Personal Constitution
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
In his article AYURVEDA: A Brief Introduction And Guide (1996, 2003), Dr. Vasant Lad explains, “Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, each person has a particular pattern of energy—an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics—which comprises their own constitution.” This blend of mind, body and spirit is the key to knowledge and understanding which foods will support each unique system.
It is sometimes mistakenly thought that a person only has one dosha, but the opposite is true. Our lives would not exist without the energy of all doshas, but sometimes one and often two dominate. This unique combination of elements, determined at conception, is an individual’s “personal constitution” or Prakriti. Although this constitution can be disturbed and effected by time of day, seasons, age as well as environmental stresses such as relationships, trauma, food and weather, this basic constitution is lifelong, similar to our genetics, and never changing. It is this personal state of balance that is ours to discover and keep in a healthy state.
The best way to determine a dosha type would be to visit a Vaidyas, who uses many factors such as pulse and a person’s answer to certain questions to diagnose dosha dominance. Observe the following statements and find which one or two categories describe you best. Give each statement one point if it applies to you and compare the totals to find your dosha dominance.
Vata:
I am thin and gain weight with difficulty.
I am fast acting and thinking.
I am alert and enjoy talking.
I am either very short or very tall.
I learn quickly, but forget things quickly.
I do not like cold, dry weather.
My skin is rough.
I tend to be anxious and worry in stressful situations.
I have irregular sleep and wake frequently.
I have irregular digestion and eating habits.
I tend to have gas.
I am often indecisive.
Warm hot food comforts me.
Score:
Pitta:
My body is medium build.
I can eat and digest well.
I am a perfectionist.
My hair is fine and graying.
My actions are forceful and precise.
My favorite foods are cold.
My body tends to be warm.
My mind is keen.
I have the tendency to be impatient and quick tempered.
I have a strong appetite and cannot skip a meal or I get irritated.
I am an organized person.
My memory is good.
I do not like hot weather.
I have freckles and moles.
I get frustrated when things do not go my way.
Score:
Kapha:
My body build is heavy and solid.
I am strong and muscular.
My skin is oily and smooth.
I have a steady and slow disposition.
I don’t enjoy cold, damp weather.
I am a peaceful, calm person who rarely loses my temper.
I tend to be frugal.
I can be lazy.
I have trouble grasping new information, but have great long-term memory.
I enjoy having daily routine.
I gain weight easily and have trouble losing it.
I sleep soundly, and sometimes too much.
I can easily skip meals.
I have thick, dark hair.
Score:
Often the scores will show dominance in two types. In this situation the person would be, for instance, a kapha-vata or pitta-kapha according to what scores where highest. Less often there is one dosha dominant and very rarely do people score the same in all three types.
This simple diagnosis can be an initial step toward understanding your personal constitution. Beyond this basic information, a person must find what food effects are by daily observance of how one feels after eating. Once there is an established basic guideline according to the foods that balance a person’s dosha type, a person is on the path to understanding one’s true nature and relationship to the six tastes.