Basics of Ayurvedic Medicine: Understanding Your Constitution

Prakruti: Our Mind-Body Constitution

The Ayurvedic concept of Prakruti, which translates literally from Sanskrit as “nature”, refers to our natural mind-body constitution: The unique characteristics that each of us is born with that are perceptible through emotions, behavior, body size and composition, metabolism, and health tendencies.

This constitution largely depends upon which of the doshas (vata - air/space, pitta - fire/water, or kapha - water/earth) or element combinations are predominant in us. The three doshas exist in varying levels in each of us. Imagine a pie chart with three sections-these proportions are different for each person, but always add up to 100 percent.

While everybody is born with a basic prakruti that is unique and will stay constant through life, the day-to-day interplay of dosha tendencies are likely to vary based upon influences from food, lifestyle, environment, and seasons. We can examine our lifestyles to understand whether we are “living right” and maintaining balance, or whether our lifestyle drives our doshas into imbalance, depleting ojas in the process.

As prakruti varies from individual to individual, so does the definition of balance. As stated earlier, according to Ayurveda, balance does not mean “all things being equal”, or all of us having equal amounts of each dosha within us. Instead, it is a state of equilibrium wherein our dosha levels reflect our natural mind-body makeup-there should not be too much or of any of these energies relative to their unique proportions in your prakruti.

When in equilibrium, the doshas invisibly define our personality, physical characteristics, and behavioral tendencies. But when they go out of balance or in other words, when they become excessed, they become as obvious as physical or emotional toxins and reflect in problems such as sluggishness, dehydration, or inflammation and more sensitivity. But, when you consider that dosha literally translates from Sanskrit as “that which easily goes off balance”, so it becomes clear that staying in balance is a challenge for us all.

Which Doshas Comprise Your Prakruti?

When first introduced to the concept, many ask the question, which of the doshas is the best? In fact, they are all “the best” when they are balanced, and they are all the worst when they are imbalanced. No matter what our dosha, the goal is to bring it into balance and live closest to prakruti, our natural state of inner beauty wherein we thrive on flourishing ojas.

The characteristics of vata (air and space) can be likened to those of a desert or outer space-a vast amount of space with air moving though it. Unobstructed, the air can change its course with complete freedom and flexibility. People with a vata dominant prakruti are creative and free spirited. They have amazing thinking power and perhaps a bent towards spirituality. They make talented artists, composers, writers, or scientists.

Saraswati, the Vedic goddess of knowledge, personifies the inner beauty of the vata dosha. She is the consort of Brahma, the creator of the universe, and represents learning, creativity, knowledge, and vitality of the intellect. In mythology she is always depicted holding the veena, (a wind instrument), a book, and a beaded necklace, each bead representing a branch of ancient Vedic knowledge. Physically, vatas tend to be small-boned, with a tendency towards dry, thin, translucent skin; dry skin, hair, cold extremities; and erratic eating patterns, behaviors, and habits, vatas have a hard time sitting still.

The pitta constitution (fire and water) is like a volcano-it has liquid heat that smolders deep inside, and then sometimes this accumulates and comes rushing out with dynamic intensity and drive. People with a pitta-dominant prakruti are intense, organized, and execution oriented with a fantastic sense of purpose. They are able to process thoughts in a logical manner and make excellent leaders, managers, or mathematicians.

Parvati (or Durga) is the goddess of strength and power, and well represents the beauty of the pitta dosha, which can at once be destructive and dangerous as well as powerful and seductive. She is the consort of Shiva, the destroyer of negativity, and is his counterpart in providing humanity with the power of active energy to choose good over evil, and so maximize ojas potential.

Physically, pittas tend to have oily skin and hair with a “patchy” quality to it. (This can mean an uneven skin tone, combination skin that is more oily in the T-zone, thinner hair, and/or a certain flush to the skin.) Their hair and skin reacts easily to hormonal sensitivity and they are generally more prone to feeling hot and irritable.

The qualities of kapha (water and earth) resemble those of clay-sand and water coming together to form something that can take shape and create vessels that have holding power. People with a kapha-dominated prakruti are nurturing, compassionate, and have a wonderful ability to put physical structure to ideas and plans. These people make great health-care workers, caregivers, or workers in any occupation that requires persistence, physical stamina, and precision.

Physically, they are heavier, stable people with cool, moist skin; thick hair; and dense skin. Kaphas tend to feel cold and break out into cool, clammy perspiration. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, exemplifies the beauty of the kapha dosha. The consort of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe, she is bountiful and earthy, always depicted with jewels and ornaments. Lakshmi is responsible for bringing wealth and stability, and exudes the golden luster of ojas.

Most of us are constituted of one dosha more than the other two. For example, if you are dominant in vata, that means that your emotional capacities, physical characteristics, and behavioral tendencies will mostly reflect the qualities of vata. However, many of us exhibit more than one of the dosha characteristics. For some people, two of the three doshas can actually exist equally in a higher proportion relative to the third. These are “mixed-dosha” types. It is quite common, for example to be, a vata-pitta type who exhibits the physical and emotional characteristics of both doshas.

One dosha might dominate physical traits and another dosha show itself in emotional traits, or both characteristics could be a mix of both doshas. A small percentage of people will actually have equal proportions of all three doshas, making them “tridosha” types. For the purposes of this book, to keep things simple, you'll identify the one predominant dosha that characterizes your mind and body and what to do to keep that dosha in balance.

Ojas: Increasing Vitality

To increase ojas or vitality, we need to constantly balance the doshas in our prakruti. So understanding prakruti becomes the natural first step in our journey to cultivate inner beauty. Once this happens, we can begin to apply diet, lifestyle regimen, and fitness programs or yoga techniques that work best to keep us in balance. Visiting an Ayurvedic doctor or reading a book about Ayurveda can help you to incorporate practical tools to understand your own doshas and then tailor Ayurvedic lifestyle plans that keep them in balance.