Have you ever wondered why a diet programme can work splendidly for some and not at all for others? Why do some people get sick during certain seasons while others don’t? Why do some get tipsy after just one drink while others can guzzle down bottles of hard liquor and still remain relatively sober? Why do some feel motion sickness even during a short trip, whereas others can travel for hours at a stretch and not feel a thing? Why do some get tired after half an hour of physical work, whereas others seem to be endowed with an inexhaustible store of energy?
Every one of us is born with a certain constitution. It determines how we accept, process, and absorb the food we eat. It influences how we respond to the environment around us. The term used in Ayurveda to describe an individual’s constitution is called prakriti. It means our genetic disposition, our inherent nature. This is most interesting because the term for nature is also prakriti.
We are a part of nature. Our nature is an extract of nature itself. This is not a metaphorical statement but the firm truth. For the foods we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe – all these were outside us once; they were in nature. Once we consume them, they are within us. They become us. We are made from them. It is, therefore, important to understand your own prakriti, constitution, so that you may know what will suit you from prakriti, nature.
The dosha you are born with is your constitution. Some have a predominance of vata, some pitta, and some kapha. Many have a combination of two of these, and a rare few have the perfect balance between the three doshas. The basis of all remedies and treatments in Ayurveda is your constitution. Once you understand whether you are a vata, pitta, or kapha, or a specific combination of these, you will know what foods are good for you and which ones cause you the most damage. You will know during which seasons your immune system is the best and when it is the weakest. You can gain weight, you can lose weight; you can even cure most chronic ailments. In fact, you can enjoy near-perfect health if you get a grip on how nature responds to your nature.
Before you ascertain which dosha you are, it will help to know the basis of your constitution. Doshas are divided into two categories: prakriti and vikriti. Prakriti is your permanent constitution. For example, if you are born fair-colored or with a large frame, that is how you will be for the rest of your life. You cannot change your fundamental constitution. If your eyes are large, for example, that’s how they will remain. Prakriti refers to one’s permanent attributes. Vikriti refers to the present state of humors in your body. It alludes to fleeting ailments, seasonal mood swings, and transient changes in your temperament. It is a pathological manifestation; it is symptomatic and it is temporary.
Your prakriti is not something you acquire after you are born; it is sealed in the womb, at the time you are conceived. For example, a mother who has given birth to three children would, in all likelihood, have had different issues in each pregnancy. The fetus during one pregnancy might have kicked a lot more than the others. Another baby in the womb might have been more sensitive to what the mother ate. Yet another might have been more stable than the others. The constitution is determined the moment an egg joins the sperm. It is fully manifested and mature by the time the child is delivered. This is the reason why one infant may have allergies and other constitutional disorders, whereas his sibling may be perfectly healthy. They may even be twins; even identical twins, for that matter.
There are many determinant factors that make you who you are. Your own prakriti is dependent on the constitution of the sperm and the egg, meaning your parents’ constitution. The time and season during the conception play a big part in affecting your prakriti. Vedic and tantric texts lay out elaborate methods to ensure a healthy conception. The physical, mental, and emotional health of the parents at the time of conception will have a telling impact on the health and temperament of the child. Further, Vedic texts strictly prohibit having sexual intercourse during the day. Both vata and pitta are aggravated from sunrise till sunset. A child conceived during the day is likely to be more aggressive and impulsive. An excess of vata leads to indecisiveness.
The physical and emotional health of the expectant mother is also a critical factor for determining prakriti. The age and health of the uterus where the embryo lives for nine months play an important role in this too. A late pregnancy means a weaker home for the fetus. Children of older mothers may be geniuses, but they tend to be physically weaker and more prone to allergies than their older siblings. Stress or depression for the mother during pregnancy can cause anything from simple allergies to more serious behavioral disorders in the child. In a nutshell, we have practically no control over our constitution.
There are seven possible constitutions. They are: vata, pitta, kapha, vata-pitta, pitta-kapha, vata-kapha, and vata-pitta-kapha. There are specific physical and mental traits for each dosha. Simply see the ones that fit you, contemplate over it, and you will know your prakriti. As I mentioned earlier, it is perfectly normal that your attributes are, for instance, vata in some and pitta or kapha in others. Very few people are absolute vatas, pittas, or kaphas. Most of us are a combination of these.
