Introduction: Yoga and Ayurveda, and integrated system.
Ayurveda, Yoga and Jyotish (Astrology) are sister sciences forming a complete system of healing and transformation towards healing and transcendence. When Ayurveda takes care of health and body, Yoga takes care of the mind and Astrology help you deal with Karma inherited from past lives.
Ayurveda is the knowledge of cause and effect and allows us to keep an harmonious relationship with mother Nature. Each of us is made of the five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether) combining to create the entire universe. To simplify, those of us who have more earth and water are called Kapha, more fire and water are called Pitta and more air and ether are called Vata, and most of us are a combination of each in various proportions. Determining your proportion or constitution (Dosha in Ayurvedic terms) is a key to design a practice that is beneficial for you.
Your practice should help you balance your dosha while your natural tendency would push you out of balance, a source of disease. Here is an opportunity to self-evaluate your dosha (caution: see yourself as you are, not as you would like to be). For each question, tick the description that fits you best. When you are finished, click the "result" button at the bottom of the page and we will send you the result by email.
Your dominant constitution is Kapha.
Your dominant constitution is Vata.
Your dominant constitution is Pitta.
Based on your answers, you don’t have a single predominant dosha but rather you are a combination of Kapha and Vata personality types. Learn about these two doshas below.
Based on your answers, you don’t have a single predominant dosha but rather you are a combination of Vata and Pitta personality types. Learn about these two doshas below.
Based on your answers, you don’t have a single predominant dosha but rather you are a combination of Kapha and Pitta personality types. Learn about these two doshas below.
Kapha constitution tend to be more stable and grounded in nature. When balanced, they are as solid and centered as a mountain, consistent, calm, patient and thorough. Good listeners and caregivers, Kaphas are loving, peaceful, compassionate and supportive.
If out of balance, Kapha people may become controlling, greedy and materialistic. When completely out of balance they become lethargic and lazy. Although Kapha people are slow to anger, their explosive rage is uncontainable when finally provoked.
Kapha types gain weight easily and are usually well-nourished and healthy. Once they learn something, they seldom forget it. Their friendly, open dispositions make them excellent managers, but their stable natures can lead to mental and emotional dullness.
Design your practice to counter your natural inclination towards lethargy. Avoid slow and relaxing physical practice and put emphasis on Vinyasa and greater efforts, inverted poses and back bends, chest opening. Favor flowing and rapid move with forceful breath and energizing pranayama. Your challenge: do not give up! Prefer hot space to burn and detoxify. Meditation is easier for you than other types but the challenge is that you will feel sleepy.
Vata constitution tend to be like the wind. Their moods change quickly, and they often move on to new pursuits before finishing old projects. Generally, imaginative, exciting, and excitable, Vatas move at a hectic pace. When balanced, Vata types are often artistic visionaries. Idealistic and spiritual, they have a strong sense of unity and are often healers and teachers.
A Vata out of balance may be indecisive, unreliable, restless, overly talkative, superficial and anxious. If completely out of balance, Vata people can be fearful, secretive, depressed, mentally disturbed and even suicidal.
The Vata body may be thin due to inefficient methods of expending energy. Vatas prefer warm climates, food and drink, and may become especially moody and anxious if they miss a meal. Lacking endurance, Vatas often need time to recuperate; they thrive on healing massage and total relaxation. A regular schedule can help dispel their anxieties and promote inner harmony.
Design your practice to ground, balance and warm the Vata dosha. Avoid flowing and vinyasa style and fast paced movement, only move to the next pose when you have clearly grounded the current one, work at slowing and lengthening the breath and reducing the heart beat. Favor twist and mild inversions, gentle forward bend and standing poses and also grounding and seated asana. Focus on slow and steady attention to details, stay connected with the earth, practice in a warm place and direct your effort to build up muscular tissues and strength. Meditation is a must for you, slowing and grounding but the challenge is that your mind will resist slowing down. Stay warm and avoid windy place for your practice.
Like fire, Pitta constitution are energetic, dynamic and passionate. They are known for their keen intellect, perfectionist tendencies. When balanced , they are the most intelligent, perceptive and courageous of the doshas. Warm, friendly, competitive, determined and independent, they make good leaders, but may pursue their strengths single-mindedly at the cost of holistic balance and compromise.
Out of balance, Pittas can be impulsive, ambitious, aggressive, dominating, manipulative, destructive, angry and frustrated. When completely out of balance they can be hateful and vindictive, even psychopathic or criminal.
Design your practice with no achievement in mind. Shun the “advanced classes” and keep your asana simple and cooling remembering that there is no one to compete with if we are indeed all one. Prefer forward bend, sitting poses, shoulder stand and move toward less efforts and exertion. Practice with no goals in mind, slow down and pay attention to detail, work in a cool place and do not take it so seriously! Meditation will be very efficient but you may have doubts that your are getting anywhere, know this to be the nature you are trying to balance and relax.