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.

 

  • I am light and delicate. My wrists and ankles are small in proportion to my size and my legs and arms are long. I am very short or very tall. I look slender and willowy, perhaps like a dancer. (1 point)
  • I am medium. My wrists and ankles are in proportion to my size. My body is nicely toned, my height is average and my weight is right for my size. (2 points)
  • I am solid. My wrists and ankles are thick. I am tall and large. My body appears strong and powerful, though I do not have much muscle tone. I am not very active. Sometimes I feel a little clumsy. (3 points)

What is your skin like?

  • My skin tone is olive or darker. I get a nice tan. My skin does tend to be dry. Sometimes I get flaky stuff on my face. (1 point)
  • My skin tone is fair and my skin is soft. I break out once in a while. I have freckles, too. ( 2 points)
  • My skin tone is pale, but my cheeks are really rosy sometimes. My skin is oily and I break out fairly often. (3 points)