Vatas are thin and slender. That does not mean they lack strength or stamina. In their lean frames, they can be just as energetic as the other two doshas. Their gait is swift, and they often have long arms or long legs. They are not broad-chested and tend to have a squarish body structure with small shoulders and narrow hips. Their bones are light.
Pittas have medium body frames but very symmetrical bodies. Their limbs are in proportion to the rest of their bodies. Pittas can be quite tall, but they are still well endowed with muscle. They make good fashion models. They are full of energy, but not as agile as vatas. Pitta women tend to have a natural hourglass body shape, and men a natural V-shape.
Kaphas have the largest frame of the three. They have stout bodies and their build is stocky; their bones are heavy, and they walk slowly. They have excellent physical strength and stamina. Many kaphas with a composite of vata make excellent athletes in sports such as rugby, boxing, weightlifting, etc.
Vatas have prominent, sometimes protruding joints, which tend to crack easily. Do some squats: if you hear crackles in your knees, it may well mean you are a vata. Those crackles could also be due to stiffness in the body, though. Be sure to differentiate between them. Vatas’ muscles are slender and have almost no fat – just flesh.
Pittas have reasonably strong joints, which are loose, well shaped, and flexible. Even though their joints are good, they can develop arthritis in the later years of their life due to their pitta nature. Their muscles are well built but supple. Their muscle mass is not as lean as the vatas, but pittas have the best muscular structure from the perspective of fitness and strength.
Kaphas have large joints like their body frame. Their joints are well padded and strong, though. When standing, they can feel tiredness in their ankles very quickly, mostly because the weight of their large body frame is on their feet. This is true even if they are not overweight. This can often lead to some swelling around the ankles. Their muscles are not as lean or supple as the other two types.
Vatas prefer summers. They are most productive and comfortable in warm environments. For most of the year, their hands and feet are cold. They are very sensitive towards any changes in the temperature, and their body reacts to such variations quickly.
Pittas are usually warm. They love winters and cold climates. They are uncomfortable in hot weather. They are not as bothered by changing seasons or summers as vatas are in winter. Heat tires them out quickly, however. They have the greatest physical stamina when mercury is on the lower side.
Kaphas are comfortable for most of the year, but they prefer summer and spring. Like vatas, they don’t like cold days. Additionally, they feel depressed on wet days. During winters and rains, they feel low on energy and stamina.
Various seasonal affective disorders (SAD) like winter depression, winter blues, or seasonal depression affect vatas and kaphas more than pittas, as people with the two former doshas experience depressive symptoms in the winter.
Vatas are generally underweight. If they are not underweight, they are certainly on the lighter side. They can be so excited about their passions that they may even forget to eat. Vatas have no problem with skipping meals and have a tendency to lose weight.
Pittas are usually of normal weight; they are just right according to their body frame. Of the three, it is the easiest for Pittas to gain or lose weight. Any effects of exercise and diet show on their body in a matter of days.
Kaphas are normally on the heavier side of the spectrum. Relative to their build, they tend to be overweight. They gain weight easily and have great difficulty in losing it. A Kapha may have the strictest diet plan, yet results come slowly for him. In fact, losing weight is one of the most difficult things for Kaphas.
Vatas commonly have dry hair; they get split ends easily. Their hair tends to be frizzy and breaks easily. They generally don’t become bald like Pittas, but they do need to take greater care of their hair. Their hair tangles easily.
Pittas mostly have extremely fine but thin hair. Their hair is long and straight and never really jet black. They tend towards blonde or red in Caucasian people and light black in Asian and African cultures. Their hair usually greys at an earlier age than Vatas and Kaphas. Pitta males are inclined to be bald towards the later years of their lives.
Kaphas frequently have thick and wavy hair. Their hair is oily and tends to be on the darker side. The colour of one’s hair, however, is a factor almost entirely dependent on one’s race. So, a Caucasian man or woman with blonde hair could be as much a Kapha as an Indian with jet black hair.
