Today you can determine your dosha type according to Ayurveda by going through a short online test find out which dosha is predominant in your body, and also get nutrition recommendations according to your dosha.
How to determine your dosha?
In total, in Ayurveda there are 7 possible types of doshas: Vata, Pitta, Kapha, Vata-Pitta, Vata-Kapha, Pitta-Kapha and all doshas are balanced (Prakriti Sama).
The three biological doshas - vata, pitta and kapha - are in constant motion inside our body. They form various habits, predispositions and even diseases in the human body, occurring in each body in different proportions.
At the same time, it is not so easy to determine which dosha is the main one for you personally, but you can at least approximately determine the type of your dosha using online dosha tests on many sites, for example: http://aum108.ru/publ/ajurveda/ponjatie_i_rekomendacii_dlja_trekh_tipov_dosh_vata_pitta_kapha/13 -1-0-15##opredelenie
You can determine your dosha in literally a couple of minutes, and knowing your dosha type, you can move on to recommendations for nutrition, exercise, medicines, suitable just for you.
After passing the interactive online test, you can proceed to recommendations for your dosha. Your dosha is the one that is numerically far superior to others, and in this case you are classified as a single dosha type. Then you should study the recommendations specifically for this prevailing dosha.
If you do not have an extremely dominant dosha, then you are a dual-dosha type. The most pronounced of them becomes the first, but both doshas are taken into account.
Everything that moves in the body, for example, when a person moves his hands, or the movement of food, the movement of air currents - all this is provided by the element of vata. That is, cotton wool is the most dynamic element.
Vata governs feelings and emotions such as fear, anxiety, pain, trepidation and spasms.
Wat location – colon, pelvic cavity, bones, skin, ears and hips. If excess vata develops in the body, it will accumulate in these areas.
According to Ayurveda, people with a predominant Vata (wind) dosha should avoid acute negative information, for example, horror films, violence, heavy films are not at all desirable for them, since such information increases the restlessness of their mind and can lead to insomnia.
For people of the Vata type, communication with benevolent people, a warm climate, warm baths, and hot drinks are very favorable. To prevent your feet from getting cold in cold weather, you need to wear woolen socks, take warm foot baths before going to bed, and massage your feet with oil before going to bed.
You should not walk for a long time in rubber shoes, especially in cold weather; the rubber cools the legs, and energy comes out through the legs, so when the legs are cold, the whole body cools down, since the cold impedes the movement of air and the circulatory system.
This constitution should eat three times a day, should avoid dry food and food that increases the quality of air, that is, spicy, bitter and astringent foods.
The main rule for these people is not to overexert yourself anywhere or in anything.
Vata dosha diseases
The main diseases that accompany Vata constitution due to impaired air circulation in the body are: nervous diseases, disorders of the nervous system, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, diseases of the bones, joints, constipation, neuralgic disorders, high blood pressure, chondrosis, arthritis, impaired motor and sensory functions and nervous depression.
83 diseases can arise from disruption of air movement in the body, because... Air is the main air in the body; due to its imbalance, both bodily fire and water in the body are disturbed.
And to avoid illness, vatas must follow a set daily routine, which must be structured so that it includes time for afternoon naps, body care, techniques for cleansing the mind, relaxation and harmonization (this can be meditation, prayer or reflection).
Vatas should not overexert themselves; intense loads are contraindicated for them. Unlike the hardy and strong Kaphas, people who belong to the Vata type lack endurance and strength. They are Uranian capable of exploding, and their energy bursts can amaze the imagination, but these emissions are instantaneous, and for the next “burst” they will have to accumulate energy for a long time.
Vatas spend a lot of energy on “flights” of thoughts and imagination, so they must learn to take care of themselves and not drive themselves to exhaustion. The innate ability to “fly”, coupled with unconscious aestheticism and the need for beauty, dictates to Vats the need to live according to the principle of moderation, beauty and grace.
Exercise stress
The physical exercises that Vatas engage in should be short and “soft.” It could be breathing exercises, yoga, qigong, tai chi chuan, aikido (especially non-combat health direction ki), wushu, ballroom dancing, dance aerobics, light walks, short swimming (for fun and without stress), light (not systematic!) jogging fresh air, short bike rides, golf, tennis and badminton, and a dip in the hot Jacuzzi.
All exercises should be performed at a calm, moderate pace, and the load should also be moderate, because a fast pace leads to fatigue and imbalance of Vata dosha. Strength exercises must be performed at a slow pace, using dumbbells and other weights.
It is useful for Vata to perform a set of yogic asanas with measured breathing twice a day. Because the weakness Vat is the spine and joints; they must include asanas in the complex of yogic exercises that help develop the mobility and flexibility of the spine.
Pitta is a combination of fire and water and is responsible for transformation in the body. That is, if vata is responsible for movement, then pitta is responsible for various processes that are associated with the transformation of one process into another.
Digestion is the basic process of transformation where food is transformed into our body. And pitta is responsible for this. That is, it is a metabolic element. Therefore, the first and most important function Pitta - digestion of food. In addition, it is responsible for skin pigmentation, body temperature, hunger, thirst, vision (vision is also one of the functions of pitta, the function of fire in the body). And Ayurveda lists forty pitta disorders.
A person with Pitta (fire) dosha does not like to skip food, this makes her irritable and in a hungry state, a strong fire in the stomach can lead to a burning sensation in the heart area, ulcers and hemorrhoids. Therefore, Pitta personalities should not skip meals and should eat 3 times a day.
The skin of Pitta dosha is susceptible to irritation, rashes, inflammation, allergies often occur due to impaired immunity and accumulation of bile in small intestine. Out of balance, these people suffer from insomnia if they are immersed in their work, which, as a rule, is the main content of their life.
How to balance pitta dosha?
The main condition for the normal existence of this type and the way to balance pitta dosha according to Ayurveda is the need for a moderate, clear daily routine.
