The Yogic Kitchen. Jody Vassallo
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example, I am a Pitta Vata. I have far stronger Pitta tendencies than I do Vata so I focus on managing my Pitta, but I do have to be aware of my Vata when I travel and in autumn and early winter, the Vata season (more on this later). You may find you are a Pitta Kapha, for example, and so you would focus on balancing Pitta generally but also managing Kapha tendencies in the Kapha season of late winter and spring or if you have a cold or cough, and you may need to manage the Kapha if you find you are gaining some excess weight in later years.
Be sure to look at both the physical and emotional/psychological/lifestyle/environmental characteristics of each dosha. A person may be physically a Kapha type but emotionally a Vata; this person would then be considered a Kapha Vata.
Just watch the tendency to make sweeping statements and generalisations about your doshas: there are a lot of factors and elements at play here. And what may appear to be someone’s dosha may be a big imbalance that is demanding their attention. The world outside of us and the world inside us are ever-changing and so are we.
WHAT DOES TRIDOSHIC MEAN?
If, when you fill out the charts, you find you have an even amount of characteristics from Vata, Pitta and Kapha, you are described as being Tridoshic. This means you have a fairly balanced constitution but will still need to be aware of each dosha in its season. Ayurveda recommends tridoshic people follow a Vata diet usually because Vata is the dosha that goes out of balance first and the other doshas then follow. To obtain a more accurate and individual dosha reading and diagnosis, you may wish to seek out a consultation with an Ayurvedic practitioner.
Dosha evaluation charts
Go through the charts and tick the boxes, then add up the ticks. The one you have the most ticks under is your dominant dosha, the next your secondary dosha.
Normally we would suggest completing a dosha chart twice: the first time to establish your constitution (prakruti) and the second time to establish any imbalance (vikruti). Understanding your constitution will give you valuable insight into your tendencies; knowing your tendencies will help you manage your health and go a long way in helping you to create a balanced life for yourself. Each of us is made up of varying amounts of Vata, Pitta and Kapha energy. Vata provides us with movement and expression, Pitta governs our metabolic action and Kapha builds our tissues.
The first time you go through the chart, think about your body shape, emotional responses and personality up to about 18 years of age. If you can discuss this with your parents, you will often find they are able to share some valuable information with you about your behaviour in your younger years and they may have a much clearer memory of your size and shape.
The second time you fill out the chart, approach it from how you are now. Watch out for changes in weight, mood etc. to your formative years. Be honest and present. This can be a very helpful tool if used properly and you cannot get it wrong, as we are just trying to establish where your body is not functioning as it should.
If you complete the chart twice and your prakruti and vikruti are the same, then this is a good thing as it shows that your body is in a state of balance. But remember, the body is always in a state of flux, sensitive to outside influences and always trying to communicate any imbalance to you.
In Ayurveda we treat the imbalance to bring the body back to a state of health. Regardless of your constitution, you can experience an imbalance in any of the doshas. Imbalance is created from the external environment: not just the weather but any outside influences – food, habits, home environment.
A good way of determining your prakruti is by thinking about the things about you that never change. Body shape can fluctuate and cause some confusion but things like your basic personality tend to stay the same throughout your life.
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
–Oscar Wilde
The doshas
THE VATA INDIVIDUAL
Vatas are the skinny tall folks, who can struggle to put on weight no matter what they eat or how much they eat. Vata rules movement, creativity and communication in the body, so it is easy to see why Vata types find it hard to sit still, love a chat and may have wild imaginations. You may notice them chattering away to themselves or telling a long-winded story. Because they have so much going on inside their heads they find it difficult to listen, their eyes may dart about as you talk to them and they are very easily distracted. Vata types may be more fearful and anxious of everyday things than others and tend to be light sleepers. Sensitive Vata souls suffer without a routine to stabilise and ground the air and space in them.
Quick to learn but also quick to forget, they may be more interested in the arts and creative activities than reading, writing and arithmetic. Without a routine, they may appear scattered and a bit all over the shop. Vatas often find themselves surrounded by mess, which can be a direct reflection of their state of mind. Vatas tend to overthink everything and find it difficult to make decisions. Vatas suffer under stress. They make friends quickly and change friends often, and can have difficulty forming close relationships. This is also reflected in their interests. Intensely interested in one thing momentarily and then onto the next thing before you know it. The qualities of the dosha are light and mobile so this is natural behaviour for their constitution.
Vata types are incredibly soft and intuitive and are greatly affected by the moods of those around them; when things get overwhelming for them they may just drift off into their minds where things are more comfortable for them. They are insatiable daydreamers. Anxiety and constipation can be a symptom of Vata imbalance. It is important that these types stay warm, slow down and create a routine for themselves to help balance the air and space in their dosha.
The qualities of Vata are like the wind – quick, light, dry, cold, subtle, mobile and rough. Vatas will often have dry cracked skin, hair and lips. They feel the cold and will often complain of cold hands and feet. They love the sun and their holiday of choice will most likely be a beach destination. They are disturbed by the wind and excess travel. They are drawn to crispy, crunchy foods but these foods will quickly send them out of balance. They have joints that crack and their bodies are the most fragile and sensitive of the three doshas because of the dry, light qualities of their constitution. The mobile quality may allow them to be efficient multi-taskers but it is essential they get plenty of rest to help them deal with the constant movement as they are delicate types. Vata types may also have a tendency to swing drastically in terms of weight, and flip from being underweight to overweight quickly. Things are everchanging with Vata individuals, be it in their homelife, workplace, relationships or physical body.
Their subtle nature may mean they are drawn to the spiritual and they have a natural tendency to seek out more esoteric experiences than the other two doshas. Vata types are most comfortable in nature by a running stream, listening to birds and gazing up at the stars. Vatas can be shy, insecure and awkward in social situations and one of their biggest challenges is to come to a place of self-acceptance. This fast paced modern world is often confronting to these Vatas, who may worry and struggle to keep up and fit in.
For more information on Vata out of balance, see page 24.
THE PITTA INDIVIDUAL
Pitta types love to be the centre of attention. Ruled by the elements of fire and water, they are born to shine and it’s hard to mistake when a Pitta enters a room. These types like to be in control