What is your dosha, or your Ayurvedic constitution?
Keep track of how many A, B, and C answers you have, and we’ll tell you your results at the end.
1. My ideal environment is:
A. Warm! My hands and feet are usually cold and I thrive when the temps go up.
B. On the cooler side. I am usually warm regardless of the season.
C. Either—I am adaptable to most temperatures, with one exception: no cold, wet days for me.
2. When I sleep:
A. I am a light sleeper who wakes up easily.
B. I sleep soundly but in short bursts—I feel rested with much less than the recommended eight hours.
C. (Don’t) wake me up before you go-go—my sleep is deep and long, and I tend to wake up slowly in the morning.
3. Under stress, I:
A. Get anxious and worried.
B. Become irritable or even aggressive.
C. Withdraw or reclusive
4. When I have digestive issues, I:
A. Tend toward constipation.
B. Eliminate frequently, with loose stools.
C. Have sluggish, incomplete elimination and feel full, but maintain regular bowel movements.
5. In terms of personality:
A. I like change, and I am lively and enthusiastic by nature.
B. I like to take the lead in solving problems, and I have a purposeful and intense energy.
C. I am easygoing and accepting, and am great at supporting my friends—I’m a go-to for advice.
6. With my money, I:
A. Tend to fritter it away, not knowing where it went.
B. Enjoy splurging on big-ticket luxury items.
C. Am a good saver and skilled at accumulating wealth.
7. My complexion is:
A. Tends toward dryness or thinness.
B. Is warm and rosy, with moles or freckles—but it can be prone to irritation.
C. Is smooth and soft, tending toward oiliness.
8. My body type is:
A. Slender and lanky with prominent joints and sleek muscles.
B. Medium-sized bone structure with a symmetrical build and good muscle tone.
C.A large frame with thicker ankles and wrists, and I gain weight easily.
9. When I dream, I often dream about:
A. Things I fear or things that make me anxious.
B. Conflict and competition, with fighting and maybe even violence.
C. People I love or am deeply emotionally connected to.
10. My hair:
A. Dry and brittle
B. Thin
C. Wavy and thick
11. In terms of fitness:
A. I enjoy workouts like yoga and Pilates that make me feel calm and grounded afterward.
B. I’m always the sweatiest one in class.
C. For the first 15 minutes I struggle (and miss the couch!) but after that I find that I have steady, strong endurance.
12. When it comes to eating, my hunger:
A. Is never too strong; it comes and goes, and I often forget to eat.
B. Tends to hit urgently, all of a sudden—and I have to eat.
C. Is slow and steady—pretty much anytime it’s: I could eat.
13. As for my eyes:
A. On the smaller side and always on the move
B. Penetrating gaze and focused
C. Big and puppy doggish
14. When workouts get intense:
A. My joints have a tendency to crack.
B. My joints are loose and flexible (AKA Pigeon pose is no problem), but I can sometimes push too far and get injured.
C. I rarely get injured, and my joints feel well-padded.
15. I find that having a routine:
A. Is the worst! I like to mix it up.
B. Is fine as a means to an end (think: crushing the competition), but I can take it or leave it.
C. Is deeply comforting to me.
16. My learning style:
A. I sometimes feel scatterbrained and have trouble focusing. I need quiet to absorb new ideas.
B. I am a quick study—especially if it’s information I need to solve a problem or accomplish something. I fearlessly drink from the information firehouse, but I can forget facts just as quickly as I learn them.
C. When I learn something new, I may need to go over it a couple of times, but once I retain it, I never forget it.
17. Stick your tongue out and look in the mirror—what do you see?
A. My tongue is somewhat thin and pale red, and can appear dry.
B. It’s medium thickness and a deeper red color without much of a coating, and may have a pointy tip.
C. It’s thick with a rounded end, and I have a tendency to get a white coating when I overdo it on the carbs.
18. My nails:
A. Tend toward brittleness, and the nail beds may be different shapes.
B. Are soft, flexible, and pink with large “moons.”
C. Are super strong and thick—no “broken nail” emergencies for me.
19. When it comes to learning new things, I’m:
A. Quick to pick it up.
B. Would rather stick to my old ways.
C. Slow-paced.
20. My friends say I’m:
A. Effervescent and creative—but I get anxious and scattered without my “me” time.
B. The one who can get a bit too competitive on game nights, but who always has your back.
C. The calm, steady rock who holds everybody together—but who may be slightly too set in her ways.
Okay, add them up!
A’s: Vata
Hello, Vata! You are exciting to be around. You are creative, spontaneous and full of fiery sparks. You are also a fast learner. On the flip side, you often are so busy diving into fads and gaining new knowledge that you forget past lessons learned. You may have a tendency to have high levels of anxiety, especially when your body is out of balance. You are usually bundled up even when it’s not that cold outside because you don’t have a lot of meat on your bones and your hands feel like ice cubes. You don’t like routine but when things go from awesome to anxious, routine is your friend. (What’s not your friend? Often, raw foods.)
Tips for Vata: Choose foods that are warm, cooked, nourishing, and easy to digest.
B’s: Pitta
If you’re a pitta, you’re focused, self-confident, and smart. You have all the attributes of a successful entrepreneur. You love a challenge and are passionate about what you want.The downside? Fiery pitta has a tendency toward inflammation—which can lead to digestion and skin issues, especially if you love spicy foods. (Let’s just say they’re not gonna love you back.) There’s an Indian proverb for pittas: Avoid too much hurry, worry, or curry. Follow that and you’ll chill out nicely.
Tips for Pitta: Stay away from fried and spicy foods, as well as alcohol. Have lots of salads with dark greens, such as arugula, dandelions, and kale.
C’s: Kapha
Kapha, you are mellow and easygoing, mostly everyone loves to be around you. Stable, reliable, affectionate, and full of heart, your true nature is compassionate and forgiving. Typically calm under pressure and a source of comfort for others, you’re the one people turn to for sage advice. Plus you have a ton of energy, you can keep going and going.The only problem? All that stability can manifest in your body as heaviness, and in your life as stagnation and routine. Your digestion can be sluggish and you may be prone to depression. Break up that stagnation by getting sweaty and limiting heavy foods like meat and dairy, and you’ll be sitting in the sweet spot of Kapha-land—which is a particularly harmonious, smooth-sailing place to be.
Tips for Kapha: Eat foods that are light, warm, and spicy. Avoid heavy oily and processed sugars. Used lots of spices such as black pepper, ginger, cumin, chili, and lots of bitter dark greens.
*Many of the questions and answers were both from well + good and The Yoga-Body Cleanse by Robin Westen