Summer is rightfully considered the Pitta season, so in the summer, people whose constitution is dominated by this dosha experience many problems. The natural heat of Pitta under the hot scorching sun only intensifies. That's why the Pitts need to prepare ahead of time for this season and prudently reduce their activity levels.
The ideal way to spend summer time for Pitts is to relax with family and friends near cool streams, springs and mountain lakes in which you can swim. It is not recommended to relax in the summer on the hot beaches of the ocean and sea coasts of Pittam, since the skin fire people burns easily and becomes inflamed in the sun.
If Pitts still prefer to relax on the coast, then they can only appear on the beach at sunset. Then it is useful for them to swim and jog on the beach sand.
When rage ignites the Pitt fuel, the health consequences are devastating. When uncontrollable, hot-tempered and impetuous Aries are driven by their own anger and guided by fiery passions, they deplete their energy resources and lose vitality.
If Pittas are stressed, they must find the strength not to explode as usual, but to calm down and cool down. Pittas can achieve a state of peace and tranquility when they paint landscapes, admire the beauty of nature, green meadows, fields strewn with flowers, or the sparkling surface of a river. Coolness, peace, contemplation and serenity, swimming in moonlight- all this perfectly harmonizes Pitta.
Pitta dosha and body constitution reacts very sharply to alcohol, which has a “sour” taste. The sour taste ignites bodily fire and this leads a person who drinks alcohol without measure to conflict situations, they themselves get into conflicts in an intoxicated state.
Smoking also ignites bodily fire, since it also has a “sour” taste in quality. Pitta constitution should not carry out a long fast; 2-3 days of fasting are enough for her. This personality does not need strong physical exercise, long distance running, light gymnastic exercises are useful for her.
Swimming is very calming for Pitt, jogging for no more than 5 minutes. Pitta constitution can shower cold water, this is favorable for her. Pitta personalities have excellent digestion and a strong appetite and therefore often suffer from overeating.
Diseases
All emotions of a Pitta constitution arise from lust and feelings of dissatisfaction. Emotions of anger, malice, hatred, envy, jealousy. These emotions disturb the flora in gallbladder, kidneys, and people with a Pitta constitution often suffer from metabolic disorders.
Diseases such as ulcers gastrointestinal tract, gallstones, bladder, hypertension and heart disease, skin diseases, inflammatory diseases eyes, heartburn, sour belching, refer to a violation of the fire function in the body and Pitta personalities suffer most from this.
Kapha is bodily water, it holds the elements of the body together and forms the basis of its physical structure.
This dosha supports the body's resistance. Kapha - bodily water - is physiologically responsible for the biological strength and strength of body tissues.
Kapha lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin, helps wounds heal, fills space in the body, gives biological strength, energy and stability, supports good memory, gives energy to the heart and lungs, supports the immune system.
On the one hand, Kaphas dream of everything happening by itself. On the other hand, before doing anything, Kaphas carefully consider and weigh every step. This is because they do not want to waste energy.
Kapha's favorite activities on weekends are traveling from the ottoman to the refrigerator and from the refrigerator to the ottoman. During such journeys they move slowly, majestically and without fuss.
Having collected a full tray of food, they carefully settle on the ottoman. At the same time, unlike Vat and Pitt, they cope well with monotonous, monotonous work that requires patience, effort and endurance.
When Kapha has no other choice, he has to work, but in general he does not like to work. This is a paradox, since all Kaphas feel the need to help people and warm them up even when they are not asked to do so.
Unlike Pitts, they do not have ulterior motives that guide them when carrying out tactical tasks according to a pre-developed plan to achieve strategic goals. Kaphas enjoy comforting, caressing, warming and feeding loved ones.
Typical Kapha women are hospitable housewives who throw everything that is in the refrigerator on the table. Kaphas do not think of great rewards for valiant work, but lack of appreciation or appreciation for a job well done offends them.
Best Season for Kapha Dosha
End of winter and early spring- These are Kapha seasons, so during this time all Kaphas face many problems. During the period of liberation of nature from winter captivity, Kaphas should not lead a sedentary lifestyle. They can engage in activities such as gardening, gardening, sports, spring cleaning and cleaning, and rearranging furniture.
From six to ten o'clock in the morning and from six to ten o'clock in the evening, people of this constitution intensively manifest the qualities of Kapha dosha. Their energy becomes dense, heavy and earthy. They should stick to a simple and comfortable daily routine to counteract the weight gain. This way they can train their willpower.
In order for Kapha's day to pass harmoniously, he should get up early in the morning, take a shower, do yoga and give himself physical (sports) exercise. Instead of breakfast, Kaphas need to drink Herb tea. It is better to refuse morning food.
The main meal is lunch. Individuals with a predominant Kapha (mucus) dosha should not be carried away by sweet, sour and salty tastes.
Sweet taste increases heaviness, creates blockages, cools the body, sour and salty tastes increase thirst and water will be retained in the body, which is why Kapha individuals often have high blood pressure. They suffer from lymphatic blockages, diabetes, accumulation of mucus in the chest cavity, diseases of the mucous membrane, gynecological disorders, and tumor growths.
Since Kapha dosha controls the wet tissues of the body, disturbances in it affect the mucous membranes. These symptoms are especially acute in cold and damp weather, when cold, damp Kapha intensifies in the environment.
During full moon When Kapha increases in the environment in all forms of life, Kapha individuals also suffer from excess fluid in the body. Their asthma worsens, their blood pressure, they become drowsy, lethargic, dispassionate, water is retained in the body.
Physical activity is necessary
The main thing for this type of people is never to be idle, that is, to constantly give physical activity to their body. Without Kapha movement, individuals can quickly become lazy and must always be encouraged to take action. They themselves may not show initiative, but laziness is their most terrible enemy.
Physical activity is favorable for them, the more the better, they can be good athletes, long-distance running, weightlifting, and swimming are favorable for them.
