Do you know your Ayurvedic body type?

One of the predominant concepts in Ayurveda is the tri-doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. It is even said that the doshas are the foundational blocks of the traditional Ayurveda and each of us has an ayurvedic body type determined by these doshas. But what are they exactly? 

Tri-doshas:

According to Ayurveda, anything and everything in the universe is composed of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. They are considered as the force of nature in Ayurveda that helps us understand the universe better. In essence, they are derived from the five basic elements: Space, air, water, fire, and earth.

Vata: 

Vata dosha is a combination of air and space. This governs movement and communication in the body. Vata is called as the ‘King of doshas’ as controls the body’s greater life force and gives motion to the other two doshas.

Pitta:

 Pitta dosha is a combination of fire and water.It governs digestion and metabolism in the body. It is present as a liquid in the body and provides energy to the body by digesting the foods and transforming it into energy.

Kapha: 

Kapha dosha is a combination of water and earth.It deals with the structure, lubrication, and unity in the body. Kapha provides physical structure to the body and ensures the smooth functioning of all the parts of the body. 

Importance of knowing your Ayurvedic body type:

Ayurveda segregates us according to these three doshas. Each one of us is born with this tri-doshas in different proportions. It is said to determine our physical appearance, emotional character, and mental abilities. It is like a blueprint for our body that accounts for our body type, skin colour, behavioral patterns, health, mood, etc. Each type of dosha has a unique set of abilities and characters and an imbalance in these doshas wreaks havoc in our body. So, understanding the tri-doshas and your ayurvedic body type can help you lead a healthy and fulfilled life by practicing a suitable lifestyle pattern.

Ayurvedic body types:

Vata body type–

Vata is characterized by the mobile nature of air energy.

Physical characteristics: 

• Physically underdeveloped body structure.
• Lean body.
• Their height is either too short or too tall.
• Dry, cracked and rough skin.
• Dry and curly hair.
• Bent and a turned-up nose.

Mental and emotional state:

• They grasp everything quickly
• They learn fast and they forget fast.
• Poor will power, confidence, tolerance, and boldness.
• Highly creative.
• Shy and modest mindset.
• Always anxious and worried.

Lifestyle:

• They are very active and energetic people.
• They have either extreme sexual desire or no sexual desire.
• They are usually talkative and they talk fast.
• They easily adapt to change. 

Vata imbalance: 

Imbalance in Vata causes anxiety and stress and drains your energy. It also disrupts your communication and causes abnormal physical movements.

Pitta body type–

Pitta is characterized by the transformative nature of the fire energy.

Physical characteristics:

• Delicate body type.
• Fair or reddish complexion.
• Medium height.
• Good muscle tone.
• Silky hair but susceptible to Premature grey hair or baldness.Soft skin.
• They may have green, green or brown eye colour.

Mental and emotional state:

• They are governed by emotions.
• Peak concentration powers.
• Good intelligence.
• Ambitious and focused.
• Good leadership and management skills.

Lifestyle:

• They love nature and challenges.
• They react quickly to any situation.
• Usually extroverts.
• They speak loudly.

Pitta imbalance:

Pitta imbalance may cause sudden mood changes like frustration, anger, jealousy and may even affect organs in the body by causing inflammatory disorders.

Kapha body type–

Kapha is characterized by the binding nature of water energy.

Physical characteristics:

• Well-developed physical structure.
• Wide hips and shoulders.
• A thick layer of skin and fair skin complexion.
• Excellent muscle development.
• Thick, dark and wavy hair.
• May have dense blue eyes.

Mental and emotional state:

• They have great memory power.
• Slow learners.
• Exhibit extreme loyalty.
• Slow to show any emotions.
• Sentimental and romantic in nature.

Lifestyle:

• They cling to other people.
• They like to be in familiar surroundings.
• They eat less but love to eat tasty foods.
• They usually have a pleasant voice.
• Very lazy and sluggish people.

Kapha imbalance:

Kapha imbalance leads to lazy and stubborn mental state. It also dulls the mind and body making it resistant to changes.

Tri-doshas are excellent tools for understanding one’s lifestyle. Leading our life becomes easy if we identify our Ayurvedic body type and correct any imbalance dosha with herbal therapy as it affects both our health and lifestyle.