One of the beautiful yogis that I practice under at Blissful Yoga emailed us a Ayurveda Questionnaire to gauge our Doshas. After sitting down and honestly going through the lists I am a Pitta Kapha. :)
Lets talk about what Ayurveda and Doshas are:
Ayurveda, in sanskrit, translates as "knowledge of life". Ayurveda dates back 5000 years to the sakskrit texts of the Vedas. Ayurveda is a way of healing through our doshas, or physical constitution, emotional nature, and spiritual outlook. This is also the sister science to yoga.
Doshas are defined through vata, pitta, and kapha. Each one of us is a unique combination of these three forces. Although we all have a bit of each dosha in each of us, most people tend to have an abundance of one or two of the doshas. This combination is uniquely determined at the time of your conception. This is your own personal blueprint or prakriti (nature).
Marsha, during last week's Sunday Restorative, explained the 3 doshas too us. Your doshas change as you age. Kapha is child, Pitta is young adult/adult, and Vata is adult (55)/senior. For women vata starts when menopause begins.
Here are overviews of the 3 Doshas:
Kapha types have strong frames and are naturally athletic as long as they are actively exercising to manage and maintain a healthy weight. They also tend to gain weight easily. The influence of the earth and water elements makes them innately stable, compassionate, and loyal. They do things in a methodical way, and prefer a regular routine in their personal and professional lives. When imbalanced Kaphas can become unmotivated, stubborn, and complacent even when change is nessesary. Their metabolism tends to be slow and their appetite for both food and stimulation is less intense then with vata or pitta. Kaphas also benefits from exposing themselves to new enviornemnts, people, and occasionally fasting.
Pitta types are dominated by the element fire, which makes them innately strong, intense, and irritable. They have a medium build body with endurance and powerful musculature. They often have freckled skin that reddens easily in the sun, during physical exercise, massages, and blushing. They are strong willed and are good at doing what they thing is right. Pittas approach work and play with the same intensity and competitiveness. Pittas are natural leaders and quick learners whose ability to comprehend and master a new skill and concepts can make them judgmental or impatient toward people they feel are slow or less focused than themselves. They have strong digestion and intense appetites, both for food and challenges. If they miss a meal they are likely to be crabby. It is common for Pittas to suffer from health conditions such as inflammation, rashes, acne, and loose stool. For balance, pittas need to manage their "fiery" tendencies, channeling them in productive ways and learning to recognize their destructive power.
Vata types are lanky and thin. Thy are very mentally and physically active and enjoy creative endeavors, meeting new people, and traveling to new places. When Vatas are balanced, they are flexible, have lively imaginations, and are original thinkers. When Vatas is imbalanced they can get anxious, ungrounded, and flaky. Vatas tend to run cold and dry while enjoying warm, humid weather. It is common for Vatas to experience cold hands and feet, constipation, dry skin, and cracking joints. The influence of the element air in their constitution causes their energy, mood, and appetite to fluctuate dramatically. For this reason Vatas often fail to eat and sleep regularly, swinging from eating heavy foods to ground and sedate themselves, or ingesting stimulants like coffee and sugar to sustain intense mental and physical activity. Insomnia and low immunity are very common problem for the sensitive vata person.
With all that being said... I am a Pitta Kapha. The dominance is in the Pitta. And reading through these descriptions its on the money. It was amusing to read and be like "yup i'm that.. that one too.. yep... ooh def that one".. but also very informative. Made me a little more aware of myself even more. I have become much more aware of myself in the physical aspect of life by practicing yoga 4-6 times a week. My body now "craves" the things it needs. I find myself craving salad or veggies sometimes after a period of heavy foods. So I am now ready to listen to my body and give it the natural things it needs to be balanced.
I have also attached the survey that Marsha sent out to find out what Dosha you are. Take the Quiz, Find Out What Dosha You Are, and Let The Healing Begin!!
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Aum
Namaste Ash :)
(click on them.. they get bigger!)