If Kapha personalities are not given physical exercise, Kapha will quickly begin to build up in their body due to laziness. Movement makes it possible to maintain internal fire in the body, which, in turn, cleanses the blood vessels of excess mucus.
These individuals can starve without harm to their health long time, up to 10 days, but they should eat no more than 2 times a day and in no case eat at night. The first meal is no earlier than 11-12 hours and the intervals between meals are at least 5-6 hours.
The biggest mistake of Kapha personalities is eating unclean food, which is heavy and only increases the quality of Kapha, so people of Kapha constitution can practically not get sick at all if they do not eat foods such as meat, fish, eggs, flour products and dairy products, as these foods are caphogenic, increasing mucus and congestion in the body.
Well, this concludes our small recommendations on the correct lifestyle and nutrition according to the doshas in Ayurveda. I hope you learned and determined the type of your dosha on the online test, and now you know which of the Ayurvedic doshas predominates in your body.
In addition, on our communication and self-improvement portal you will find more a large number of articles on great science Ayurveda, and even
Inspiration for this article and information was partially taken from the site
This test will help you determine what dosha you are and how you should eat. The test consists of 4 parts: the initial dosha is determined by your childhood, the rest - 2,3,4 - by your current attitude.
Primordial dosha
|
cotton wool |
Pitta |
Kapha |
||
|
1. Thin body, unusually tall or short height |
1. Average build |
1. Large, full body |
||
|
2. Light, thin bones; protruding joints |
2. The skeletal system is normal |
2. The skeletal system is massive |
||
|
3. Fingers and toes are long and have pointed ends. |
3. Fingers and toes of medium length |
3 Fingers and toes are short, with square ends |
||
|
4. In childhood - thinness |
4. In childhood - average build |
4. In childhood - a large body or fullness |
||
|
5. If you gain weight, the fat deposits are concentrated in the waist area. |
5. If you gain weight, fat deposits are distributed evenly |
5. Tendency to excess weight and fat deposits in the buttocks and thighs |
||
|
6. Dark skin (compared to other family members), tans easily |
6. The skin is light, burns easily in the sun; often - freckles, moles |
6. In the sun, the skin becomes evenly tanned. |
||
|
7. Body hair is either sparse or very thick; usually dark, coarse and curly |
7. Body hair is light and thin |
7. Body hair is moderately thick |
||
|
8. Narrow forehead |
8. Medium width forehead, with wrinkles and folds |
8. Wide forehead |
||
|
9. Eyes are small, dark, mobile |
9. Eyes of medium size, light green, gray, amber or blue |
9. The eyes are large, moist, sometimes blue, more often brown with a chocolate tint. |
||
|
10. Teeth crooked, uneven or protruding, sensitive to hot and cold; may have had to wear corrective braces |
10. Teeth are straight and of medium size |
10. Teeth are large, straight, shiny |
||
|
11. Thin neck |
11. Neck of moderate thickness |
11. Thick neck |
||
|
12. Graceful chin |
12. Moderate chin |
12. Massive lower jaw |
||
|
13. Curly hair as a child |
13. In childhood - thin, blond hair |
13. In childhood - wavy, thick hair |
||
|
VATA (result) |
PITTA (result) |
KAPHA (result) |
Part 2.
|
cotton wool |
Pitta |
Kapha |
||
|
1. Difficulty gaining weight |
1. If you want, you can gain or lose weight quite easily. |
1. It's easy to gain weight, but hard to lose without exercise. |
||
|
2. Cold hands and feet |
2. Warm skin |
2. Skin is cool, but not cold |
||
|
3. The skin is dry, thin (if you pinch yourself on the forearm, the thickness of the skin will be about 0.5 cm), and cracks easily. Tendency to form calluses |
3. Oily skin; tendency to form acne and rashes. Thickness 0.5-1 cm |
3. The skin is thick (thickness 2 cm or more), well moisturized |
||
|
4. Chapped lips often appear |
4. Lips are dark red, often - herpes, blisters on the lips |
4. Lips are full and moist |
||
|
5. Hair is dry, dull, with split ends, dark, coarse, curly |
5. Hair is thin, oily, light brown, red or early gray; hair thins early, baldness is possible |
5. Hair is thick, slightly wavy, oily, dark, shiny |
||
|
6. Do not tolerate dryness and cold well, prefer warmth |
6. Prefer cool, well-ventilated rooms, do not tolerate heat well |
6. Tolerate almost any climatic conditions, but do not tolerate high humidity well |
||
|
7. The tongue is dry, with a thin grayish coating |
7. Tongue with a yellowish, slightly orange or reddish coating |
7. The tongue is swollen, with a thick, cheesy, white coating. |
||
|
8. The eyes are often dry and itchy, and the sclera (whites of the eyes) are grayish or bluish. |
8. Sclera are reddish or yellowish |
8. Tendency to swelling of the eyelids |
||
|
9. Stool is irregular, hard, dry; possible constipation |
9. Large stools, more than twice a day; possible diarrhea |
9. Large stools, once a day; possible mucous discharge, itching |
||
|
10. Tendency to nervous disorders and acute pain |
10. Tendency to diseases with fever, rashes, inflammation |
10. Tendency to swelling, fluid and mucus retention, congestion |
||
|
11. Irregular sexual desire, tendency to sexual fantasies |
11.Sexual desire is strong, you get excited easily |
11. Regular sexual desire, arousal slowly |
||
|
12. Menstruation is irregular, scanty, with severe painful cramps |
12. Heavy bleeding is possible; menstruation is accompanied by diarrhea |
12. During menstruation there is swelling; spasms are weak or absent |
||
|
13. Either you abuse fatty and sweet foods, or you are on a strict diet |
13. Do you prefer protein foods, drinks with caffeine, as well as hot, spicy and salty foods |
13. Do you prefer sweet, dairy and flour products? |
||
|
14. Weak gums |
14. Tendency to inflammation and bleeding gums |
14. Gums are strong |
||
|
VATA (result) |
PITTA (result) |
KAPHA (result) |
||
Part 3.