Vatas usually have small foreheads and forward hairlines, making their foreheads look even smaller. They tend to have permanent frown marks as they age. Generally, when they raise their eyebrows, three lines appear on their forehead.
Pittas commonly have medium-sized foreheads, with wrinkles and lines in no specific pattern during the later years of their lives. Their foreheads tend to be plainer, with no frown lines or only light frown lines.
Kaphas have the largest foreheads of the three. Their foreheads are lustrous and radiant. There are usually no signs of any wrinkles there until much later in their lives.
Vatas have small and active eyes; their eyes may even be sunken. They blink a lot and rarely settle their gaze on anything beyond a few seconds. Their eyebrows are generally smaller and frugal. Their eyelashes are of normal thickness and length.
Pittas have charismatic eyes. Their eyelashes are fine and thin. Their eyebrows are stately but not as hairy as a Kapha’s. Pittas have a penetrating gaze, and their eyes have an artistic look.
Kaphas have large, soft, and smooth eyes. There is a certain stillness and warmth in their gaze. The whites of their eyes are extremely white and prominent. Their eyebrows and eyelashes are thick and luxuriant.
Vatas have thin lips which get dry and chapped easily. Their teeth can be somewhat uneven and may require constant care and attention.
Pittas have medium-sized soft lips. Their upper lip is slightly darker than the lower one. Their teeth are medium-sized and are generally well-shaped. Pittas need to take proper care of their teeth, as they tend to suffer from cavities more than both vatas and kaphas.
Kaphas have large and smooth lips. They have a slight natural pout, heightening their sex appeal. Their teeth are generally well-formed and aligned and require the least care of the three types.
While analyzing your complexion, it is important to factor in your race. The darkest Caucasian is going to be several shades lighter than the lightest West African, for example.
Vatas’ skin is dry and somewhat rough. They need to moisturize it properly during the dry and cold seasons to protect it from wrinkling and cracking. Their skin is thin; one can see the veins running beneath it. Their complexion is on the darker side, and their skin feels cold.
Pittas have soft and smooth skin. Wrinkles don’t form as easily on them as vatas. Their complexion is more on the fair side, but it tends to be wheatish or yellowish. Fair-colored pittas suffer from skin rashes and sunburn more easily than others.
Kaphas have thick and smooth skin. Their skin is oily, and wrinkles don’t appear until late in their lives. Their skin can look cold and pale. Their complexion tends to be fair and bright. Minimal skincare does it for them.
Vatas have long and slender hands. Their hands look creative and artistic; they make good surgeons and painters. The palms are somewhat dry and slightly rough. Their fingers are longer than their palms, with thin nails that crack easily.
Pittas too have somewhat long hands, but they are proportionate to the size of their bodies. Pittas make good pianists and musicians. Their fingers are slender but somewhat squarish. Their palms are slightly larger than their fingers, and their nails are square, beautiful, pink, and soft.
Kaphas have short and stocky, but strong hands. Their palms and fingers are of the same length. Their nails are short and thick. With their symmetrical hands, their nails look somewhat wide and whitish.
Vatas have low voices, which may sound almost as if they are projected merely from the throat. Their voices, if projected from the chest, are deeper. They can be very talkative, speaking quickly and jumping from one topic to another.
Pittas have nicely projected voices which sound slightly nasal. They don’t talk as much as vatas but can argue at great length. Their speech can often have a magnetic pull, in the sense that they sound sincere and trustworthy.
Kaphas have deep voices. They speak slowly and can remain silent for long periods. Their talking sounds like a series of prepared speeches. There are no random or redundant words: they speak with conviction, and only after thinking through what they are going to say.
Vatas rarely perspire. Only if they are doing heavy physical exercise do they sweat. They may sit on the beach on a sunny day without any perspiration. Their sweat is light and stays on the body. They usually have minimal body odour.
Pittas tend to sweat profusely. Small temperature variations can make them sweat. They sweat evenly on their entire body. Their body odour is not as strong as kaphas.
