skip meals or go on empty stomach. You have slept poorly for many days. You have suffered from grief, fear or unexpected shock. The weather has been cold, dry and windy. You have taken a trip recently or have undergone a surgery.

Special Points
Vatas generally do not enjoy the best health. Vata dosha causes twice the complaints of pitta and pitta twice that of kapha. Vata increases with age. Grief, sudden shock or battle fatigue or fear exhausts vata. It mimics other doshas, which means it can exhibit the symptoms of imbalances of other doshas.

Pitta Imbalance

Mental indications
Anger, irritability, hostility, impatience, resentment, self-criticism.

Behavioral indications
Outbursts of anger, criticism of other, intolerance of delays, argumentative stance, tyrannical behaviour.

Physical indications
Skin inflammations, boils, rashes, acne, bad breath, excessive hunger or thirst, hot flashes, heat burn, acid stomach, ulcers, rectal burning, haemorrhoids, blood shot eyes, sun burn, sun stroke, pronounced yellowing of faeces and urine.

Causes
You have reacted to stress with anger, frustration and resentment. You place excessive demands on yourself and others and cannot bear to waste time. You have eaten too much hot, spicy, oily or fried food or you take too much salt. Your diet contains a large amount of sour or fermented foods, cheese, vinegar sour cream or alcoholic beverages. The weather is hot and humid.

Special Points
Life's middle years, from adolescence till the end of middle age is a time when generally pitta increases. Teenagers suffering from acne or feeling too hot at night is exhibiting pitta imbalance. People in thirties or forties who finds their hair thinning or turning gray, needs eye-glasses or has developed peptic ulcer or early heart disease are showing symptoms of aggravated pitta. They can be annoyingly perfectionists. Pitta generally gets dragged along by an imbalance in vata. Pitta gives a fiery energy, if you abuse it, it will burn you up. The workaholics of this world are out of balance pitta, especially if their emotional tone is angry and compulsive.

Kapha Imbalance

Mental indications
Dullness, mental inertia, lassitude, stupor, depression, over attachment.

Physical indications
Intolerance of cold and damp, sinus congestion, running nose, chest congestion, weight