|
cotton wool |
Pitta |
Kapha |
||
|
1. Attention quickly dissipates, you quickly remember new information, but easily forget |
1. You remember new information quickly and for a long time; think logically, rationally |
1. It takes quite a long time to learn new information, but you never forget what you once firmly grasped. |
||
|
2. Don't like rigid routines |
2. Love to plan and carry out organizational work, especially if the project is entirely at your disposal |
2.You work well within a rigid routine |
||
|
3. You have difficulty making decisions and changing them easily |
3.You make decisions quickly and clearly see the essence of things |
3.You make decisions slowly and refuse them with great difficulty. |
||
|
4. Restless, active, mobile mind. Creative thinking |
4. Aggressiveness, competitive spirit |
4. Calmness, love of leisurely activities that do not require much effort |
||
|
5. Creative thinking |
5. Organized thinking |
5. Prefer to follow other people's ideas and plans |
||
|
6. Working on multiple projects simultaneously |
6.You constantly carry out organizational work, prefer to move towards the goal consistently |
6. You resist change and new beginnings, prefer simplicity |
||
|
7. You have many acquaintances, but few close friends. |
7.You are very picky and cannot easily install warm friendly relations, and make an enemy |
7. You have many friends and you are faithful to them. |
||
|
8. You tend to spend impulsively and believe that money is there to be spent. |
8.You plan your expenses and believe that money is a means to achieve goals. |
8. You are thrifty and frugal, and have difficulty parting with money. |
||
|
VATA (result) |
PITTA (result) |
KAPHA (result) |
Part 4.
|
cotton wool |
Pitta |
Kapha |
||
|
1. You often feel afraid |
In the legendary Indian health system of Ayurveda, there is the so-called theory of three doshas. Doshas are physical energies that govern our body. It is the predominance of a certain dosha that makes us who we are: they determine our body type, character traits, and tendency to diseases.
“The human body repeats the model of the Universe and also consists of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. The earth is dense tissue, bones, muscles. All fluids in the body are water. The temperature of the body, all movements in it that release thermal energy, represent the fire element. The oxygen that we breathe and that is in our cells is air. Ether or space is the voids, pores that exist in our body, and the place in space that our body occupies.
These five elements dominate differently in all people. Those who are dominated by earth and water we call Kapha people. Who has the leading fire - Pitta. People of the Vata type have more air and ether in their bodies,” this is how Ayurveda doctor (B.A.M.S.) Unnikrishnan Thacharakkal explains to his patients the theory of the three doshas.
Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the three basic energies responsible for all physiological and psychological processes human body and mind. They, of course, influence both character and lifestyle.
Kapha
People of the Kapha type are characterized by inactivity, their element is earth. As a rule, they are not too sociable and very calm, they tend to make informed decisions. Kaphas are solid, dense, heavy, prone to fullness. They can be flexible, play sports, but if the dominant dosha is Kapha, then thin and thin man there will never be.
Signs:
- large build
- tendency to gain weight
- prudence and economy
- conservatism
- smooth, shiny and usually oily skin
- thick, long eyelashes and eyebrows
Characteristic word: “owner”
Kaphas stand firmly on the ground and are great materialists. As a rule, they are doing very well in the financial sphere, but Kapha's thriftiness when the balance of the doshas is disturbed can lead to pettiness and stinginess.
People of this type are positive and cheerful, despite the tendency to be overweight and have a large body - they are strong and healthy. They have a wide chest, strong muscles and large, heavy bones.
Kaphas are long-lived, thanks in part to their ability to accumulate energy. However, there is a catch here: if Kaphas do not give off energy, this leads to the appearance of arrogance, arrogance, dogmatism, and egocentrism. It is the Kaphas who need to constantly push themselves out of their comfort zone. Otherwise, stagnation occurs in their vital energy, which leads to depression.
They need to force themselves to move because their metabolism is slow, which can lead to the development of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, varicose veins and myocardial infarction.
Pitta
Pitta people often love sports; physical activity is easy for them - they bring pleasure and bring effective results. These are people of fire, they are hot outside and inside, hot-tempered, strong and fearless. Pittas often have leadership qualities.
Signs:
- energy
- ambition
- hot temper
- proportional physique
- well developed muscles, sporty look
- always hot hands and feet
- often sweat profusely and blush easily
- gain weight easily, but lose it just as easily
Characteristic word: “purposefulness”
People with a predominant Pitta dosha are ambitious and success-oriented, they are good at concentrating and achieving their goals. These are leaders who know how to mobilize and organize other people. Ideally, Pittas are good-natured, have a wonderful sense of humor, and are excellent at finding mutual language with people, smart, resourceful, charming.
If Pitta dosha is out of balance, people of this type become overly harsh, irritable and aggressive. Their main drawback is their temper, anger, they often lose their temper and can be aggressive. Their insight and perfectionism can turn into pickiness and suspiciousness. Pittas are prone to pride and vanity.
Proper nutrition well regulates the fiery nature of Pitta. Food for them is a kind of medicine. Therefore, Pittas must purposefully form their taste and eating habits and eat consciously.
cotton wool
Vata - emotional type. Fluctuating like air, in constant motion. As a rule, these are thin people with a lack of muscle mass - neither physical activity nor food helps them build muscle, but they can eat as much as they want. However, Vata type people do not have a special appetite; they tend to eat irregularly, haphazardly, which is not in the best possible way affects health.
Signs:
- thin hands
- long legs
- lack of body fat
- the venous network often appears on the legs
- joints often crack
- dry skin
- cold hands and feet
- are constantly cold
Characteristic word: “suddenly”
Spontaneity and impulses are the main character traits of people with a predominant Vata. They quickly light up with a new idea or thought, but just as quickly cool down, often experiencing a breakdown.
