Pitta

“Bile,” “heat.” One of the three doṣa in Āyurveda. Pitta governs transformation: digestion, metabolism, body temperature, intelligence, and vision. Its element is fire (tejas), its quality is sharp, hot, light, and penetrating.

When pitta is imbalanced, it generates irritability, inflammation, and excess heat. Cooling pranayamas like śītalī and śītkarī pacify it. Yoga seeks to balance the doṣa as the health foundation supporting practice. See dosha.