Ayurveda views health as a balance between three doshas or biological energies - vata, pitta, and kapha - that are present in everyone. Each person has a unique prakriti or constitution determined by their individual balance and combination of doshas. Understanding one's prakriti allows one to live accordingly through diet, lifestyle, and activities to maintain balance and prevent health issues associated with particular doshas being out of balance. The document provides detailed descriptions of each dosha's influence on physical traits, emotions, physiology, and general guidelines for balancing that dosha.

1. Ayurvedic Wisdom in
Today’s world
Individual Ayurvedic Constitutions
May 2017

2. Strategy of Ayurvedic Approach to Health and Wellness
• Ayurveda places a great emphasis on prevention and encourages the maintenance of health through
various strategies
• According to Ayurveda, each individual has a unique pattern of energy, “fingerprint”, i.e. combination of
physical, mental and emotion characteristics which comprises their own constitution
• Ayurveda says that every human being is one of a kind sacred book of life
• By knowing your Prakriti, you will know how to read your individual book, your life. It is a great art!
• You will be able to better understand your psychological inclinations, weak and strong parts of yourself,
both emotional and physical
• You will understand that some of your daily habits, like unstructured and at times chaotic lifestyle or
absence of daily routine (vata), your explosive personality (pitta) or laziness (kapha) as well as physical
issues such as extra weight (kapha), ulcers or acidic reflux (pitta) or frequent constipation are directly
related to your constitution
• When you are able to foresee some of your regular issues, you can take preventive measures by regulating
your daily exercise routine, nutrition, etc. so that your doshas stay in balance

3. Why know your individual body constitution?
Individual
Constitution
Balance
in Life
Right
thinking
DietLifestyle
Use of
herbs
Knowledge of Ayurveda enables one to understand how to create balance of body, mind and
consciousness according to one’s own individual constitution

4. Macrocosm vs microcosm
Five Elements of Nature
Fire – acids, temperature
Earth
– bones and muscles
Air
– breath, O2 and Co2
Water
- plasma, blood
Either
- empty space

5. Three Doshas – The Primary Forces of Life Energy
• Five elements of nature combine
with each other to form 3 key
biological energies called Doshas
• In our bodies these doshas control
physiological functions of our
organism - Vata, Pitta, Kapha are
present in every cell, body tissue and
organ
– Vata – air and ether principle, subtle
energy of movement
– Pitta – fire principle, expresses as the
body’s metabolic system
– Kapha – water principle, energy that
forms the body’s structure
Ayurveda identifies three basic principles of energy or functional principles that are
present in everyone and everything

6. Basic Biology of Doshas
• Each part of our body comes
under the influence of one of the
three doshas
• When one of the dosha’s gets
dysbalanced, it manifests itself in
health issues in the part of the
body where it holds control of
particular body functions

7. Doshas and Prarkriti
• When balanced they create a healthy body. When distorted, they are the primary cause of a
disease
• Doshas are the drivers of individual inclinations and preferences and affect everything we do in
the daily life from choice of food to the way we communicate with people , from biological and
physiological functions of the body to psychological issue of our mind and consciousness
• When dysbalanced, they stir up feelings such as anger, fear and greed. When in balanced, they
make us feel more compassionate, loving and happy

8. Ayurvedic Constitutions - Prakriti
• All three doshas are present in each
person however proportion and quality of
each form an individual blueprint of a
body type, called Prakriti
• Three doshas combine in different way
to form 7 different body types (Vata,
Pitta, Kapha, V/P, P/K, K/V, V/P/K)
• The ayurvedic constitution refers not only
to physical but also mental type of an
individual
• Prakriti can be determined using special
ayurvedic questionnaire however it is
always better to have it assessed by an
ayurvedic practitioner
• Self-assessment can be very helpful to
better understand yourself and your
inclinations and start moving in the
direction of healthy diet and appropriate
lifestyle
Long and lean
body type, not a
lot of muscle tone
Well defined body
type with good
muscle tone
Stocky and stout
body, well
developed muscles

