What is your constitution?
In Ayurveda, the five elements that are found in all living things—ether, air, fire, water, and earth—are the building blocks of life. While this foundation unites all humans, the manifestation of those elements through the doshas is what gives rise to our different constitutions. How the three doshas appear, and in what proportion, is what makes each of us unique.
Our unique constitution is from conception according to most belief systems. We love this scripture from the Torah (Jewish) scriptures on Prakruti.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 ESV
Our prakruti - true inner nature - is determined by identifying our constitution (that which we were born with) through the three doshas/constitutions: vata, pitta, and kapha. Knowing your dosha can help you live a healthier, more balanced life.
As we reviewed on Day 4, understanding our constitution is essential to understanding what a balanced self looks like. Once we know what balanced looks like, than we can connect daily to our body, mind and spirit to keep this balance.
Ayurveda daily practices allow us a deeper relationship with ourselves and allows us to correct areas of imbalance or dis-ease before it is too late.
In Ayurveda, the first step is to identify your dosha. This helps explain your constitution / your prakruti.
TAKE A DOSHA QUIZ
Take Our Dosha Quiz HERE
HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE TESTS TO HELP YOU IDENTIFY YOUR CONSTITUTION/DOSHA. WE RECOMMEND TRYING TWO QUIZES TO ENSURE ACCURACY.
Chopra’s Quiz, HERE, with 10 questions, is short and quick, with results that tell you what percent of each dosha makes up your constitution, and describes your primary dosha.
Banyan Botanical Quiz, HERE. You can receive personalized recommendations from this quiz. First you create a Profile and then Banyan's quiz will identify which dosha is causing you trouble and exactly what you can do to get back into balance.
Kripalu’s Quiz, HERE, has 29 questions and the results tell you about your primary dosha and “Tips for Balancing” your dosha in the summer.
Ayurveda Institute’s Quiz, HERE, with 32 questions, says to fill out their quiz twice: First, base your choices on what is most consistent over a long period of your life (prakruti), then fill it out a second time about what you have been feeling more recently (vikruti). If your vikruti shows more of one dosha, then you will want to follow a soothing regime for that dosha to bring your vikruti back into balance with your prakruti.
Consider Ayurveda Coaching Session(s) - Once your learn your dosha, you may want to take a deeper dive into learning about your constitution. Contact us to learn more about our Ayurveda Coaching sessions. This is a great way to understand your unique constitution and get your personalized routine going. Lisa Bermudez and Liz Glover Wilson offer coaching sessions through Stone Wave Yoga.
DIVINE MEDICINE
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 John 1:2
In Vedic philosophy, it says that our lives become meaningful when we strive to fulfill our potential, but this is hard to achieve without basic good health.
Ayurveda focuses on the unique constitution of each person, examines the potential for dis-ease, takes into account psychosomatic factors, and environmental impact. Ayurveda concentrates on preserving well-being, and improving our spiritual, intellectual and physical ability to heal and balance ourselves. As we learn about our constitution/dosha and how to bring ease to our lives, we will start to encounter divine medicine.
The divine medicine of Ayurveda is a medicine of compassion that brings us to harmony and a sound mind.
THE DOSHAS AND THE ELEMENTS
The doshas are representative of our unique mind-body types and we can use our understanding of the doshas to better understand ourselves; keeping our mind and body in balance so that we can stay healthy and thrive.
Ayurveda teaches that everything that exists is made up of the five elements that we experience all around us. The elements are: earth, water, air, fire, and ether (or space).
Like everything, the doshas are also made up of the five elements.
Vata dosha is known as the Wind Energy
Pitta dosha is known as the Fire Energy
Kapha dosha is known as the Earth Energy.
The five elements also represent ideas – they are symbolic metaphors that help us to understand the building blocks of everything that exists.
EARTH: Dense, Heavy and Grounding
So we consider stability and solidity. A rock, a piece of wood or metal is infused with earth energy. In the body, earth represents our physical structure. In the mind, earth represents mental stability.
WATER: Fluid and Cool
Here is the idea of flow, liquidity and cohesion. In the body, water represents fluids. In the mind, water represents gentle, loving and compassionate emotions.
FIRE: Hot and Powerful
This is transformation. In the body, fire governs digestion. In the mind, it governs perception.
AIR/WIND: Light and Moving
This is like our breath. Air is the energy behind all motion. In the body, air element represents the movement of nerve impulses and movement of the breath and limbs. In the mind, air is the energy that moves thought.
ETHER: Space and Connectedness
It’s the space within us when we meditate or still our minds. In the body, ether represents the empty spaces that exist. In the mind, ether represents consciousness.
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Everything in nature, including each of us, is made up of all five elements at once, but the element that is most dominant determines the characteristics that will be expressed.
You may have a more dominant Vata dosha with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual characteristics that characterize Vata dosha, and someone else may have a dominant Pitta dosha with characteristics unique to Pitta.
No one is entirely one dosha. We all have all three doshas but one dosha or more may dominate.
Ayurveda teaches that optimal health occurs when the doshas are in balance.
For this reason, the dosha that is out of balance is always the one that’s treated.
Introduction to 3 PART BREATH
Three-part yogic breathing is excellent for meditation preparation and best before asana. Invoke this exercise when you feel stressed or when your breath feels constricted. By cultivating a regular pranayama practice, your body and mind become more conscious of the present moment.
Witness your breath blossom without force or strain. It is useful to work on an empty stomach; finish eating two to three hours before you begin. Do not start a breathing practice if you experience asthma, shortness of breath, or have a heart condition.
Instructions By Christie Pitko
Sit on a blanket in Sukhasana or Easy Cross-Legged Pose. Root your sit-bones and feel your spine grow long as you lightly extend from the crown of the head. Soften your heart and your shoulders.
Place your hand over your navel and take a slow, deep breath into your belly. Feel the belly inflate like a balloon as you inhale, and deflate as you exhale. Practice this for five breaths.
Move your hand two to three inches above your navel to your rib cage. Feel the ribs expand as you inhale, and retract as you exhale. Practice this for five breaths.
Place your hand below your collarbone, at the center of your chest, and inhale. Feel the chest spread as you breathe in, and withdraw on an exhale. Practice this for five breaths.