What Is Your Constitution?
The same chart I fill out with every client, the one Dr. James hands out in the practitioner program. Not six cute questions. The real thing: frame, skin, appetite, sleep, temper, dreams, money. Your columns add up to your seated dosha. The in-person part finds what is off right now.
Before you start
- 1Answer for how you have been most of your life when healthy — not the last few weeks. That is your constitution (prakruti). What is off right now (vikruti) is a different, in-person assessment.
- 2Go with your first reflexive thought. Do not overthink it and do not try to make it make sense.
- 3Pick the one that fits. If you are between two, pick both. If you truly cannot tell, leave the row blank. Never pick all three.
About 8 minutes. Tap a card, or press 1 · 2 · 3. Nothing is sent until you choose to at the end.
Non-NAIC members sign a quick demonstration form at the first session; takes a minute.
Chart. Pulse. Tongue. Touch. Then the Triangle.
The chart (online, now)
48 rows, three columns. You circle what fits, the columns get totalled, the biggest number is your seated dosha. That is your constitution, your prakruti. It does not change.
The in-person part
Pulse under three fingers. Tongue in natural light. The skin on the inside of your forearm. How you stand, walk and move into a posture. Your chart is one assessment; these add to it.
The triangle
Every assessment adds a mark to Vata, Pitta or Kapha. Three numbers. I circle the biggest and draw an arrow to the smallest. That arrow is what is out of balance right now, your vikruti, and it decides the program.
What to do, what to avoid
Session emphasis, time of day, pressure, oil, tastes to favor, habits to drop. Not a generic Vata diet from a book. The arrow for you, this month.
Dr. James puts it bluntly in the practitioner course: self-diagnosis of a Vedic imbalance is almost always wrong. The chart tells me which of three groups you fall in. The arrow tells me what to do with you. That is why the second half happens on the mat. Book your free sample session and bring your chart.
You Are All Three. One Leads.
Vata
Ether + Air · Lom (Wind)
Kinetic energy — the energy of movement. Governs catabolism (using resources).
Seats: Large intestine, pelvic cavity, bones, skin, ears, thighs and the nervous system. Any excess accumulates in these areas. More noticeable in old age.
Aggravated: nervous exhaustion, fear and anxiety; erratic, migrating, throbbing pain; wasting, physical deterioration, tremors.
The fault and the cure: desire, answered by non-attachment.
Pitta
Fire + Water · Fai (Fire)
Thermal energy — the energy of transformation. Governs metabolism (distributing resources).
Seats: Small intestine, stomach, sweat glands, blood, fat, eyes and skin. In the mature healthy adult there should be more Pitta — full, mature, stable metabolism.
Aggravated: inflammation, burning sensations; hyperacidity, heartburn, loose stool; anger, irritability, criticism.
The fault and the cure: aversion, answered by tolerance, compassion and discretion.
Kapha
Water + Earth · Naam + Din (Water / Earth principle)
Potential energy — the energy of stability and lubrication. Governs anabolism (storing / increasing resources).
Seats: Brain, chest, throat, head, sinuses, nose, tongue and mouth, stomach, joints, and all the fluids and secretions of the body (blood, mucus, phlegm, plasma, lymph, fat). Primarily the chest. More discernible in children.
Aggravated: lethargy, heaviness, sluggishness; weight gain, water retention, edema; congestion, sinus drainage, persistent cough.
The fault and the cure: ignorance, answered by education — reduce the gap between knowledge and being.
Prakruti, Vikruti, and What Comes Next
What is a dosha?+
Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the three constitutions of Ayurveda, the three ways the elements combine in a body. Vata is Ether and Air, the energy of movement. Pitta is Fire and Water, the energy of transformation and digestion. Kapha is Water and Earth, the energy of structure and lubrication. Everyone is all three all the time. Most people are a little more of one.
What is the difference between prakruti and vikruti?+
Prakruti is your constitution, set at birth, the sum of your genetic and biologic predispositions. It never changes. Vikruti is the deviation from what is healthy for you, the nature of the imbalance right now. Prakruti can be read from a chart. Vikruti needs a thorough in-person examination.
Can I find my vikruti online?+
No. The chart gives your constitution. Your current imbalance shows in pulse, tongue, skin, posture and direct observation, which is why the second half of the assessment happens in person, on the mat.
How long does the chart take?+
About eight minutes for 48 rows. Go with your first reflexive answer, pick two if you are between two, and skip a row if you truly cannot tell. Your progress saves in your browser so you can come back.
What happens after I send my chart?+
It goes into your file and Kru Tyler calls you to set up your first session. The chart is already done, so the session starts with the in-person assessment.
Is this medical advice?+
These services are traditional bodywork and wellness practices, not medical care, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results vary. Consult your physician for medical concerns.
Healing Warrior Arts
Brooksville, FL · serving Hernando County and Tampa Bay · (813) 337-9338
Read more: Your Ayurveda dosha · Ayurvedic assessment