9. How do doshas influence us in daily life?
Food choices
Emotional state
Physiological
state
OR
OR
OR

10. Determining your individual body constitution
Prakriti – your essential nature
• Optimal ratio of Vata, Pitta, Kapha which is
unique for each individual
• Driven by parents’ genetic build-up, diet,
lifestyle, emotions at the moment of child’s
conception
• Determines the person’s both physical as
well as psychological build-ups
• Prakriti does not change throughout the
course of life!
• Rarely there are people who have an equal
balance of all three doshas
• Most of the time 2 or 1 dosha is dominant
in each individual
Vikruti – your state of disbalance
• Change from your original Prakriti which
reflects your current state of health
• Occurs due to changes in weather
conditions, food, emotional state,
absence of presence of fatigue, stress
and exercise
• If you have an excellent health, then it is
most likely that your Prakriti is equal to
your Vikruti
• However, more frequently there is a
difference between Prakriti and Vikriti
which needs to be addressed
• Treatment is targeted towards closing the
gap between Vikruti and Prakriti
VS

11. Vikruti identification

12. Vata – quality of air
• Lean, thin body type, appears to be fragile, not much muscle tone and very little body fat. Frequently struggle to gain any
weight. Often appear too tall or too short, don’t have high endurance. Visible veins or muscles
• Due to Vatas’ lack of body fat, they frequently feel uncomfortable when it gets cold or when it is windy and dry. They prefer
summer and spring
• Dry, thin hair, often wavy, dry and brittle nails, small, deep seated eyes
Physical
• Quick mind, flexibility and creativity
• Grasp concepts quickly but then forget them quickly as well
• Walk, talk and think fast
• Less willpower, confidence, boldness and tolerance for fluctuation than other types and often feel unstable and ungrounded
• Tend to earn money quickly and spend quickly; not good planners and as a consequence can suffer economic hardships
• When out of balance, they experience fears, nervousness, anxiety. They are always afraid of something.
Emotions
and
Psychology
• Dry, weak blood circulation which leads to constantly cold feet and hands
• Irregular appetite and need for drinking water. Often such people take very little food or fast. Digestion patterns are also
irregular. They sometimes lean towards salads and vegetables but what they really need is sweet, sour and salty flavors
• Don’t sweat a lot, have hard, dry stool and prone to constipations
• Sleep less than other body types, interrupted sleep patterns or insomnia, especially when Vata is out of balance. However,
when they wake up, they feel good and invigorated
Physiology

13. General guidelines for balancing Vata
• Keep warm
• Keep calm
• Avoid cold, frozen or raw foods
• Avoid extreme cold
• Eat warm foods and spices
• Keep a regular routine
• Get plenty of rest
• Warm, cooked foods and sweet,
sour and salty tastes
• Small meals three or four times a
day and may snack in between
• Preference to soups, stews and
casseroles
• Could use more oil in cooking
• Only occasional use of night
shades – potatoes, eggplant and
tomatoes
• Judicious use of dairy products
but could use eggs, chicken,
turkey, fresh fish and venison
• Legumes are difficult to digest
• Spices: coriander, ginger, garlic
and hing

14. Pitta – quality of fire
•Medium height and build, however could also be lean and skinny, well developed muscle tone, usually don’t loose or
gain weight too easily
•Warm skin color, ruddy or coppery. May have many moles and freckles
•Hair tends to be silky, but experience premature grey hair and hair loss
•Eyes of medium size
•Nose is sharp and the tip tends to be reddish
Physical
•Alert and intelligent and have good powers of comprehension
•Easily agitated and aggressive and tend toward hate, anger and jealousy when imbalanced
•Tend to be leaders and planners and seek material prosperity
•Like to exhibit wealth and possessions
Emotions
and
Psychology
•Strong metabolism, good digestions and strong appetite. Like plenty of fluids, love hot spices and cold drinks
•Sound sleep, medium duration
•Perspire easily and their hands and feet stay warm
•Low tolerance for sunlight, heat and hard physical work
•Typical health issues include fevers, inflammatory diseases and jaundice (skin rashes, burning sensations, ulceration,
fever, inflammations or irritations such as colitis, soar throats and conjunctivitis
Physiology

