Body · Reading
Doshas, dhatus, malas
Ayurveda's account of the body: three doshas, seven tissues and three wastes.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
A traditional model
Ayurveda builds its account of the body on the five elements.
The three doshas are functional principles. Vata, of air and space, governs movement. Pitta, of fire and water, governs transformation. Kapha, of earth and water, governs structure and cohesion.
The seven dhatus are the tissues: rasa, plasma; rakta, blood; mamsa, muscle; meda, fat; asthi, bone; majja, marrow and nerve; and shukra, reproductive tissue. The three malas are the wastes: urine, faeces and sweat.
This is a traditional model. It is not a diagnosis, and this page does not offer one.
Diagram
Ideas behind it
Related
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, pp. 11–12, anatomy cards