What is Your Dosha? Discover Your Ayurvedic Mind-Body Type

Ever wonder why you can’t stick to a routine? Why spicy foods make you irritable? Or why change is so difficult for you?

Getting to know and appreciate your dosha is key to knowing yourself. It is as important (if not more important) as knowing your name. Your dosha helps you to identify who you are from within, just like your name helps you to identify yourself in society. Knowing your dosha allows you to make deliberate, informed decisions about your health.

What Is a Dosha?

The doshas—Vata, Pitta and Kapha—are the foundation of Ayurveda. They’re the energies that govern our mind and body.

Ayurveda sees the basis of all life as derived from the five elements of nature: earth, water, fire, air and space. Each dosha contains all five elements, but predominately is composed of two elements, and the pair determines the doshas characteristics. 

Because each dosha has predictable symptoms and signs when it’s out of balance, understanding your dosha gives you the knowledge to spot the early warnings of an impending disease early—so you can get off the “disease train” and choose a new track before health problems emerge.

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What is your dosha? Find out now by taking the dosha quiz.

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Vata

Vata is a combination of space and air and represents movement. People with a predominant Vata dosha are small-framed, thin and light. Their skin tends to be dry and rough, and they are physically very active. Vata-dominant people are less tolerant of cooler weather and frequently experience cold hands and feet.

Vata governs activities such as breathing, blinking, movement of muscles and tissues, the beating of the heart and movement within cells. People with a Vata dosha are quick to catch on to things and highly creative, enthusiastic and intuitive. Audrey Hepburn, Emma Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow and the Road Runner are all good examples of people with a Vata dominate dosha.

Vata is known as the 'king dosha' and has the capacity to move the other doshas out of balance. This is why no matter what the other dosha imbalances are, we're always looking to balance Vata first if it is out of balance.

Imbalanced Vata

Out of balance, the Vata dosha tends to be irregular in every way. They can be nervous and may experience insomnia, constipation and anxiety. It can lead to improper communication and cause abnormal movements in the body, such as tics, tremors and muscle spasms.

Balancing Vata

Since Vata is made of the elements of space and air it’s best to avoid foods like popcorn and chips that have these qualities since “like increases like” and Vata doesn’t need more of these energies.

Vata finds balance through sweet, sour and salty tastes and is aggravated by pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. People who are Vata should avoid cold raw foods, including salads and raw vegetables, and anything dry and crispy. Cold drinks also increase Vata so they're part of the don'ts category as well as coffee, which is too stimulating for Vata.

The do’s list includes warm cooked foods, and heavy and oily foods, such as those containing ghee (clarified butter), nuts and avocados. In fact, ghee is one of my favorite antidotes for Vata because it's so grounding, and it's good for Vata digestion. I recommend cooking with ghee, especially during the Vata season (fall to early winter). If you've already made some vegetables, just add a dollop of ghee.

Warm soupy foods and healthy sweets like dates are excellent for balancing Vata, as well as warming spices such as ginger. Fresh ginger is my favorite. I love cooking with it all through the Vata season. Spices like cumin powder, fenugreek, cardamom, garlic and saffron are wonderful to have in your kitchen if you have a Vata imbalance. Some of the best herbs for Vata doshas are ashwagandha, shankhpushpi and licorice. Since digestion is very sensitive for Vata, it’s important to reduce media exposure while eating and to eat in a quiet environment.

The best lifestyle change you can make to help balance Vata is less activity and more rest. Vata is naturally fast-moving and tends to be all over the place, so the more rest you take, the more grounded you'll feel. Pilates and yoga poses that focus predominantly on stretching are particularly good for Vata. Sun salutations done slowly, holding each position for 2-3 breaths, are my favorite yoga series for balancing Vata.

Pitta

Pitta is a combination of fire and water and represents digestion and metabolism. People who are dominant in Pitta tend to run hot, both literally and metaphorically.

Physically, people with this dosha are of average build with a medium, muscular frame and are naturally athletic. They are high achievers, ambitious, driven and passionate, and tend to have extremely strong mental concentration. Pitta dosha typically experiences strong digestion, steady energy and good circulation.

