Monthly Archives: February 2011

What’s Your Dosha?

To get started on a deeper exploration of Ayurveda and the wisdom it holds for your health and well-being, take the following quiz to find out which doshas are most prominent in you.

Instructions: For the 20 statements listed below each dosha, mark from 1 to 3 how accurately the statement fits you.

1 = Doesn’t fit me

2 = Fits me partially or part of the time

3 = Fits me very accurately or most of the time

At the end of each dosha section, tally your total score for that dosha by adding up the individual scores within that dosha. Then when you get to the end of the quiz, compare your scores for the three doshas.

VATA

1. _____  I have a tall, thin or small-boned build; I don’t gain weight very easily.
2. _____  I have a tendency toward anxiety or worry.
3. _____  My least favorite kind of weather is cold weather.
4. _____  I develop gas or become constipated easily.
5. _____  Left to my own devices, my eating & sleeping habits are often irregular.
6. _____  My hands and feet tend to be cold.
7. _____  I typically walk more lightly and quickly than others.
8. _____  I like to be active; sometimes it’s hard for me to sit still.
9. _____  My hair tends to be dry.
10. _____  My tendency is to eat quickly, and I have a delicate digestion.
11. _____  My sleep is light and interrupted; I may even suffer from insomnia.
12. _____  I learn things quickly but tend to forget them quickly as well.
13. _____  I am easily excited.
14. _____  My moods change quickly.
15. _____  Decision-making tends to be difficult for me.
16. _____  My nature is to be enthusiastic and vivacious.
17. _____  My mind is very active, sometimes restless, but also very imaginative.
18. _____  My speech pattern is quick and people say that I’m talkative.
19. _____  I tend to have dry, rough skin, particularly in winter.
20. _____  My energy comes in bursts and I get worn out easily.

VATA SCORE ___________

PITTA

1. _____  I am a perfectionist by nature.
2. _____  I tend to perform activities with a high level of precision and order.
3. _____  Hot weather makes me especially uncomfortable or causes me to quickly become fatigued.
4. _____  I really enjoy cold foods, like ice cream, as well as cold drinks.
5. _____  When conflicts arise, I tend to become intense, impatient, and irritable.
6. _____  Skipping or delaying meals makes me very uncomfortable.
7. _____  Whether I show it or not, I am easily annoyed and quick to anger.
8. _____  My hair is fine, thin, and reddish or blonde and prematurely gray or balding.
9. _____  I don’t tolerate spicy foods well.
10. _____  I tend to be quick to perspire.
11. _____  I tend to be stubborn.
12. _____  I am fairly strong and can handle many physical activities.
13. _____  My bowel movements are regular; I am more likely to have loose stools than constipation.
14. _____  I am more likely to feel that a room is too hot than too cold.
15. _____  I thrive on challenges and am determined to achieve my goals.
16. _____  My hands tend to be warm.
17. _____  Under stress, I can be quick to anger and am often critical of both myself and others.
18. _____  My appetite is strong, and I can eat pretty much anything I want to without problem.
19. _____  I tend to maintain my weight without much effort.
20. _____  I tend to gather many facts before forming an opinion.

PITTA SCORE ___________

KAPHA

1. _____  My physique is large and solid.
2. _____  I sleep deeply and for long periods of time.
3. _____  I gain weight very easily, sometimes it seems just by looking at food.
4. _____  Skipping meals is easy and not typically uncomfortable.
5. _____  I need a full 8 hours of sleep in order to function well the following day.
6. _____  I am typically groggy in the morning and slow to get my day started.
7. _____  I frequently suffer from sinus problems, asthma, chronic congestion, excess mucus or phlegm.
8. _____  I tend to be sensitive and affectionate, sweet and forgiving.
9. _____  I have smooth, oily, moist skin.
10. _____  Cold, damp weather affects me adversely.
11. _____  It’s my nature to be calm and slow to anger.
12. _____  My weight tends to be above average for my build.
13. _____  I tend to do things slowly and methodically, in a relaxed and leisurely manner.
14. _____  I learn slowly but my retention and memory are good.
15. _____  My general disposition is easy-going—it takes a lot to fluster me or stress me out.
16. _____  I eat and digest slowly.
17. _____  I have dark, thick, wavy hair.
18. _____  My stamina and endurance are strong, and I enjoy a steady energy level.
19. _____  The gait of my walk is generally slow, steady, and leisurely.
20. _____  My reaction to conflict is to get lazy or depressed.

KAPHA SCORE ___________

FINAL SCORE

Vata ________                    Pitta ________                   Kapha ________

Understanding your results: If your primary dosha is extremely prominent, with a score as much as twice as high as your second dosha (for example, Vata–55, Pitta–21, Kapha–19), you are a single-dosha type. If no dosha is extremely dominant (for example, Vata–34, Pitta-55, Kapha–29), you are a two-dosha type, with the leading dosha coming first in your body-type name. If all three doshas are nearly equal (for example, Vata–43, Pitta–38, Kapha–46), you are the rare three-dosha type.

Have fun!

To learn more about your Dosha score and Ayurveda, check out my on-demand LifeForce Energy Healing^® II Certification Course >>