Determine Your Ayurvedic Constitution

According to ayurveda there are three basic elements in human health. These are named “Dosha”, and are Vata (air), Pita (fire) and Kapha (water). Each person is born with certain amounts of each of the doshas (for example 50% vata, 35% pita, 15% kapha) . The dominance of certain doshas (in the example vata and pita are dominant) determines this person’s constitution (named “Prakriti”) for life. There are 10 possible constitutions (v=vata, p=pita, k=kapha): v, p, k, vp, pv, pk, kp, vk, kv, vpk. (in the example the constitution is vp). This constitution governs the physical and mental qualities in a person.

Due to external disturbances our constitution may lose it’s initial balance (returning to the example: if this person has at some stage 40% v, 25% p, 35% k, he has excess k). When this happens we are less healthy and there is more chance for disorders and illness. The general aim of Ayurvedic treatment is to balance the constitution according to the original personal constitution. To achieve this the first step is to determine a person’s constitution. This is done through various methods – pulse examination, urine test, physical and mental qualities.

Below is a table you can use to determine (roughly) your ayurvedic constitution through physical and mental qualities. You should count in each column the number of qualities appropriate to you, and then then divide in the total. The percentage of each dosha will determine (roughly) your ayurvedic constitution.

Notice: each person has a combination of the three doshas. Do not draw conclusions through the chart. The chart is a tool to determine ayurvedic constitution and not the other way – through the constitution to guess a person’s certain quality. An example for totally wrong usage of the chart: “this person is slender and his hair is dry…he must be vata -> interesting… so his memory is short…”.