Dosha Quiz
While all three doshas exist simultaneously within us, we each have tendencies that display as a predominance in one specific mind/body type — vata, pitta, or kapha. It is common to have a different dominance in the body than in the mind. In rare cases, there may also be a dominance of the digestion. I had a patient who was vata in physiology with a kapha tendency toward sluggishness in the gallbladder through genetic predisposition rather than diet. This manifested as a kaphic digestion and had to be treated as such.
The purpose of the following quiz is to identify your tendencies in both the mind and physiology to help you understand how you function physically and mentally. Learning about one’s constitution is the beginning of knowing oneself and looking inward with compassion. Being honest about our traits is a very personal process, and we can sometimes carry judgment on ourselves. None of these questions are intended to shed positive or negative light on your characteristics or personality. I urge you to be honest and embrace yourself for who you are.
When you answer the questions, put yourself in the frame of mind of your natural state — when you are at your best and feeling healthiest. Keep in mind that the questionnaire found here is only one of three methods of diagnosis in Ayurveda. Prashanna (or inquiry) is used to answer questions regarding such factors as lifestyle, diet, health history, and family history. But in seeking information, Ayurvedic practitioners go into more depth — and diagnosis also includes darshan (observation) and nadi vigyan (pulse diagnosis). The quality of your pulse can tell a practitioner more than you would imagine about your body and mind. Your physiological qualities can be fabricated, exaggerated, or dependent on external factors like time and place, but the pulse always provides a clear picture of your state of health. I had to take 10,000 pulses as a requirement to graduate, learning to account for what a pulse felt like in a consultation room, how it differed after a person ate or took medications, and other factors (for example, if they were in the hospital post-surgery, in hospice, or suffered from conditions like inflammatory disorders or heart disease).
If you want to dive deeper, I recommend looking for an Ayurvedic practitioner in your area who understands disease pathology and food sustainability. They will help you find balance based on your constitution, your climate, and your environment.
