Are You Vata, Pitta or Kapha?

What is a Dosha? It's your mental, emotional and physical constitution. According to Ayurveda, there are three seasons that describe the three doshas: Spring, Summer or Fall/Winter. Diet, sleep and proper action are the pillars of life that create a healthy mind, body and spirit. Vata is Fall/Winter and is made of the elements ether and air. Vata is the season of coldness and dryness. Pitta is Summer and is made of the elements fire and water. Kapha is Spring and is made of the elements of earth and water. Dosha also means spoiled. So the dosha that you were born with, the one that was formed at conception, is the way in which you are most likely to form your imbalances. By adjusting your nutrition and lifestyle in subtle ways, you can bring more harmony to your life. For example, if you are Pitta, you may always have a summer fire even in the middle of winter and may wear shorts even when there's snow outside. Or you may sweat when other people are cold. Your dosha is the season you carry around within yourself. It is the season that you frequently need to balance. When a Vata predominant person goes through the fall season, they may find themselves most out of balance. Finding your dosha is an easy way to find simple nutritional and lifestyle choices that can make you feel your best.

Here are the questions. Circle what applies to you. 

Body Frame

1. Thin, boney, thin as a child
2. Medium build
3. Big boned, large frame

Weight

1. Light, underweight, don't put on weight
2. Stable, medium
3. Heavy, gain weight easily

Skin

1. Dry, rough or cracked
2. Soft, oily
3. Smooth, oily, moist

Complexion

1. Dark
2. Red or Pink
3. Pale or White

Hair

1. Dry, course, very curly or average
2. Fine, thinning, straight, red, blond, grey
3. Thick, oily, wavy, smooth

Eyes

1. Small, active, thin lashes
2. Medium, yellow at the corners or reddish
3. Large, pleasing, thick eyelashes

Teeth

1. Irregular, sensitive
2. Medium size, gums bleed
3. Large, white, strong, healthy gums

Nails

1. Brittle or ridged
2. Flexible and strong
3. Strong and thick nails

Perspiration

1. Scanty
2. Sweat easily, sour smell, often hot
3. Moderate, slow

Activity Level

1. Restless, nervous, active, fidget, knit
2. Regular, focused or intense
3. Steady, enjoy sitting and not exercising

Endurance

1. Low stamina
2. Moderate stamina
3. Strong, excellent stamina

Strength

1. Poor, low, need to build muscles
2. Moderately strong, competitive
3. Extremely strong

Voice

1. Shaky, wavering, high-pitched, cracking
2. Intense, enthusiastic, direct
3. Deep, resonant, melodious

Communication

1. Talkative, chatty, lots of ideas
2. Clear, direct, good public speaker
3. Somewhat silent, speak slowly

Mind

1. Quick witted, understands easily, restless
2. Sharp, aggressive, determined
3. Calm, steady, stable, slow, sleepy

Memory

1. Short term memory is best
2. Good general memory
3. Excellent long term memory

Sleep

1. Light, anxiety, insomnia
2. Sound sleeper, wake up easily in the morning
3. Heavy sleeper, slow to wake up, like to nap

Dreams

1. Flying, chases, motion, can't remember them
2. Lots of color, light, heat, anger, sometimes remember them
3. Calm, loving, romantic, peaceful, sentimental

Digestion

1. Gas, indigestion, burping
2. Strong and even digestion
3. Slow, dull digestion, gains weight on a diet

Stools

1. Irregular, hard, constipated
2. Regular, oily, occasional diarrhea
3. Slow, smooth, large

Appetite

1. Quick, frequent, like to munch on crunchy snacks, sometimes forget to eat
2. Sharp hunger, can't skip a meal
3. Sluggish hunger, always likes to eat but can skip a meal

Eating Speed

1. Fast eater
2. Medium speed
3. Slow pace, chews food a lot

Pain Tolerance

1. Low
2. Medium
3. High

Travel

1. Loves to travel
2. Adventure travel, outdoor sports
3. Prefers to stay home

Sexual Energy

1. Variable, frequent
2. Moderate, average
3. Mild energy, loving

Stress Reaction

1. Anxiety and fear
2. Critical, quick to anger, aggressive
3. Slow to react to anger, slow to let go of resentment

Ambition

1. Changing, creative
2. Driven, good leader
3. Dependable, complacent

Moods

1. Changes quickly
2. Changes slowly
3. Stable, not very moody

Work Life

1. Changing jobs frequently
2. Enterprising, focused, leader
3. Productive, stable

Prosperity

1. Earns quickly, spends quickly
2. Good saver, spends on luxuries
3. Accumulates wealth, doesn't spend much

Facing Challenges

1. Timid, fearful
2. Bold, courageous
3. Dignified, show no fear

Attention

1. Distracted easily
2. Enthusiastic, critical
3. Patient, attentive

Decision-making

1. Quick, short sighted
2. Responsive, considerate
3. Slow, procrastinator

Friendships

1. Quick to make friends, quick to forget people
2. Practical, make friends through work
3. Steady, loyal, attached, have friends from high school

Competitiveness

1. Variable, volatile
2. Aggressive, compulsive
3. Complacent

Forgiveness

1. Quick to forgive and forget
2. Slower to forgive, may blame
3. Holds a grudge for a long time

Organization

1. Inconsistent, confused
2. Practical, efficient
3. Sluggish, meticulous

Driving

1. Scenic route, lots of stops
2. Direct route, stop for food
3. Shortest route, no stops

Learning

1. Studies hard for a test, forgets easily
2. Medium grasp of material
3. Slow to learn new things, never forgets

Donations to Charity

1. Give little
2. Give large amounts infrequently
3. Give regularly and abundantly

Weather Preference

1. Dislike cold weather, prefer sunshine and moisture
2. Dislike hot weather, prefer good ventilation
3. Dislike cool, damp and rainy weather

Lifestyle

1. Prefer spontaneity
2. Like routine and organization
3. Prefer planning over spontaneity

Tally the number of 1st choices you circled. That's your Vata score. Add the number of middle choices you circled, that's your Pitta score. Add the number of 3rd choices you circled, that's your Kapha score. Whichever one is highest is likely to be your prime dosha. Most people are a combination with one dosha more predominant. See a practitioner for a more thorough assessment.