Although everyone is said to have some characteristics of all three doshas, each person is believed to have a single, dominant dosha that defines his main physical, metabolic, emotional, and lifestyle characteristics. For example, oily skin, thick hair, a relaxed air, and a tendency to obesity and allergies characterize a Kapha-dominant person. The Ayurvedic practitioner diagnoses illness through inspection, asking questions, and touch. The lungs are listened to and body parts are felt. The pulse, taken through a complex process, is thought to reveal the person's strengths and weaknesses.
Treatment is aimed at correcting organ system, or dosha, imbalances.
Removing toxins, an important part of the therapeutic process, includes blood-letting often by the use of leeches, vomiting, and bowel purging. Meditation and yoga assist the therapeutic process by promoting spirituality and a sense of peacefulness. Ayurvedic healing techniques should not be used to treat cancer or any other serious illness. Stories of cures are often heard, but there is no scientific support for the ability of Ayurvedic healing techniques to treat cancer or any other major disease. It would be a serious mistake to use Ayurvedic healing instead of conventional oncology care.