The following is guidance based on the answers you have given. We advise joining our Introduction to Ayurveda course, getting professional advice from a fully-qualified Ayurvedic practitioner such as Kate or Jo or getting a personalised report to get a fuller picture.
YOU ARE LIKELY TO HAVE A VATA & KAPHA CONSTITUTION
This constitution has a mix of vata and kapha.
The most important things to note with a constitutional combination of these two doshas are:
- Both vata and kapha are COLD. This physically means skin is cool to touch and hands and feet are often cold. The summer is a wonderful time for these types. A coolness of mind can mean it’s easy to keep one’s head and be calm.
- Many of the other qualities are opposites so this can mean many areas fluctuate, such as weight. It may sometimes seem that looking after oneself is quite a balancing act.
Details of vata and kapha dosha are given below.
Vata, based on the elements of air and space, regulates movement and change.
Vata predominant individuals tend to:
- have a nature of CHANGE and fluctuation; irregular appetite, thirst and bowel movements, variable energy levels coming in bursts and irregular menstrual cycles.
- be more endowed with MOVEMENT; active eyes, fast speech, quick bodily movements and always on the go. The mind is also agile, creative, lively and enthusiastic. There is a desire for change and routines are often a struggle. Things are picked up quickly but more often forgotten in the long term.
- have more DRYNESS and ROUGHNESS in the body; dry, rough skin, lips and hair, cracking joints. They are more likely to be constipated and have wind.
- be more COLD; often have cold hands and feet and strongly dislike cold and wind, prefer warm environments, food and drinks.
- be LIGHT; in general, have a slender body and thin muscles finding it hard to put on weight. Specifically, lightness also shows with thinner lips, visible joints and sharper nose. Sleep is also light and sometimes elusive.
Those with a vata constitution will be more likely to suffer from constipation, gas and insomnia when not in balance. The mind when out of balance tends towards anxiety, fearfulness and insecurity.
Kapha, comprised of earth and water, maintains, grounds and nourishes.
Those with kapha predominance are most likely to:
- be solid, HEAVY and FIRM. These might not sound like attractive qualities but actually, they make for very healthy bodies and minds. Build will be naturally larger and round, with a broad frame and large, well-knit, padded joints. They gain weight easily and find it hard to shift. Their eyes are large and pleasant, lips, nose and teeth are also large. Sleep is heavy, 8 hours is often needed, and often they will oversleep and have difficultly waking.
- have the quality of THICKNESS in their tissues; thick, moist skin and abundant and thick hair.
- be SMOOTH and have higher levels of OILINESS; skin and hair are smooth and oily, eyes are well lubricated as are the joints. This also equates to a lower thirst.
- be EARTHY and DELIBERATE or SLOW; solid, reliable, contented souls who tend to be grounded. Speech and movements are slow and deliberate. Their energy levels are steady, and they tend to have good endurance and stamina. The slow quality is also seen in the digestion and bowel movements. Mentally this quality shows a natural resilience in the face of stress, making for a calm person who is loyal and patient with an inner sense of stability and contentment. Sometimes it takes a while to grasp new things but once they are remembered, they stick, as do decisions.
- have COLDER bodies; adaptable to most temperatures but tend not to like cold, wet weather; prefer hot, dry weather.
Kapha dominant people will tend to have excess mucus, congestion and water retention if they aren’t in balance. When they are not on good form, they can tend towards lethargy and withdrawal.