Kaphas perspire moderately. Their body uses sweat as a way of keeping them healthy. They tend to perspire more in certain areas of their body, notably under their arms. Their body exudes an odour stronger than both vatas and pittas.
Vatas have good appetites. They need their proper breakfast in the morning or they may experience headaches or heaviness in the head. Vatas have sensitive stomachs. If they eat more than what they generally do, they experience pain in their stomach or even indigestion. High-protein foods or spicy meals can upset their stomachs in no time. They are generally lactose-intolerant. Their digestion depends on the food they have just eaten.
Pittas have good appetites and phenomenal digestion. They eat at a moderate speed – not as quickly as vatas do. If they have to skip a meal, they feel irritated and unsettled. They need their three daily meals. The portion of the meals may be small, but pittas need to eat something at regular intervals. At the most, they can skip the first meal of the morning without experiencing a headache or feeling low on energy.
Kaphas have decent appetites. They are not driven by their appetites, though; they are driven by their routines. They are steady eaters. They eat slowly and they digest slowly. They can easily skip meals or fast without the slightest discomfort. They can be bulimic. Due to slow digestion and metabolism, their bodies learn to utilize internal energy stores. As a result, dietary irregularities can make them more prone to diabetes.
Vatas are light sleepers; they can wake at the slightest of noises. They must have their required sleep. If it gets disrupted, or if they sleep less than they should in a night, they need to make up for the lost sleep within the next day or they become fidgety and irritated. They find it hard to change their sleep patterns. It takes them the longest of the doshas to get over jet lag, for example.
Pittas are moderate sleepers. They sleep lightly but soundly. Of the three doshas, pittas require the least amount of sleep to feel refreshed and recharged. They like to get out of bed as soon as they wake up and get on with their daily routine. They sometimes wake up in the middle of their sleep to drink water. They enjoy drinking water immediately after getting up. It soothes their body.
Kaphas are sound sleepers, and they can sleep for very long periods. They can easily sleep for eight to ten hours and then go back to sleep just a few hours later. They are in no rush when the morning comes. They like to lie in their beds and relax for a while before getting up to the day.
Vatas have a good sexual appetite and do a lot of cerebral sex. They can perform the full act in their brain. They are aroused very quickly, become passionate just as rapidly, reach the climax even quicker, and feel exhausted afterwards. Vatas like to nap after the act. They remain sexually active until late in their lives. Their reproductive fluids are somewhat thin and flow easily.
Pittas are easily aroused and very passionate. They are more romantic than Vatas but less enduring than Kaphas. Pittas are average performers. They feel hungry after the act. Their body temperature rises quickly, and they sweat more than Vatas and Kaphas during intercourse. Unlike Vatas, who have no time for foreplay, Pittas care about their partners. It is not just sex but an act of love for a Pitta.
Kaphas take their time to be aroused and are the most enduring of the three. Unlike Vatas and Pittas, for them, the quality matters more than the frequency. Their virility (or fertility) is excellent. Just like with their meals, they can skip intercourse without distress, but ultimately, they must have it – they can fast but cannot abstain. Kaphas may feel the urge to eat something sweet after the act.
When allergens are running riot during the change of seasons, vatas tend to get dry eyes. Their noses remain mostly blocked during allergy season with very little discharge of mucus. They may experience chest congestion, but they recover soon enough.
If struck with hay fever, pittas get red eyes. While a vata’s nose is blocked, a pitta experiences a runny nose. Pittas can suffer from chest congestion, but their coughs are mostly dry. They may also experience some difficulty in breathing. It is often observed that pittas tend to fall sick twice during the same season.
Kaphas get watery eyes when suffering from hay fever. Their noses are blocked with thick mucus, and they experience the worst chest congestion among the three dosha types. Phlegm formation is the greatest in kaphas during the change of seasons.
