the Goddess you were born to be

Ready to Go Deeper?
If this resonated with you, my 6-month holistic coaching program combines Ayurvedic wisdom, somatic healing, intuitive guidance, and energy work to help you release deep-rooted blocks and step into your Goddess energy.

Let’s heal the roots, not just the symptoms. Contact me today to discuss ways of working with me. Let's reclaim your worth, and rise into the woman you were always meant to be.