Discovering your Ayurvedic Body Type

Ayurveda: Ancient India’s Individualized medicine

Ayurvedic medicine categorizes individuals into three main ‘types’ according to the predominant qualitative tendencies of their anatomy and physiologies. Unlike modern systems of medicine which rely on averages and treat most people by the same standards, Ayurveda, India’s ancient system of healing, treats on an individual basis. 

This understanding of constitutional differences between individuals was also understood in ancient western medicine with the concept of the humors, and in traditional chinese medicine with their concepts of the five elements. It can explain why the same remedy is beneficial for one individual experiencing disease, while it may not help or even worsen the condition in others.

The Ayurvedic constitution, also called ‘prakriti’ or fundamental nature, is determined by the unique composition of the five great elements and three ‘doshas’ (biological energies) in their being from birth and throughout life. This constitution stays constant throughout the span of life, but the doshas may increase due to external influences, manifesting as ‘vikruti’; imbalance or disease.

Five elements: three doshas
“Sarvani dravyani panchabautikani”

This famous vedic sutra states that all material substances are made up of the five great elements. Those elements are Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The first element, Space or Akasha, is clear, light, soft and expansive. In the body it is associated with cavities, pores and channels. The air element, Vayu, corresponds to all that moves and breathes within the body as well as communications at the cellular and systemic level; such as the shooting of electrical impulses through nerves. The fire element, Agni, is represented in all transformational processes in the body such as intelligence, digestion, the generation of body heat and sensation. The water element, Apas,  is predominant in all the fluid tissues of the body; blood and lymph as well as in the inter and extracellular spaces throughout the body. Water is the universal solvent for all chemical reactions and processes. Finally, the earth element, Prthvi, composes the physical structure and solid mass of the body tissues; nails, teeth, muscles and the skeleton.

The concept of the tridosha in Ayurveda are groupings of these original, great elements into pairs; Vata is the space and air elements, Pitta is fire and water elements and Kapha is water and earth elements. These three biological ‘humors’ are responsible for the proper functioning of the body when in balance, and disease when they become imbalanced.

Everybody has all five elements in their body, and as such all three doshas, working together to sustain life. What the Prakruti really refers to is the proportion and predominance of one or two of these elements or doshas, that leads to them being classified as either Vata, Pitta or Kapha predominant. As discussed, this predominance is set at the moment of birth and does not change throughout life, other than in rare circumstances. While the doshas may fluctuate in response to foods we eat, travel, or activities, our constitutional baseline does not change. In order to maintain good health, each individual needs to work to restore this original ratio of the doshas in their constitution.