What's my dosha?

The three doshas are the subtle energies that govern the body's functions, creating balance or imbalance, and determining our physical and mental nature. They are called Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Which of these energies is predominant in you?

Vata (space and wind) Vata people are enthusiastic, creative, restless, talkative, quick moving, like change, and tend to worry. They have a light frame, lose weight easily and feel the cold easily. They have an erratic appetite. Read more about Vata people.

Pitta (fire and water) Pitta people are focused, determined, passionate, critical, irritable, like having goals and achieving them, and like to be right. They have a moderately developed physique, warm reddish skin, and get hot easily. They have a strong, regular appetite and can eat and digest a lot. Read more about Pitta people.

Kapha (water and earth) Kapha people like stability and are calm, stable, loving, forgiving and slow-moving. They have a well-developed physique and may be short, sometimes stocky, and gain weight easily. They have oily, pale skin, round features and a regular but mild appetite and slow digestion. Read more about Kapha people.

Why do I need to know my dosha?
Each mind-body type suits different foods and different lifestyle habits. Once you eat and live according to your type, your health comes into balance, you have more energy, and feel more in tune with nature and yourself. For a personalised diet and lifestyle plan to balance your doshas, email me for an appointment (the clinic is in south London). See my profile. The consultation also addresses any health issues you have and herbal treatment.
Can my condition be treated?

Can my doshas change?
The three doshas go in and out of balance all the time (whatever your constitution is). They are in a constant daily and seasonal cycle of increase and decrease, and when one gets too high (aggravated) it leads to dis-ease and harmony. So yes, the dosha that is predominant at any one time can change. It means that as well as knowing your mind-body type, you need to know the current balance of your doshas.  

When Vata is imbalanced it causes constipation, dryness, stiffness, worry and other symptoms. 
When Pitta is imbalanced it causes inflammation, acidity, infections, heat, anger and other symptoms.
When Kapha is imbalanced it causes phlegm, nausea, heaviness in body and mind, and other symptoms.

Many people are a dual type, or are one type but have another dosha out of balance. So the picture can be confusing. You're not sure which one you reallly are, or which diet to follow. In a consultation I can determine your constitution, diagnose which dosha is imbalanced, and give you personalised dietary advice, lifestyle coaching and herbal treatment to treat your imbalances and restore health and vitality. Contact me for an appointment.  

More about your dosha
Your physical and emotional nature (called prakriti) is fixed at the time you are conceived and is affected by: environment, season, time of fertilisation, mother's diet and behaviour, and both parents' prakriti. Knowing what type you are helps you become aware of your positive and negative traits and emotional tendencies, and you can learn how to balance them. You can accentuate the positive, manage the negative, and eat the foods and and follow the habits that will bring you optimum health. Your doshic type determines:
1. Your tendency for physical and mental activity.
2. The ailments you are most prone to and how to prevent them.
3. The effect of the season/weather on your body and how to minimise it.
4. The type of diet, lifestyle and exercise to follow for optimum health and vitality.
5. The prognosis, when you have a disease.
6. The correct dosage of medicines. 

Email jacqui@ayurvedatoday.co.uk
Twitter @JacquiAyurveda
Clinic Maitri Natural Health Centre, 252 Streatham High Road, London SW16 1HS
See conditions treated