Mind & Body : Ayurveda

"Understanding your body's natural rhythms and needs activates unbelievably powerful disease-fighting processes within you." Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Know Your Dosha

Every person (and thing) contains all three doshas. However, the proportion varies according to the individual and usually one or two doshas predominate. to restore its orderly functioning.

This simple quiz will define your dosha. Give yourself one point for each characteristic that typically describes you. At the end of each section total your points. The dosha with the highest score is your dominant dosha.

Vata
. small frame; difficulty gaining weight
. dry, thin skin
. dark, dry, or frizzy hair
. small, active eyes
. sleep lightly
. active and creative mind
. learn things easily but forget them quickly
. worried and anxious under stress
. prefer heat; don't tolerate cold
. think and act quickly
Total

Pitta
. moderately muscular build
. strong appetite
. fair skin compared with others of same ethnicity; sometimes freckles
. light, fine hair
. penetrating eyes
. need less than 8 hours of sleep
. enjoy challenges
. irritable and quick-tempered under stress
. prefer cool, dry climate
. determined, competitive, and aggressive
Total

Kapha
. large, stocky frame; tendency toward weight gain
. pale, oily skin
. dark, thick, wavy hair
. large, friendly eyes
. heavy sleeper
. calm and easygoing
. slow to grasp new information but good at remembering
. withdraw under stress
. dislike cold, wet weather
. slow and methodical
Total

Balanced Tridosha means a Healthy Person

Within each person the doshas are continually interacting with one another and with the doshas in all of nature. This explains why people can have much in common but also have an endless variety of individual differences in the way they behave and respond to their environment.

Ayurveda recognizes that different foods, tastes, colors, and sounds affect the doshas in different ways. For example very hot and pungent spices aggravate pitta; but cold, light foods such as salads calm it down. This ability to affect the doshas is the underlying basis for Ayurvedic practices and therapies.

A balance among the tridosha is necessary for health. Together, the tridosha governs all metabolic activities. When their actions in our mind-body constitution are balanced, we experience psychological and physical wellness. When they are somewhat unbalanced, we may feel uneasy. When they are more obviously unbalanced - when one or more of the three dosha influences are excessive or deficient-discernible symptoms of sickness can be observed and experienced.

Regardless of the percentages of vata, pitta, or kapha influences, your basic constitution represents your psychological and physical nature. When balance is maintained, health is at optimum.

Vata

You have low body weight, small muscles, and little strength and endurance. You move fast, are flexible and like being active and doing new things-but you also tend to work out until you're exhausted or you injure yourself.

According to Dr. Chopra, the primary characteristic of the Vata metabolic type is changeability. Unpredictability and variability - in size, shape, mood, and action - is the Vata trademark.

Vatas tend to be slender with prominent features, joints and veins with cool, dry skin. Moody, enthusiastic, imaginative, and impulsive, the Vata type is quick to grasp ideas and is good at initiating things but poor at finishing them.

Vatas eat and sleep erratically and are prone to anxiety, insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, and constipation. Vata energy fluctuates, with jagged peaks and valleys.

Pitta

Your innate fire and passion make you very good at competitive sports but can also lead to dehydration and overheating. The Pitta metabolic body type is relatively predictable. The Pitta person is of medium build, strength, and endurance. He or she is well-proportioned and easily maintains a stable weight. Often fair, the Pitta type will frequently have red or blond hair, freckles, and a ruddy complexion.

Pittas have a quick, articulate, biting intelligence, and can be critical or passionate with short, explosive tempers. Efficient and moderate in daily habits, the Pitta type eats and sleeps regularly, eating three meals a day and sleeping eight hours at night.

Pitta types tend to perspire heavily and are warm and often thirsty. They suffer from acne, ulcers, hemorrhoids, and stomach ailments.

Kapha

You're strong and have the best endurance of all three doshas, but you need strenuous exercise to counteract your sedentary tendencies. Once you implement a regular and enjoyable routine to stay active, however, you'll stick with it.

"The basic theme of the Kapha metabolic type is relaxed," says Dr. Chopra. The Kapha body type is solid, heavy, and strong. With a tendency to be overweight, Kaphas have slow digestion and somewhat oily hair, and cool, damp, pale skin.

Everything Kapha is slow - Kapha types are slow to anger, slow to eat, slow to act. They sleep long and heavily. Kaphas tend to procrastinate and be obstinate. A Kapha body type will be prone to high cholesterol, obesity, allergies, and sinus problems.

 

 

 

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