Vata is a very active type, it is difficult for them to relax and simply exist, they are always in a hurry and doing something. Vata needs to learn tolerance, force yourself to relax and at least sometimes remain in silence and solitude.
When the Vata dosha is out of balance, a person becomes impulsive, he is constantly overwhelmed by excitement, while willpower weakens, impulses do not lead to results. Increased anxiety appears. People with predominant Vata need to monitor their daily routine, avoid overwork, avoid juggling several tasks at once, and get enough sleep. Otherwise it is very easy to have a nervous breakdown.
Balancing the doshas leads to a harmonious life
Each person has his own energy pattern, which is unique, just like the pattern of the skin on the pads of the fingers. Every person is a combination of three doshas. They are in different proportions. You can determine your type using a special test (see below).
Any deviation from balance affects our quality of life. Not only an inappropriate daily routine, lack of sleep and bad habits. Weather, environment- this also affects our energy and well-being.
It’s interesting that Ayurveda also considers bad character, dishonesty and anger to be diseases, just like indigestion, for example, or bad skin.
The ideal person is healthy, balanced, slim, beautiful, calm, one in whose body absolute balance has been achieved: Vata, Pitta and Kapha are in harmony. The ideal can be achieved if you pay close attention to your body and correct imbalances in a timely manner.
continues to introduce you with a variety of typologies and this time we will talk about Ayurvedic typology.Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medicine, in Sanskrit meaning “knowledge of life”, “art of longevity”. Treatment in Ayurveda is based on a comprehensive study of human nature as a whole, its characteristics and relationship with the outside world. Man, according to Ayurveda, is a unique creation, inherently inseparable from the universe. Everything that exists in a person also exists in the macrocosm around him.
The Ayurvedic system of healing the mind and spirit developed in parallel with the development of traditional yoga. Ayurveda covers wide range healing techniques, including both cleansing programs, herbal medicine, nutritional methods, and physical exercise, regime and lifestyle.
According to Ayurveda, the universe is formed by five elements: ether (space), air, fire, water and earth. These elements appear in the form of three biological principles, or vital energies(according to Ayurveda - doshas): Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These energies of nature form all life on earth, including determining the human constitution through their combinations.
Ayurveda as a healing science is based on the study of the constitution of a particular person, which is initially formed at birth ("prakriti") and changes over the course of life, under the influence environment and way of life (“vikriti”). The three doshas also manifest themselves in the elements of nature, seasons and time of day and influence a person.
Ayurvedic therapy aims to balance and harmonize these three energies in a person.
Three doshas: Vata, Pitta, Kapha.
Vata dosha means wind (air). This is the driving energy force that motivates the other two doshas - Pitta and Kapha - to move. It controls the movements of the senses and mind, ensures mobility, variability and adaptation, and is responsible for the expression and discharge of all impulses. The action of Vata in the body occurs mainly through the nervous system. Like electric current, it “creates” reactions and nerve impulses. The properties of Vata are mobility, dryness and coldness.
Pitta dosha- this is the energy of fire. Pitta in the body is responsible for digestion, metabolism, controls the power of perception, is responsible for the formation of heat in the body, and understanding. Pitta "acts" through the digestive and circulatory system, it provides the body with strength and energy. The main characteristics of Pitta dosha are heat, strength and humidity.
Kapha dosha. Kapha is water, and its container is earth. Kapha is the main element in the human body, which is mainly composed of water trapped within the connective tissues, skin and muscles formed by the earth element. This dosha is a supporting and preserving force. It provides stability, constancy, is responsible for the formation of tissues, the strength of joints, and gives stability emotional sphere. Kapha acts through systems that provide nutrition to tissues - lymph and blood plasma. The main characteristics of Kapha are heaviness, oiliness, stability, and coldness.
So, cotton wool- This driving force, responsible for variability, adaptability, movement. Pitta is a transformative force that gives energy and allows you to move from one state to another. Kapha is stability, it strengthens, preserves and provides stability.
An excess of one of the doshas in the body leads to imbalance and can cause specific disorders and diseases. Excess Vata leads to instability, increased nervousness, exhaustion, weakness, brittle joints, dryness and depression. Excess Pitta leads to internal heat, fever, inflammation, anger and irritability. Excess Kapha leads to increased body weight, heaviness in the body, heavy breathing, inactivity and drowsiness.
Individual constitution
All three biological energies are present in the human body: Vata, Pitta and Kapha, but one or two of them usually predominate. Less common are people in whom any one dosha predominates; such a constitution can be defined as a Vata, Pitta or Kapha type, in accordance with the dominant dosha.
Mixed types are more common, when two or three doshas are present to the same extent. There is also a “balanced” type, in which all three energies are balanced and manifest equally; such people are practically healthy, but are quite rare. Therefore, when determining a person’s individual constitution, it is necessary to take into account the degree of manifestation of each of the three doshas, which can vary depending on the time of year and day, lifestyle, and age.
Here are the main manifestations of doshas in the human body:
Cotton wool. People of the Vata type tend to have a thin physique, the body is poorly developed, height is high or short, and there may be pronounced asymmetries in the structure of the face or body. This type of skin is dry, thin, and prone to roughness and cracking. Poor circulation, prominent veins and low subcutaneous fat. People of this type are sensitive to wind, cold and dry weather.
Emotionally, Vata people are unstable, prone to mood swings, emotionally sensitive, and prone to anxiety. This type is also characterized increased activity and creative potential.
Pitta. The Pitta type is characterized by average height and build, moderate weight with well-developed muscles. They always have warm skin, arms and legs. People of this type increased appetite and well-functioning digestion. They are sensitive to heat and humidity.
In the emotional sphere of the Pitta type, irritability, anger, and aggression predominate, while they are characterized by strong will, concentration and determination.