They're known as "Energizer bunnies" because they really can keep going and going. Good examples of people with a Pitta dominant dosha are Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Steve Jobs and Yosemite Sam.

Imbalanced Pitta

Too much Pitta energy can cause anger, jealousy, impatience and irritability. Pitta dominant people can become controlling in all areas of their life, especially at work and with personal relationships.

When the Pitta dosha gains weight, it tends to be inflammatory weight, with lymphatic accumulation, the most uncomfortable kind of weight. They can also develop premature grey hair when too much heat rises to the scalp. The Pitta-dominant dosha feels excess body heat. When everyone else is bundled up, they're complaining about being hot. 

Common medical conditions for excess Pitta in the body can be ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, diarrhea, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, rashes and headaches. Pittas are predisposed to infections in general due to excess inflammation, and the infections can show up anywhere, but especially in the skin, throat, ears and scalp.

Balancing Pitta

Because Pitta is naturally hot and made up of the elements of fire and water, we want to make sure that we're keeping Pitta cool. Pitta dosha is balanced by sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and aggravated by sour, salty and pungent tastes.

Pittas do well with cooling foods that turn down the heat. The food don'ts for Pitta include spicy foods like garlic, chilies, onion, black pepper and even cinnamon which isn’t usually considered spicy, but has a heating effect.

Acidic foods like lemons and tomatoes, and fermented foods and beverages (such as kombucha, coffee and alcohol) are also on the don’t list. I recommend avoiding fried foods for anyone battling a Pitta imbalance, especially during Pitta season (summer/early fall). You can, however, cook with coconut oil and ghee because these specific oils are great ways to reduce Pitta heat.

Drinking coconut water cools off naturally hot Pitta, and cooling fruits such as melons and pears are delicious treats. Green, leafy vegetables are also naturally cooling for the Pitta dosha. Spinach is the one exception to that rule because it’s a bit heating. Although you can still have some spinach if you're Pitta, you don't want to have large amounts particularly during the summer. For cooling down Pitta, I also recommend drinking aloe vera juice and incorporating spices like fennel, coriander, amla powder and rose buds into your diet.

Herbal recommendations for balancing Pitta include shankhpushpi, Brahmi, manjistha, and dandelion root. Shankhpushpi and Brahmi have a cooling effect on the mind. Manjistha is great for reducing excess heat, plus it helps to move out excess water that accumulates in the body. Dandelion root helps relieve excess heat that tends to accumulate in the liver.

Pitta dosha benefits more than any other dosha from spending time outside in nature. It’s incredibly rejuvenating and calming, and the perfect remedy for irritation and anger. Pittas also need to stay cool to balance their hot temperament, so enjoying the outdoors during the cool weather of spring and fall is most welcomed. Since Pitta is naturally hot, you do not want to go outside during the hottest time of the day, especially during the summer. One of my favorite tips for reducing Pitta is spraying yourself with rosewater—it’s wonderfully refreshing.

Pittas are very passionate, competitive and driven, which means they tend to overwork. Pitta people need to really look at their work schedule and create alarms that tell them, "Okay, my workday is done.” Avoiding arguments and heated discussions is also important for reducing Pitta. Because Pittas are so driven and are natural overachievers, it’s important that they embrace rituals for self-care. Taking time to relax in nature regularly and scheduling vacations with family and friends will keep Pittas productive and revitalized.

When it comes to exercise, Pitta dosha benefits from short bursts of fast-moving exercise such as running, hiking, swimming, martial arts or biking. Outdoor exercise is especially enjoyable and balancing for Pittas. But because of their competitive nature, Pittas can sometimes overexert themselves. Engaging in fun, non-competitive exercise like dancing keeps Pitta in shape and reminds them that life can be playful.

Kapha

Kapha is a combination of water and earth and represents structure and lubrication. People who are Kapha dominant are usually big-boned and sturdy and tend to have the most difficulty keeping weight off.

