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Pitta, Kapha or Vata – your genetic make-up

Each of us is different. And it is not just about appearance or character. Ayurveda developed the concept of “body constitution” also known as a type of body or Prakriti. The constitution of the body is determined by the proportion of the three “doshas” – Pitta , Kapha and Vata , which are present in each of us. We are born with it and can not change it. But if we know what type we are, we can control the selection of appropriate food for us and, as a result, it gives us the ability to influence on how we feel. There are many benefits of determining your body constitution. It can literally change your life. Do you already know what type you are? If not, find out by doing the following test.

Read the following questions and circle the answer that best describes you.

Physique

• V) I am a slender person, I hardly gain weight
• Q ) I am medium built
• K) I am well built, I have a tendency to gain weight no matter what I do

Skin

• V) my skin is thin , delicate and dry,
• P) my skin is flushed with plenty of birthmarks and freckles
• K) my skin is strong and thick, sometimes looks pale

Face

• V) my face is oval
• P) my face is triangular
• K) my face is round

Activity

• V) I am a very active person , always on the go
• P) Always think before I do anything
• K) I am calm , I do not like to rush

Actions

• V) I walk, talk and I drive fast
• P) my actions are very thoughtful and precise
• K) I’m rather slow, I do not like to rush and I Take my time

Dream

• V) do not sleep soundly, I toss and turn, and I sometimes wake up early in the morning
• Q ) I am a light sleeper
• K) I’m a heavy sleeper , I sleep like a log

Appetite

• V) varies , sometimes I feel hungry, and sometimes not ,
• V) I often feel anxious if I feel hungry;
• Q ) I always feel hungry,
• P) if I do not eat , I get irritable / angry;
• K ) I do not feel hungry, I rather don‘t have appetite,
• K) I can go without eating all day

Bowel movements

• V) have a tendency to constipation
• P) I defecate regularly, tend to get diarrhea
• K) I have no problems with bowel movement

Emotions

• V) I have a lot of concerns ,
• V) my moods are variable
• V) often feel anxious and nervous
• P) if things do not happen my way, I feel very irritable / angry
• K) my mood is stable

Weather preferences

• V) I love hot and humid weather
• Q ) I like when it’s chilly, I hate hot weather
• K) I like when it’s warm and dry

Sweating

• V) I hardly sweat
• Q ) I’m sweating even after taking shower
• K) I sweat only if Iwork very hard

Ability to acquire information

• V) I learn quickly, but forget quickly too, I have an average short-term memory, poor long-term memory and excellent sound memory
• Q ) I remember what I want to remember and never forget, I have a good short-term memory, selective long-term memory, very good optical memory
• K) I learn slowly, but once I learn, I never forget, I have a very good short-term memory, good long-term memory

Strength

• V) I easily get tired
• Q ) I am an average stamina
• K) I can work long hours, I have a good stamina

Mind

• V) my mind is often troubled t
• P) I easily lose patience
• K) it is difficult to make me mad, I’m very calm

Personality

• V) “Can I still change my mind?”
• Q ) “We do it my way or not at all”
• K) “Cheer up! Tomorrow is another day “

Sport

• V) I like physical activity
• Q ) I like to win
• K) I like to have fun

Health problems

• V ) the frequent pain,
• V) constipation,
• V) anxiety and depression,
• V) insomnia,
• V) migraine
• P) skin diseases,
• P) heartburn,
• K) allergies,
• K) overweight,
• K) digestive problems
• K) diabetes,
• K) chronic colds

Hobby

• V ) arts (drawing, painting),
• V) dancing,
• V ) travel ,
• V) cinema,
• V) reading
• P) sport
• P) philosophy
• K ) nature
• K) gardening
• K) nature
• K) cooking

Once you have chosen the answers which best define you, sum up the number of letters V, P and K and see which letter prevails. If any of doshas is 50% or more, then we talk about pure body constitution. Thus, you can specify your constitution as vata, pitta or kapha.

However, we are rarely able to definitely identify ourselfs as one of these types, and most of us is double-dosha type. This means that two doshas are dominant and the third is relatively low. For example, if the test shows that about 40 % of the answeres fall into category pitta and kapha and around 20 % into vata, it means, that you are a pitta -kapha type. Depending on the number of answers wihich prevails, you may be either kapha – pitta or pitta-kapha type. Other possible doshas combinations are following:

vata – kapha (or kapha – vata )

vata – pitta ( vata or pitta )

Each of us is a unique combination of vata, pitta and kapha. Fluctuations of these energies have an impact on our physical condition and health. Read my next articles to find out how you can affect for example your mood through diet depending on your body constitution.