Kapha. Kapha type people are usually short in stature and have a strong, well-developed body. They have thick, moist skin, large hands and feet, and large facial features. This type of people is more prone to being overweight than others. Kapha types are sensitive to humid and cold climates.
IN psychologically Kaphas are stable, constant, prone to attachment and stability. They do not like changing places and surroundings; it is difficult for them to part ways.
Highlight seven main combinations of doshas. Theoretically, there are more possible combinations, but the rest are much less common.
This:
- cotton wool
- Pitta
- Kapha
- Vata-Pitta
- Vata-Kapha
- Pitta-Kapha
- Vata-Pitta-Kapha.
Each person is born with a certain number of doshas, that is, he has a certain constitution given to him from birth. This constitution with which a person was born is called Prakriti in Sanskrit. This is the original nature of every person.
During the course of life a person experiences unfavorable factors external environment, allows disturbances in his lifestyle, and the movement of doshas begins in his body. It is not for nothing that Ayurveda sometimes says that Dosha is something that goes out of balance. So, doshas are mobile energies, and their ratio in relation to each other is constantly changing. When such changes are insignificant, a person may not even notice it. When did one, or even two doshas seriously increase their presence in specific person(in relation to his Prakriti), then we can already talk about
diseases.
Once again I want to draw your attention. It is not the ratio of doshas in a person that is important. currently, but how much this ratio differs from the initial Prakriti of a given person. For example, a ratio of Vata 10%, Pitta 72%, Kapha 18% will result in serious illnesses in a person whose Prakriti is Vatta 30%, Pitta 50%, Kapha 20%, although the same condition will be almost ideal and absolutely healthy for a person with Prakriti Vatta 11%, Pitta 70%, Kapha 19%.
The balance of a person’s doshas at any given moment in his life may differ, and sometimes be very different, from the balance of doshas that was given to him from birth. The balance of doshas, or the type of constitution determined in a person specifically this moment, called Vikriti.
Again. Prakriti is the ratio of doshas, given to a person at birth. Vikriti is the ratio of doshas that a person has at a particular point in time.
When a person's Vikriti coincides with his Prakriti, then the person is perfectly healthy. In practice this rarely happens. Modern man lives, as a rule, in such a way that his Vikriti is different from his Prakriti. And the greater this difference, the greater the severity of the disease in a particular person. Therefore, to be healthy, you need to bring your Vikriti to Prakriti. That is, make sure that the ratio of doshas in your body becomes the same as it was given from birth.
In the following articles I will describe to you in more detail Various types according to Ayurvedic typology.
Today, as I promised a week ago, I’m posting tests with comments on how to determine your individual dosha balance.
For those who like it quick and interactive - here are a few links for fairly broad tests. The only thing I’ll remind you is that in some places they will determine not the innate balance, prakriti, but what you have at the moment - vikriti.
Naturally, any answer can actually combine several options. For example, your hair may well have characteristics in between the two doshas.
I’ll start, perhaps, not even with the test itself, but with a description of general trends. In Ayurveda, it is believed that our appearance, our physiology, and our psyche are a certain balance of energies. As a rule, all these structures (external, internal, physiological) are not separated, they are perceived as a single whole. This partly makes sense - I think everyone knows about psychosomatics. But sometimes it’s important to understand exactly where your imbalance is. Agree, treating apathy (excess kapha in the psyche) with cucumbers (reduce kapha, but in digestion) or temperature (excess pitta in the body) with walks under the moon (reduce pitta in the psyche) obviously will not work =) In application to style, we have already encountered this - there is an external reality (type of lines), there is an internal reality (style - persona). It is always possible to combine them into a single whole (there will be a personal style), but this does not mean that they are always the same, and may not even be too close at first glance.
So, let's get down to business. I’ll probably start writing about doshas with appearance. It is this that is most often paid attention to in tests, and it is with it that there is quite a lot of confusion. if you especially look at the pictures that illustrate " typical representative", it becomes quite sad. The closest picture I found to the original source is this:
We have several parameters related to appearance - height, bone structure, physique, coloring, facial features, hair structure, general body geometry. You can probably highlight something else if you want =) but this is quite enough for us.
So, height.
Vata is a movement, often from one extreme to another. Usually the height of the vata is either clearly less than average, or clearly above average (moreover, usually in combination with thin bones, the result is either a clearly small and almost childish appearance, or elongation).
Pitta in this regard is not particularly remarkable - growth is around average.
Kapha is also around average.
Bone structure.
The cotton wool is light - the bone structure is thin, therefore, quite sharp, the joints stick out at any weight (that is, when the “dramatic bone structure” in line theory is clearly visible). The cotton wool is also sharp - which gives sharpness to the shapes; they are not smooth.
Kapha is heavy and also smooth. Therefore, the bone structure is often wide and smoothed (like the natural type along the lines and romance). Here, by the way, I’ll say right away that Kapha can be different, just like other types. There is kapha when the earth element clearly predominates (this is associatively just natural in perception, it is more often represented as a heavy bone structure, stable, strong, slow and productive), and there is kapha when the water element predominates (this is associatively romantic - there is less of it and less often they imagine that it’s in vain. Smooth, round, abundant, caring)
Pitta is again just average. This does not mean that this is necessarily a balanced type in line theory. It’s just that neither the smoothness nor the sharpness are very noticeable.
Body type.
And here there is a lot of things that throw people off their innate balance and onto acquired data. Body type is often confused with weight, which is not true. The weight of any type, in general, should be within normal limits and balance. If a person is overweight, this does not mean that he is kapha, it means that kapha is imbalanced.
The roots grow from there, that there is simply a tendency that Vata quickly digests everything (both food and information), but absorbs it superficially and little, while Pitta digests everything quite quickly and assimilates “purposefully”. And kapha digests everything slowly, but extracts even the smallest things. Hence the obvious conclusion is that if you feed kapha and vata equally, then kapha will receive more nutrients from there, but due to this there may be an excess. Vata, accordingly, has a deficiency.