Ayurveda regards menstruation as a cleansing and recharging process. The ancient texts state that the menstrual cycle is a vital indicator of a woman’s health. Ideally, a woman should rest during her period because her body is undergoing a change at this time and is under strain. Every month, nature prepares a woman for conception. It readies the womb for childbearing. During the proliferative phase, kapha, with its lubricating and stabilizing properties, prepares the uterine lining (endometrium) to grow. It nurtures and nourishes it. This is the period between the cessation of flow and ovulation. If there is no union of an egg and a sperm during this period, pitta comes into play. This is the secretory phase, starting from ovulation until the period. Pitta, being the dominant dosha during this phase, causes the basal temperature of a woman’s body to rise. After pitta, vata dominates, and with descending energy, rids the body of menstrual blood.
Vatas experience anxiety, mood swings, sleep disruption, and other symptoms such as pain in the lower back and cramps in the lower abdomen before menstruation. Their periods are somewhat irregular and scanty; their menstrual blood is dark in color and can be clotted. Constipation is common at this time for vatas.
Premenstrual symptoms for pittas include tenderness in the breasts, hot flushes, and irritability; skin rashes and headaches are also common. Their menstrual blood is bright red and warm. Periods for pittas tend to last longer than for vatas. They can experience cramps too, but not as severe as those suffered by vatas. Some pittas experience a burning sensation while urinating at this time.
Kaphas may experience bloating, water retention, and swollen and tender breasts. Their periods are not painful like those of the vatas and pittas. They may still have heavy periods, though, and the blood often contains a white discharge. Kaphas experience lethargy and torpor during their periods; their metabolic processes slow down, and they feel a general heaviness.
Vatas are lively and bubbly people. They are enthusiastic and keen to try new things. They don’t mind changing their opinions as they gain new information or insights. Vatas are usually extroverts. Just like the wind that’s never stable, their beliefs change quickly. It doesn’t take them long to form new radical beliefs. Vatas get worried and anxious quickly, but they get over their worries just as swiftly. They are quick to grasp new concepts, but their memory retention is not as good as pittas or kaphas. Vatas are quite adventurous in nature and love to spend time outdoors. They are quick-acting, accommodating, and adaptable by nature. They dream a lot during their sleep but often forget their dreams.
Pittas are generally more ‘head-driven’ than vatas. Purposeful and at times intense, they make great leaders. They are persuasive and good at debating. Pittas can be quite aggressive and get irritated rather easily under stress. They can be irritating too at the same time. They have very good concentration and can be quite engaging. Pittas are okay with the outdoors as long as it doesn’t involve rigorous activities; they enjoy more intellectual adventures. Their memories are sharp, and their headspaces quite clear. Possessing critical and penetrating minds, pittas are outcome-driven and goal-oriented. They dream often too, but mostly their dreams feature battles and fights or, at least, some form of violence. Pittas are somewhat impulsive; anger is their primary shortcoming. Generally, however, they have a warm nature.
Kaphas are the most stable of the dosha types. Slow, steady, easy-going, and accepting, they are great supporters and loyal followers too. They are mostly introverts and become withdrawn under stress. Kaphas are happy to engage in indoor activities; outdoors and adventures are not their thing. They are slow to learn but have elephant-like memories. Their actions are thought out and rarely impulsive; they have strong preferences and don’t make visceral decisions. Kaphas take their time in forming opinions but stick to them for the rest of their lives. They are generally calm and stable and can be quite lazy too. Kaphas don’t dream very often, but when they do, their dreams are mostly romantic.
As I have mentioned before, it is rare for a person to be an absolute vata, pitta, or kapha. Usually, individuals have a mixture of the doshas. However, if you assess yourself deeply, one dosha should be more dominant than the other two. The better you analyze yourself, the quicker and better you can heal yourself, as the success of all remedies, herbs, and treatments in Ayurveda is dependent on how accurately your constitution is determined.
Your dosha and your prakriti represent how your genetic make-up affects your physical and mental well-being. However, this is only one side of the coin. Just like the three physical humors, there are also three mental humors.
When stressed, why do some people eat a lot, while others lose their appetite altogether? Why do some get irritated easily, while many remain unaffected under the most annoying circumstances? Why do some people suffer from addictions while many don’t? Why do some gain weight during depression, while others lose it? What determines these traits? What affects our mental state, and why are we the way we are? Yogic texts state that just as doshas set our physical traits, our mental humors create a genetic mental disposition.