Ayurveda—An Aid to Self-Awareness

Ayurveda means “science of life and longevity,” and is the traditional system of medicine in India that’s over 5000 years old. It aims to maintain harmony among the doshas through personalized recommendations. Read about the doshas below.
It focuses on lifestyle, diet, herbal remedies and self-care practices to promote holistic healing and vitality.

In Ayurveda, the three main doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, represent different constitutions within the body and mind.

Vata is associated with the elements of air and space, embodying qualities such as movement and creativity. Pitta, aligned with the elements of fire and water, governs digestion, metabolism, and transformation. Pitta embodies qualities of intensity, focus, and ambition. Kapha, related to the elements of earth and water, represents stability, structure, and nourishment. Kapha exhibits qualities of strength, endurance, and calmness.

We all have a unique combination of these doshas. Their balance or imbalance influences physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Studying the doshas helped me make sense of why I had the tendency to gain weight while a friend who eats the same or more never gains weight. Or why one person responds differently than another in similar situations.

Below, I have listed the characteristics of each dosha. Read each list and find the dominant dosha that most closely matches your state of being most of the time, then choose the 2nd most dominant, then the 3rd.

What is the point?

One reason to discover your dosha is to help you gain greater self-awareness and understanding of the subtle tendencies you naturally engage in that you seemingly have no control over. Especially those tendencies that bring you the most imbalances.

That out-of-control feeling can be compared to a train barreling towards a blocked tunnel. If the train doesn’t stop or change its course, a wreck is inevitable. Ayurveda and the dosha system are tools you can use to help you navigate those near train wreck days.

By the time you finish this chapter, you may recognize certain tendencies in yourself or someone you know, such as having to have the last word; the inability to focus; the craving for sweets; procrastination, and more.

What are some consequences of not knowing or discovering the body/mind types or doshas? For starters, you may make assumptions about yourself and others that are based on a narrow perspective. The doshas can help you see the whole picture, have more compassion and suspend judgment.

With more understanding, you might incorporate some of the healthier and preventive behaviors before imbalances start to show up, such as stress, weight gain, poor health, low energy, indigestion, or disease and dis-ease.

If your main dosha is not clear from the list of characteristics below, ask someone you know and trust to tell you the truth about what their experience is of you. Also, dosha quizzes are available online for free. However, I recommend you see an Ayurvedic Practitioner for a more definitive assessment.

Each dosha is blissful when they are in balance. There’s no “best” dosha—we all have all three. They ebb and flow to the top of our attention at different times in our lives, and even at different times of the day.

When you are experiencing the positive states listed in italics, there’s a good chance you are feeling overall balance and wellbeing. The negative tendencies of your doshas could affect your physical and emotional health over the long-run. This is imbalance.

Upon realizing you are barreling toward imbalance, you can empower yourself to return to a more balanced state. Practice self-care that leans in the opposite direction of your natural tendencies in order to regain the feeling of balance and wellbeing.

For balancing recommendations, I recommend the book “Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing” by Dr. Vasant Lad.

Dosha Characteristics of Vata, Pitta, Kapha

Basic Vata Characteristics (see higher tendencies in italics (purple text)):

-very creative

-full of great ideas

-fun to be around

-often inspirational

-perform activities hastily
-movements are quick.
-tend to have energy surges
-tend to lack a regular eating and sleeping routine
-naturally animated and dynamic
-gets excited easily
-have a slim physique
-mind is imaginative, active and tends to be restless
-gain weight slowly, if at all
-skin is prone to winter dryness
-quick learner
-often have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep
-walk swiftly, light on feet
-tend to be moody and emotional
-struggle with making decisions
-seems talkative and inclined to speak quickly
-develops gas easily
-low tolerance for cold weather
-becomes constipated easily
-become nervous or anxious often
-likely to have cold hands and cold feet

Creative style for Vata: Showcase creativity; connect people helping people; support others in their success. Give content that provides lots of creative solutions for people’s challenges. Be your fun self. You are naturally inspirational.

Basic Pitta Characteristics (see higher tendencies in italics (purple text)):

-very passionate

-loves to lead

-a visionary

-charismatic and powerful

-tend to be critical of self and others
-can be extremely efficient
-like challenges
-naturally particularly and precise
-low tolerance for disagreement
-strong and sometimes forceful personality
-low tolerance for hot and spicy foods
-low tolerance for heat and hot weather
-loves cold foods, such as ice cream, and cold drinks
-easy to perspire
-detail oriented
-easily irritated and angered
-quickly forgets anger or appears to
-prone to perfectionism
-easily irritated and tend to be impatient
-becomes uneasy if food is not available when expected
-regular bowel movements
-robust appetite
-obstinate

Creative style for Pitta: Showcase passion; be the go-to expert; people are drawn to you as a leader. Give content that provides lots of vision, passion and promise as solutions for people’s challenges. Be your charismatic self. You are naturally powerful.

Basic Kapha Characteristics (see higher tendencies in italics (purple text)):

-loves evolution and personal growth

-comforting to be around

-loving and nurturing

-confident

-movements and actions are slow, relaxed and methodical
-tend to have good endurance and consistent energy level
-slow metabolism, tend to gain weight easily
-tend to lose weight slowly
-body frame is large and stable
-naturally easygoing personality—composed
-not easily angered
-naturally forgiving, serene, affectionate and lovable
-can easily skip meals without feeling uneasiness
-slow digestion
-tends to feel heavy after meals

• inclined to have excess mucus, sinus issues, or asthma
  -eight hours of sleep or more needed to operate clearly the next day
  -mainly a deep sleeper, tends to oversleep
  -skin tends to be smooth and soft
  -hair tends to be dark, wavy and thick
  -low tolerance for cool, damp weather and cold rooms
  -have great memory and retention

Creative style for Kapha: Showcase evolution; be an accessible guide to personal growth. People are drawn to your comforting presence and want to engage with you. Give content that provides lots of opportunities for others to hear your voice giving solutions for their challenges. Be your loving self. You are naturally confident and nurturing.

Your dominant dosha is: __________________

IMPORTANT NOTE:

For making the best determination of your most dominant dosha, please note that the choices will be obvious for your physical type. However, for mental and behavioral characteristics, your choices should align with who you are being or have been most of your life, or for the last few years.

Also, understand that there is no worst or best dosha. All doshas flow in and out of balance and we all have a unique combination of all doshas.

Lastly, for a definitive assessment, see an Ayurvedic Practitioner. The information in this writing is meant for the apparently healthy individual.