The Ayurveda Dosha Test – What Is Your Constitution?
In this post I will present you with a simple quiz you can take to determine your Ayurvedic dosha or constitution. There are other comprehensive dosha tests out there that may have more questions involved but for simplicity, this dosha quiz will be very efficient and effective.
First: you will need to take the test twice. Here’s how and why.
Under each characteristic circle the descriptions that you identify with throughout your life. Make sure to choose the best descriptions under one category only, of either Vata, Pitta or Kapha. This is your Prakriti – your natural constitution (your personality and body type) that you were conceived and born with.
Knowing your Prakriti is useful because it increases the awareness of your personality type identifying your natural strengths and challenges. This is an important step in understanding not only your health and wellness but also your innate qualities of your body, mind and emotions.
When you take the test the second time, select the descriptions based on how you feel now and in the last couple of months. This is your Vikruti – your current condition, reflecting the state of you body, mind and emotions. Your answers on both copies could possibly be the same.
Knowing your Vikriti is important to help you understand if and how you have strayed from your natural constitution that you were born and conceived with.
Let’s begin the test
Total the number of checks under each of the doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. One dosha is often dominant, but it could be that two are equal in the number of checks.
A small number of people will have the same number of checks for all three doshas. Look at your totals in terms of their ratio relative to one another. For example, V15, P10, and K5, would be V3, P2, and K1.
| Characteristic | Vata | Pitta | Kapha |
| Body type | thin | medium | large |
| Weight | lighter | medium | heavy |
| Hair | dry, brown, | oily, blonde, | straight, thick, |
| black, brittle, | gray, red, | oily, lustrous, any | |
| thin, knotted, | balding, wavy | color | |
| curly | |||
| Skin | dry, thin, cool, | oily, smooth, | thick, cool, pale |
| darker | warm, pinkish | ||
| Nails | dry, brittle, | flexible, pink, | thick, smooth, oily |
| break easily | healthy | ||
| Eyes | small, active, | sharp, bright, | large, calm, loving, |
| dry, sunken | sensitive to | brown, blue | |
| black, brown | light, gray, | ||
| green, pale blue | |||
| Nose | uneven | long, pointed | short, round |
| Lips | dry, crack easily, | inflame easily, | smooth, oily, |
| black or | red, yellowish | whitish | |
| brownish | |||
| Teeth | large, | medium, | white, strong gums |
| protruding, | sensitive gums | ||
| thin gums | |||
| Chin | thin, sharp | medium taper | rounded, double |
| Cheeks | sunken, wrinkled | smooth, straight | round, plump |
| Neck | tall, thin | medium | large |
| Chest | sunken, flat | medium | round, large |
| Belly | flat, sunken | medium | large, pot belly |
| Hips | narrow, thin | medium | large, heavy |
| Joints | cold, cracking | medium | large, lubricated |
| Appetite | irregular | strong | slow, steady |
| Digestion | irregular, gassy | quick, burning | prolonged, mucous |
| Taste (healthy) | sweet, sour, | sweet, bitter, | bitter, pungent, |
| salty | astringent | astringent | |
| Thirst | variable | plenty | sparse |
| Elimination | constipation | loose | sluggish, oily |
| Sex drive | intense, steady | variable | moderate |
| Physical activity | hyperactive | moderate | sedentary |
| Mental activity | quick, constant | moderate | slow, dull |
| Emotions | fear, uncertain, | anger, jealous, | attachment, greed, |
| flexible | determined | calm | |
| Faith | variable, | intense, extreme | deep, consistent, |
| changing | mellow | ||
| Financial | spends on trivial | spends on | preserves assets |
| items | luxuries | ||
| Intellect | quick, may be | accurate | slow, precise |
| faulty | response | ||
| Recollection | recent good, | distinct | slow, sustained |
| remote poor | |||
| Sleep | irregular, | little and sound | deep, prolonged |
| sleeplessness | |||
| Speech | quick, unclear | sharp, | slow, monotone |
| penetrating | |||
Total check marks for each dosha: Vata___, Pitta___, Kapha___.
Now, place them in a ratio with the highest first and lowest last. From this, you can determine your predominant dosha(s). Asking a close friend or family member to give their perspective on some of your characteristics can be an interesting exercise.
This can be helpful in gaining clarity about how others experience you in life—particularly if it does not match your view of yourself.
Note: this particular Ayurveda constitution/ dosha test is from Myra Lewin – an expert in Ayurveda and author of the book Freedom in your relationship with food.
Note: for more information about constitutions and dosha types, read the article
Introduction To Your Ayurvedic Constitution Or Profile?
image courtesy of patriziasoliani
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