"The knowledge of life" - Ayurveda, the traditional Indian art of healing, has long since found its way to us. Recognised in India as a scientific healing method, in Europe Ayurveda has mainly conquered the field of well-being and lifestyle . Before Ayurvedic behavioural recommendations can be pronounced and lived, you should first know about the Ayurvedic types.
A distinction is made between 3 Ayurvedic types who, depending on their constitution, tend to one or the other, or even several doshas (roughly 'fault potential'). These constitutional types depend on the external appearance and the tendencies to diseases, and their composition shapes the character and personality of people.
The doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha; the movement principle, the fire principle, the metabolic principle and the structural principle. The three types are related to the 5 elements. Thus, Vata stands for wind, or air and ether (space), Pitta for fire and water and Kapha for earth and also water.
As individual as people are, not every person can be fully assigned to one of these groups. Each and every one of us carries all three doshas in different doses. It is the expression and the constitution that determines the tendential type. Most of the time it is actually a single dominant dosha. Some people also have 2 similarly strong dosha, and very few have all three doshas equally strong.
We have worked out the different characteristics in detail and put together a test for you to determine your type. You will find out your personal tendency and can adjust your behaviour accordingly. This plays a very important role in nutrition and the right choice of recipes, as well as for your general lifestyle.
Vata - creative and full of life energy
Vata people tend to be slim built, weigh little, are flexible and constantly on the move. With them, everything is in flux and in constant change, they feel comfortable in a life with changes and like to learn new things. They are helped by boundless creativity, quick thinking, a bit of chaos, eloquence and flexibility.
Its elements are air, which stands for movement of the musculature, heartbeat, breath, movement of the stomach wall and intestines, the central nervous system and for the sense of touch, and ether (or space), which is connected in the body with the mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, thoracic cavity, the capillaries and lymphatic channels, tissue and cells. The respective executive (sense) organs are the skin and the ear.
If a Vata type is in balance, he is communicative, a creative chaot, lively, awake, loves the warmth and tends to dislike cold weather. Appetite and digestion are changeable by nature. They are sensitive, volatile personalities who are on the move a lot and consequently like to travel a lot.
However, if Vata concentration becomes imbalanced, too many tasks are tackled with too little stamina, one is easily distracted, works without concentration and is easily nervous and restless. Concentration and sleep disorders and nervous anxiety are not uncommon. Projects started with a lot of enthusiasm are quickly discarded because there is simply no stamina.
Pitta - strong and challenging
People with an average figure, decisiveness and a lot of self-confidence are generally assigned to the Pitta type. They are dynamic, impressive personalities who can summon up a lot of mental and physical energy. This is accompanied by the fact that they sometimes overestimate themselves and appear too dominant. They like to take on challenges and love sports, games and competition.
Fire and water are the elements assigned to the Pitta dosha. In the body, water stands for the secretion of the digestive juices and salivary glands, the mucous membranes, the plasma, the tongue and the function of the tissues and organs. Fire takes care of the metabolic and enzyme systems, digestion, intelligence, body temperature, thought processes and vision.
The Pitta is balanced when the person tending to it is of medium stature, very intelligent, perceptive, ambitious and eloquent. He seeks challenges and leadership roles and is characterised by his organisational skills and high energy level. Pitta types have a lively appetite by nature.
Premature greying, hair loss and a tendency towards irritability are signs of imbalance. In addition, people in such cases often become rather angryand jealous and tend to overexert themselves. Inflammations, especially of the eyes, heatstroke, stomach ulcers and heartburn are also typical here.
Kapha - the calm one among the Ayurveda types
People who tend towards Kapha can be observed to have a corpulent physique and a calm, patient character. They are even-tempered even under stress, do not tend to rush about and are sometimes difficult to throw off course. Their strength of soul, gentleness and reliability make them good friends, especially as they do not like to argue. They love water and colours and need a lot of sun and warmth.
One element of the kapha type is earth, which generally stands for calmness and steadfastness. It is also associated with bones, cartilage, ligaments, nails, muscles, vision, skin, hair and the sense of smell. In addition, as with the Pitta type, water is associated with Kapha.
In balance is a Kapha person who has a stable, heavy build, is methodical, patient, persistent and likes to fiddle around. The balanced Kapha personality likes to plan and organise and does not find regular routine to be unpleasant. They are bon vivants, like to eat and sleep deeply and long.
Kapha in imbalance leads to slow digestion and obesity and develops a tendency to greed, envy, possessiveness, slowness and mucousiness (around the chest and head). Since Kapha types are not exactly famous for their light-footedness, emerging sluggishness and laziness are not necessarily surprising.
Remember that you are unique and not all the characteristics of a certain Ayurveda type have to apply to you. Think of it as a rough guide that you are welcome to follow. The best thing is to try it out, implement some of the recommendations for your type and observe how you feel. The more individually and personally you respond to your needs, the better. Namasté!
Cover photo: © Gabriel - stock.adobe.com
