Are YOU?
Good with routines, very productive or find it easy to get new ideas?
Maybe your balance in life comes from having a predominant type of Dosha.
Ayurveda has 3 personality types that are affected by the seasons and things around us.
Vata (movement & space)
Pitta (transforming energy)
Kapha (structure & nourishment)
According to Ayurveda, we are affected by the seasons because they also have different qualities of energy.
Spring has Kapha and Pitta
Summer Kapha to Pitt
Autumn Pitta to Vata
Winter Vata to Kapha.
Pitta-type students of yoga need to regulate their energy so that they avoid pushing too hard. Dominance towards pitta during the summer might make you suffer. Strengths are intelligence, purposeful and good circulation. Weaknesses are hungry, impatient and sensitivity to heat.
Good poses for them would be Trikonasana (triangle), which has a side bend, and parivrtta trikonasana (rotated triangle), which has a twist, which will help release heat from the torso. Ardha matsyendrasana (half seated spinal twist), setu bandhasana (bridge), and supta virasana (reclining hero). Maybe swap Salute to the sun with a moon salute to cool instead of heat the body.
Kapha-type students often make great strong poses for holding but they might be unable to get going. Strengths are caring, trusting and wise your weaknesses are slowness, unmotivated and being prone to over-sleeping.
Great poses for them would be more active standing forward bends like uttanasana and parsvottanasana (pyramid). Release tension in the areas of the chest and lungs with a backbend. Urdhva dhanurasana (upward facing bow) is more challenging, it brings more heat/blood flow to the head through gravity, and it opens the chest. An inversion or to added to create a feeling of lightness.
Vata-type students need stabilising and might invite slow and heating poses. Strengths are flexibility, quick learning and multi-tasking. Weaknesses are being overwhelmed, being sensitive to getting cold and having digestive problems. Good poses like bhujangasana(cobra pose) and dhanurasana (bow pose)—help stabilize and warm the lower back and bring heat to the entire spine through extension (through compression of the area as well as muscular engagement). Seated poses with grounding qualities malasana (garland pose), balasana (child’s pose), and pavanmuktasana (wind-relieving pose) make them great options too.
“thanks to the yoga journal to sunshine Ayurveda” for supporting this content.
Interested in your Dosha here is a little quiz for you
1. Physique
- v) I am a slender person and I hardly gain weight
- p) I am medium build
- k) I am well built and I gain weight no matter what I do
2. Skin
- v) My skin is dry, thin, and itches often
- p) My skin looks flushed; I have lots of moles and freckles on my body
- k) My skin is smooth and soft, it looks pale sometimes
3. Hair
- v) My hair is dry, thin and brittle
- p) My hair is neither dry nor oily (for men: I have a receding hairline)
- k) My hair is thick, full, lustrous, and slightly oily
4. Face
- v) My face is oval
- p) My face is triangular (pointed chin, prominent jaw line)
- k) My face is round
5. Eyes
- v) My eyes are small; they feel dry often and have a bit of dullness (usually brown)
- p) My eyes are medium in shape; sharp & penetrating (usually blue)
- k) My eyes are big and round in shape, full eyelashes
6. Hands
- v) My hands are generally dry, rough; slender fingers; dry nails
- p) My hands are generally moist, pink; medium fingers; soft nails
- k) My hands are generally firm, thick; thick fingers; strong & smooth nails
7. Joints
- v) My joints are small, prominent bones, and often crack
- p) My joints are medium and loose
- k) My joints are large, and sturdy, with lots of muscle surrounding
8. Activities
- v) I am a very active person (always on the go, the mind constantly thinking)
- p) I like to think before I do anything
- k) I am steady and graceful (I don’t like to rush)
9. Actions
- v) I walk fast and talk fast
- p) My actions are very thoughtful and precise
- k) I like a slower pace and I take my time to accomplish things
10. Sleep
- v) I do not sleep soundly at night. I tend to toss and turn. I wake up early in the morning
- p) I am a light sleeper but if something wakes me up, I can go back to sleep easily
- k) I am a heavy sleeper
11. Appetite
- v) Varies, sometimes I feel hungry, sometimes not, I feel anxious if I don’t eat
- p) I always feel hungry. If I don’t eat I get irritable and angry
- k) I don’t feel very hungry. I can go without food easily for a day
12. Hobbies
- v) I like art (drawing, painting, dance) and travel
- p) I like sports, politics, and things that get my adrenaline pumping
- k) I like nature, gardening, reading, and knitting
13. Sports
- v) I like action
- p) I like to win
- k) I like to have fun
14. Emotions
- v) I am a born worrier, I often feel anxious and nervous
- p) If things don’t happen my way, I feel irritable and angry
- k) I am a happy person, very caring and loving
15. Weather Preference
- v) I love warm and humid weather
- p) I enjoy cool weather, I dislike a warm climate
- k) I like warm but dry weather
16. Sweating
- v) I sweat little but not much
- p) I sweat profusely and it might have an unpleasant odour
- k) I never sweat unless working very hard
17. Memory
- v) I remember quickly and forget quickly
- p) I remember what I want to remember and never forget
- k) It takes me a while to remember, but once I do I never forget
18. Personality
- v) “Is it too late to change my mind”?
- p) “It’s my way or the highway”
- k) “Don’t worry, be happy!”
19. Stamina
- v) I like to do things in spurts and I get tired very easily
- p) I have medium stamina
- k) I can work long hours and maintain good stamina
20. Mind
- v) My mind gets restless and racing easily
- p) I get impatient easily
- k) It takes a lot to make me mad. I usually feel very calm
Add up your V P K and if you are very strongly more than 15 answers in one you are likely to need a little balance in your life from time to time.
V – Vata P – Pitta K – Kapha
