Cleansing for the dosha

We are all familiar with feeling under par, usually after we’ve been overdoing it: eating too much, drinking too much, doing too much. In addition, our systems can become ‘clogged up’ with environmental pollutants, media overload or life in general. When this occurs, we need to cleanse and refresh ourselves to feel balanced. We wash our hands and face every day, and this helps us to feel revitalised: think how renewed you feel after a warm bath.

Just as our skin needs regular cleansing, so do our insides. If we don’t, 'toxins' accumulate – known in Ayurveda as ama – and we get ill. Because we cannot scrub our inner body clean we need to learn a few skills to help cleanse our tissues, organs as well as our mind - to learn how to help our body do what it does best.

Understanding your Ayurvedic body type, or , can really help you to determine what type of cleanse will be of most benefit for you and will leave you feeling good. In Ayurveda, there are three different body types or constitutions known as ‘dosha’: , and which can be defined by particular patterns of behaviour and physical characteristics. While we are advocates of a light seasonal cleanse, we do not endorse any of the stricter cleanses, so here you'll find some healthy tips to leave you feeling cleansed in body and mind.

Here is a little insight into what types of cleansing regimes are most suited to each dosha

Vata naturally has difficulty holding onto energy and need to be cautious when cleansing. A short cleanse of one to three days with simple nourishing foods such as rice and mung-beans will help calm the mind and rekindle the digestive fire without weakening the body. Learn more about cleansing the .

Pitta types have boundless energy but can be hot and fiery. They can benefit from vegetable and fruit juicing as they are better at processing raw and cooler foodstuffs. It’s also important that they try and rest (even if they don’t want to). Learn more about cleansing for the .

Kapha types can tolerate more prolonged cleanses as they are excellent stores of energy. Including warmth and spice into the diet will boost the normally sluggish kapha metabolism and help them begin to burn off excess toxicity. Learn more about cleansing for the .

Pointers that are helpful for all three doshas would be to keep diets simple; vegetable-based and dairy-free as well as reducing or cutting out caffeine and alcohol. Keep exercise to a minimum and remember not to overdo it as your body will be working harder than usual during a cleanse.

What makes Ayurveda’s approach to cleansing unique is that rather than promoting one approach to suit all; it recognises us all as individuals. Understanding your dosha, or mind body types, can be really helpful in working out which cleansing approach is best for you.

Remember, we’re all a mixture of the three doshas so we’ll show characteristics of each, but one or two will tend to dominate.

Don't know your dosha? Take our dosha quiz to find out.