How to Discover Your Ayurvedic Constitution

In Ayurvedic medicine from India, there are said to be 3 mind-body energy patterns within each of us. One is usually more dominant, with the others secondary and tertiary. One’s dominant energy can be seen as a determining factor with lifestyle and dietary preferences, and of illness if the energy gets out of balance. These energy types are known as doshas.

Discovering your pattern
Your first step is to discover your energy pattern. You can take a simple quiz online, such as at:
https://store.chopra.com/dosha-quiz Complete it and save the results and suggestions. You will get one of 4 energy patterns:

Vata – movement
Pitta – metabolism
Kapha – bodily structure

Or tri-doshic, in which all 3 doshas are in balance, such as in a 30/40/30 split.

The 5 elements
In Ayurveda, the body is made up of 5 elements:
Earth
Air
Fire
Water
Space

The doshas are made up of 2 different elements:

Vata – Air, space
Pitta – Fire, water
Kapha – Water, earth

They can help us remember which dosha is which.

For example, vatas are light, quick, fast. They are airy and bright, unless they are out of balance, in which case they can be very distracted and irresponsible, and prone to nervousness and anxiety.

Pittas are fierier. Think of how we refer to burning calories. A person with dominant pitta energy has a strong metabolism and is usually bursting with self-confidence. If their energy is out of balance, however, they can become bossy and argumentative.

Kaphas can be described as the salt of the earth types, solid, reliable, warm and kind. However, when they are out of balance, they are seen as slow, plodding, and perhaps too easy going.

We are what we eat
There are many ways to balance dosha energy, but one of the easiest ways is through diet. We are what we eat, so our choice of food strongly influences our energy patterns. For example, vata people should eat sweet, salty and sour foods in limited amounts, but avoid astringent foods like citrus fruits. Pitta people thrive on spicy food and cold beverages. Kapha people have a tendency towards eating too many carbohydrates.

Certain foods have cooling properties and others warming ones. Some foods are too heavy and difficult to digest. For example, a kapha person should avoid oily nuts and seeds, and never eat fried foods.

If you’ve been struggling with your weight or digestive issues, or just feel out of sorts, consider eating for your dosha pattern and see what a difference it makes.