In fact, balanced vata is thin-boned, small or, on the contrary, tall, gains fat poorly, muscles are unexpressed, thin. Pitta is average, muscles can be quite pronounced, either “athletic” type or balanced. Kapha can be stable and wide, it can be round and smooth, in men the muscles are quite dense (imagine a man of natural type along the lines), in women this can probably also be the case if the element of earth predominates, or, more often, there is a clear feminine roundness of shape . Not excess weight again, namely the bends.
Color
It’s more complicated here, since Ayurveda was originally designed for residents of India, but The general trend There is. It will be even easier for you and me, dear readers - we know about undertones =)
Vata is air + space, and also cold. The most common colors of cotton wool are gray (silver) and bluish. These could be, for example, grey eyes, gray-brown eyes. Gray-black hair, grayish skin, bluish lips, etc. The general associative impression of exterior colors is cool air or uncertainty. It is believed that Vata has a grayish or bluish undertone to the skin.
Pitta is lava and comes in shades of gold, orange and red. Colors with warm undertones. The general impression of exterior colors is warmth or activity. Skin undertone is reddish.
Kapha is a meadow with a lake, calming shades of blue-green, milky light, richly dark. In the original, a typical Indian kapha is “wheatish complexion”. For Indians, it is considered lightish, with a light yellow undertone. With hair and eyes - they are either clearly light or clearly dark, but without extremes, rich, peaceful colors.
Hair texture.
The cotton wool is dry, light, crispy, in motion. Vata hair is therefore often dry, with zigzag curls and thin hair.
Pitta is oily, hot, penetrating. That’s why her hair is straight (straight lines are penetrating), medium density, it is believed that due to overheating and imbalance, hair turns gray early or falls out.
Kapha is dense, abundant and smooth. That's why her hair is thick, greasy, and wavy.
General body geometry.
Vata in motion - general impression from her - broken lines and sharpness.
Pitta is purposefully active - the overall geometry is a balance of sharpness and roundness.
Kapha is smooth and fluid - the overall geometry is either the stability of a rock or the softness of roundness.
Physiology.
This includes all processes that depend on internal organs.
Endurance and activity.
Vata is active but light. Therefore, there is usually an excess of activity, but it cannot maintain it for long. Prone to excessive energy consumption.
Pitta is active and goal-oriented. Activity is normal, the distribution of forces also more or less corresponds to activity.
Kapha is stable and fluid. There is not much activity, but there is a lot of accumulated strength. Tends to accumulate energy.
Digestion and appetite
Vata has an irregular pattern - sometimes it wants to eat and drink, sometimes it doesn’t want to. Something like this: today I eat a lot, tomorrow I don’t eat at all, but I feel fine. Most of food “slips through”, hence they are less likely to be overweight, but they are more likely to receive less nutrients.
Pitta has good and active digestion. The resulting energy is spent on purposeful activity. Feels hunger and thirst well, and experiences discomfort if there is a lack of nutrition.
Kapha has good, but slow digestion - it will get everything from food to the smallest detail. therefore, theoretically, it needs a small amount of food (but if there is a lot of kapha “in the head”, there is a craving for sensory pleasures, so it can eat a lot because it’s tasty, and not because it is necessary, hence the chances of gaining excess weight). If a meal is missed, it can spend quite a long time without much discomfort.
Vata sleeps restlessly and intermittently, gets up quite easily. He may well not get enough sleep (due to excessive energy consumption).
Pitta sleeps average norm- 8 hours.
Kapha sleeps deeply, “like a groundhog,” and for a long time, about 10 hours in a normal state, i.e. Without “sleep debt,” it’s hard to get up in the morning. (This indicator is taken into account when you have slept. If you go to bed at 3 and try to get up at 7, it will be difficult for anyone).
Vata is light, ringing, sometimes with extremes. The voice is often high-pitched, sonorous, or perceived as such
Pitta is medium - the voice is medium in pitch.
Kapha is heavy and abundant - the voice is “thick”, perceived as low or sensual.
Sex
For Vata, sex is “in the head” - more imagination than real action. Most likely the trend is towards games and variety. Since attention is unstable, it is easy to switch sexual desire.
Pitta is purposeful in everything. therefore, if Pitta wants sex, Pitta will have sex =) intensity of experiences, passion.
Kapha has sensual pleasures and tenderness. In general, kapha is always ready for sensual pleasures, although it will not actively seize it. Sex is more tenderness and pleasure, and not the adventure of vata and not the fire of passion of pitta.
Tendency to disease.
This will most likely show you the dosha that most often goes out of balance. But, as I wrote earlier, she is not always your leader, this must be remembered.
Vata is everything that is associated with dryness, excessive mobility or excessive energy consumption. Dry skin, brittle hair and nails, fatigue, gas, constipation, joint pain, lack of weight, etc.
Pitta is everything associated with excess heat, acids and light.
Allergies and dermatitis, photophobia, eye problems, sunburn, heartburn, inflammation, gastritis, ulcers, diarrhea, acute pain.
Kapha is everything related to stagnation and fluids.
Swelling, excess weight, colds, cough, sputum, all mucous and lymphatic disorders.
Psychology
And this is already yours inner world, what is “in your head” and everything that depends on it.
Lifestyle.
Vata - disorderly - active. There is no clear goal, but there is a lot of variety. She usually does not follow a daily routine, she is very spontaneous. Unstable attention, but quick switching from one to another. Most often he does not delve into the details of something. Although there may be people who delve into unnecessary details out of curiosity, in any case, they don’t get stuck on the little things. Most often he does not complete projects. Any resources are overused, so more often than not there is no money.
Pitta is purposeful. Activity is selective, aimed at a goal or benefit. There is a certain schedule, although it is flexible. There is no stuckness or much unpredictability. He brings projects to completion because goal and impact are important. He goes into details as they are useful. Where it is important for the result to delve into it, it will delve into it; where details are not needed, it will not. Any resources are spent for specific purposes, including money.
