What’s your Dosha?

In Ayurveda, the Indian practice of medicine, every person is born with a specific physical and mental constitution made up of a unique combination of doshas—Pitta, Vata and Kapha. Each dosha is associated with an element—Vata with air, Pitta with fire and Kapha with the earth. One dosha usually dominates your health and your personality, shaping your strengths and your quirks.

Health is a balanced dosha system and things such as stress, fatigue and a poor diet can throw your doshas out of balance, leaving you vulnerable to aches and pains, roller-coaster moods or worse. The first step toward keeping yourself in balance is understanding your dosha. Certain foods and exercises are compatible with each dosha and the wrong food can aggravate it. For example, Pitta-dominated people are nervous and high strung and yoga practice and comfort foods like oatmeal and mangoes can help keep them calm.

Answer the following questions and add up your score to determine your dosha.

First determine your physical build.