15. • Avoid excessive heat
• Avoid excessive oil
• Avoid excessive steam
• Limit salt intake
• Eat cooling, non-spicy foods
• Exercise during the cooler part of the day
General guidelines for balancing Pitta
Emphasis on “cooler foods1”, avoidance of chilies
and spices
Avoiding sour, salt and pungent foods
Vegetarianism is best for Pitta and decrease
consumption of eggs, alcohol and salt
To help calm their compulsiveness, it is best to
include sweet, cooling and bitter foods and tastes
into their diets
Barley, rice, oats and wheat are good grains
Vegetables should form substantial part of the diet
Salads and raw food are excellent for Pitta types
All legumes are good except for red lentils, but
chickpeas and black lentils are the best
Best oil – coconut as it is cooling
Protein – chicken, turkey and venison
Dairy is good for Pitta, including milk, unsalted
butter, ghee and soft, unsalted cheeses, yoghurt
Can use sweetener more than other types (relieves
Pitta)
Spices: avoid cardamom, cinnamon, coriander,
fennel and turmeric
1 In Ayurveda, all food is divided into groups depending on its effect on the body after it gets into our system. This effect in Ayurveda
Is called “Virya”. Virya is referred to the potency of food, its energy effect which could be either cooling or warming.

16. Kapha – quality of earth
• Thick body structure with well developed muscles, wide chest
• Eyes are large and attractive with long lashes and brows
• Skin is on the oily side, very soft
• Smooth, soft and abundant hair
• High endurance, strength and stamina
• Easy to gain weight and struggle with loosing it
Physical
• Calm, tolerant and forgiving, soft and gracious personality, love peace and tranquility, love to give hugs to people
• Have steady goals, stability in actions, loyal people
• Maybe slow to comprehend however their long term memory is excellent
• Slower speech, go about life methodically, slow at making decisions
• When out of balance, tend to experience greed, envy, attachment and possessiveness
• In external world kaphas lean toward groundedness, stability ad attachment help them to earn and hold onto money
Emotions and
Psychology
• Stable appetite and high endurance to thirst but can easily skip meals but slow metabolism and digestion
• If Kapha is out of balance, the tendency is towards obesity
• Moderate perspiration, much less than Pitta types
• Often feel foggy in the morning, very hard for them to start a day without a cup of coffee or strong tea
• Don’t like mornings, prefer middle of the day, prone to taking naps
• When out of balance, tend to have diseases connected to the water principle such as flue, sinus congestion and other mucous
related issues. Prone to sluggishness, excess weight, water retention during full moon cycle
Physiology

17. • Get plenty of exercise
• Avoid heavy foods
• Keep active
• Avoid dairy
• Avoid iced food or drinks
• Vary your routine
• Avoid fatty, oily foods
• Eat light, dry food
• No daytime naps
General guidelines for balancing Kapha
Diet should focus on bitter, astringent and pungent tastes
Need food that invigorate minds while limiting overall consumption of food
Limit oils significantly, small quantity of almond, sunflower, corn oil
Avoid dairy products and fats of any kind, especially greasy foods
Need less grain than pitta and vata types
Buckwheat and millet – optimal grains, but rice, barley and corn are good as
well
All vegetables are good, but emphasis should be on leafy greens and root
vegetables, while avoiding sweet, sour and juicy vegetables; steamed or stir
fry is best
Very sweet and sour fruits should be avoided; preference to apples, apricots
and cranberries, mangos, peaches and pears – they are more astringent and
drying fruits
Protein – reduce amount of animal fat, if used best to roast, bake or broil
and never fry
Chicken and eggs, seafood are good
Don’t overeat legumes but they are better than meat for them because of
lack of fat in them
Should avoid sweets! Could benefit from coffee and tea
Alcohol – preference to wine
Spices: reduce salt, ginger and garlic are best!