The Kapha dosha has smooth, luminous skin, glossy dark hair, lovely singing voices, good long-term memory and very strong immunity. Kapha is the relaxed, mellow, chill dosha. People who are predominantly Kapha have a let-it-be approach to life. They aren’t prone to stress, anxiety or irritation. When in balance they are very affectionate, generous and loyal. Oprah Winfrey, Melissa McCarthy, Adele and Winnie the Pooh are wonderful examples of the Kapha dosha.

Imbalanced Kapha

Out of balance, Kapha individuals can lack motivation and feel too lazy to do anything. They have a terrible time making decisions. Kaphas truly enjoy food; sugar and dairy are weaknesses that only make their imbalance worse. Their digestion becomes slow when they are out of balance and that’s why food choices are usually the Achilles’ heel for most Kaphas. They also tend to become possessive and stubborn when out of balance. Common medical conditions associated with excess Kapha include sinus congestion, nasal allergies and obesity.

Balancing Kapha

Kapha dosha needs a low-fat, vegan, nutrient-rich, low-calorie diet with limited fruits and grains, and are balanced by pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. Many of the general food don’ts are the same as Vata—avoid cold, raw foods and cold drinks.

However, Kaphas do tolerate dry crispy foods, but just make sure that it’s not a lot of cold crispy foods. Kaphas definitely want to avoid dairy and sugar, especially during Kapha season (late winter and early spring), and meat is difficult to digest for most due to their tendency towards weak digestion. Oily foods are also on the don’t list because they increase Kapha.

Honey is one of the few sweet foods that helps to reduce Kapha. One of the things I like doing during Kapha season is mixing warm water with the juice from half of a lemon, along with a teaspoon of honey to help remove all the excess Kapha from my body. If you’re predominantly Kapha, you can do this year-round.

Spices that are good for Kapha include cumin powder, fenugreek, cardamom, cloves, cooked onions and cooked garlic, black pepper, cinnamon powder and pippali (sometimes called Indian long pepper). Specific herbal recommendations that are wonderful for Kapha are ashwagandha, tulsi and guggul.

I love tulsi because it helps with the excess mucus that Kapha tend to form, especially during winter months. You can take it as a powdered herb or as a tea. It’s such a nourishing tea and really helps to open up the respiratory tract and nasal passages to remove excess Kapha mucus. Guggul is a little-known Ayurvedic herb that is wonderful for helping to scrape the ama  (toxins) out of the body. Think of ama as the excess Kapha that your body doesn’t need.

Kapha dosha is a creature of habit and loves routine, so when it comes to lifestyle behaviors to help balance Kapha, they benefit most from mixing things up and stepping out of their comfort zone to try new things. Because Kapha-dominant people naturally have slower digestion, eating less is an important practice for them. 

The Kapha dosha requires the most vigorous exercise of all the doshas and should engage in activities that make them sweat. It’s also important for Kapha to stimulate the mind; excess Kapha can make the mind sluggish and dull, which can eventually lead to depression.

Seeds of Wisdom

Before I understood my dosha, life felt unpredictable and pretty daunting. I didn’t know why I got sick, what triggered a headache, why my energy level fluctuated, why my mood suddenly shifted, etc. Life felt like it was happening to me rather than me having control over what I thought and felt at any given time.

Now that I understand what influences my dosha, I can generally predict how something is going to impact me. While I still have setbacks in my health, they are far less than before, and they’re patterns that I can predict and alter. Sometimes life throws us variables that are truly out of our control. But when we know our dosha, we are far better equipped to handle life’s challenges.

Knowledge arms us with power for self-determination so that we can meet our goals. It also teaches us to be more compassionate and forgiving of ourselves. We can better understand how we act in balance and out of balance once we identify our dosha.

Instead of judging ourselves, we can acknowledge the presence of an imbalance and help correct it from a place of self-acceptance. Healing happens in a nurturing environment, and it’s difficult to nurture our mind and body when we don’t understand how it works. Getting to know the doshas allows us to better understand our unique mind-body type and gets us to our desired health and life goals with greater ease.

You don’t have to live perfectly to follow an Ayurvedic lifestyle. Life is naturally unpredictable at times. But following the recommendations for your dosha most of the time, and recognizing and treating an imbalance, help to maintain a dynamic state of balance where health is within your control—even when life gets a little wonky.