Kapha - calm - measured. There is not much activity, but there is a lot of immersion in something. The daily routine is formed by itself - by habit. It's hard to try something new. Holds attention for a long time, delves into details well, and can get stuck on them. He brings projects to completion, albeit slowly, but not so much because of the result, but because of the process itself, the difficulty of switching and good concentration. He accumulates any resources. Money too.
Memory and information processing.
Vata - grasps new things well and quickly, but does not keep it in mind for long.
Pitta - grasps things quite quickly, keeps in mind what he thinks will be useful.
Kapha is slow to assimilate, but keeps in mind for a long time.
Emotionality
Vata in balance - creativity, easy-going, variability, light pleasant emotions.
Vata in imbalance - fearfulness, uncertainty, uncertainty, superficiality.
The Stress Response: Fear and Flight
Pitta in balance - determination, confidence, activity, intense pleasant emotions
Pitta in imbalance - anger, jealousy, short temper, criticality
Reaction to stress: aggression and attack
Kapha in balance - balance, harmony, caring, deep pleasant emotions.
kapha in imbalance - attachment, stuckness, stagnation, pedantry
Reaction to stress: stupor, playing dead =)
Favorite activity:
Vata is what gives light emotions and variety - entertainment, a change of scenery.
Pitta is what gives results - sports activity and training to improve yourself =)
Kapha - sensory pleasures - that which pampers the 5 senses - be it cooking, design or hiking and sitting by the fire.
Accordingly, representatives of the three doshas will perform the same work for different reasons. This important point. Because they often try to divide professions according to doshas, but professions are multifaceted.
For example, stylist =)
Vata in balance will creatively select different options for a person, offer him 135 options for what can be done with him, and a bunch of systems. The client may remain at a loss as to where to stop, but he will clearly not experience a lack of information =)
Vata in imbalance will offer a vague or impractical option, without going into details, say “I’m an artist, that’s how I see it” and run to another client.
Pitta in balance will look at what exactly the client wants from her, set a goal for herself, from the options she sees, choose the one that best suits the goal, and will collect detailed information it is to him that the client will receive a ready-made, well-developed result.
pitta in an imbalance will decide for itself where to direct the client, will purposefully impose it on him, and if he is indignant that it does not suit him, he will bark that “I am a stylist, I should know better.”
Kapha in balance will be aesthetic and while working will enjoy the harmony of color and lines, will try to convey to the client how beautiful he is, due to which the work may take longer.
Kapha in an imbalance can stubbornly prove to you that “all women should wear a dress” (stuck) and sincerely wonder why you don’t agree, it suits you =)
Sight
Vata's is excited - surprised, "waiting for a miracle."
Pitta has piercing
kapha - calmly serene.
Speech
Vata has a fast pace, the volume is sometimes higher and sometimes lower than necessary, switchability, conversations about exchanging information, loves to talk.
Pitta has an average pace, persuasiveness, clarity, wide emotional range, conversations with some purpose.
Kapha has a slow pace, conversations are either laconic, or, on the contrary, “from the creation of the world” with attention to detail.
Relationships with people.
Vata usually has many acquaintances, deep and long relationship are rare. What people like about vata is that it’s not boring and they don’t like the fact that you can’t rely on it.
Pitta has friends with similar interests - one goes to a cafe, another goes to fitness, another goes to courses, etc. What is called friendship. What people like about her is that she is able to provide real and necessary help; they don’t like her temper.
For kaphas, friends are kindred spirits. soulmates. Deep relationships with a limited number of people. People like her caring and calmness, but don’t like her stubbornness.
In my example:
I think I already wrote that I am Kapha-Pitta. Kapha and Pitta are approximately equally divided at about 40 percent, Vata about 20, which still makes it noticeable from time to time. All three are mixed in appearance - kapha is a little more, but pitta and vata make a fairly significant contribution. Physiology is dominated by kapha. In psychology, pitta is in the lead, but vata and kapha are clearly in the wings.
If it is descriptive - the appearance combines roundness and protruding bones, there is some angularity, but not conspicuous, there are no extremes, the color is grayish-golden, the skin is dense, from normal to oily, the hair texture is medium, wavy, the muscles are thin on the arms, dense on the feet, medium bending nails. Physiology - mainly internal processes according to kapha - voice according to kapha, which I don’t notice in myself, I only track on video and voice recordings =) . Sleep is kapha, endurance is regulated by pitta - there is always activity, purposeful. Sexuality of vata and kapha, more often kapha, but vata is in strong hold. in psychology - focus on the result of pitta, with positive qualities - refinement, completion, search optimal solution, and with negative ones too - the desire to argue, criticality. All three are emotionally manifested - from vata, switchability and the ability to collect large flows of information, from pitta, understanding where I am moving and practical activity, from kapha, tenderness and moral support towards loved ones. Vata causes periods of excessive energy consumption and uncertainty. From pitta - a reaction to stress - attack or irritation. Kapha was not noted in the negative. The daily routine of pitta - vata - in general, there is a similarity, it is regulated by goals, but it happens that it is not there at all. Favorite activities are regulated by all three doshas. from kapha - sensory pleasures, there is actually a lot of this. from pitta - knowledge with some purpose. I process a lot of information thanks to my psychotype, but usually not out of pure curiosity. Vata is a little less manifested - there are activities out of pure curiosity, but still I try to tie them to some internal goals =) The pace of speech is average, understandable, the emotional coloring is from pitta. The gaze is piercing most often. relationships with pitta-kapha people. With a close circle - kaphas (close, deep trusting, non-aggressive), with a more distant circle - pittas (more pressure, friendly, with similar interests).
Despite the fact that any person has all three doshas, from the outside it’s really the leading ones that catch the eye =) Good luck in identifying, next time I’ll tell you directly about clothes for different types =)
