Ananda Ayurveda LLC
  • Home
  • Ayurveda
    • Consultations
    • Private Ayurveda Instruction
    • Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification
    • Workshops >
      • Intro to Ayurveda Workshop
      • Ayurvedic Yoga
      • Essentials of Pranayama
      • Yoga Nidra Workshop
      • Easy Detox for Everyday
      • Hormone Therapy Workshop
      • Face Reading Workshop
      • Ayurveda and the Sense of Taste
    • Cleanses >
      • Personal & Semi-Private Cleanses
    • Resources >
      • About Ayurveda
      • Dosha Quiz
      • Create Your Home Sanctuary
      • Sadhana
      • Daily Ayurvedic Hygiene
      • 6 Ayurvedic Tastes
      • Ayurveda overview online ebooklet
  • Yoga
    • Public Yoga Classes
    • Private Yoga
    • Silent Meditation Retreat
    • Yoga Therapy
    • Embodyment Sessions
    • Yoga Sutra Study
    • Yoga Nidra - FREE download
  • About
  • Contact
  • Tuesday Yoga Spring 2020
Scroll down to take the Ayurvedic constitutional questionnaire and determine your Ayurvedic constitution.  
For a quick look, study the chart below.
To learn more about the doshas in an overview of Ayurveda, click here and go to Resources


Which of these applies best to you?  We are all a mix of the three doshas.  Our constitutional blend forms at the moment of conception and is best deduced from contemplating long term tendencies when you are feeling healthy and balanced.
Picture
Picture

ANANDA AYURVEDA 
CONSTITUTION QUESTIONNAIRE


Choose the dominant description of you over the long term when you are healthy and well rested. 

Physical characteristics 

1. Physique
a.   I am taller or shorter than average with narrow hips and shoulders which may be down-sloping.
b.   I am average in height with a moderate build and a tendency toward defined muscles.
c.   I am stocky, broad, with a well-developed physique.

2. Weight
a.   I am thin; my bones (e.g. knuckles) and blood vessels tend to be prominent.
b.   I am of moderate weight.  If I gain weight, I can take it off with relative ease.
c.   I am heavy and easily gain weight that only comes off slowly.

3. Hair
a.   My hair is more dry, kinky, brittle curly, coarse.
b.   My hair is more fine, light color, soft, prone to early graying or balding.
c.   My hair is more thick, oily, wavy, luxurious, course, dark color.

4. Skin
a.   My skin is dry, thin and dusty colored
b.   My skin is oily, moderate thickness, prone to freckles and moles, rosy or ruddy or sallow
c.   My skin is moist, thick, soft and pale.

5. Eyes
a.   My eyes are small, dry, brown and I tend to blink a lot.
b.   My eyes are sharp, penetrating, deep set, with reddish or yellowish whites
c.   My eyes are large, attractive, moist, with white whites, brown or deep blue irises

6. Eyebrows
a.   My brows are narrow with thin hair density, dry, and firm to touch.
b.   My brows are medium.
c.   My brows are thick, bushy, oily, soft.

7. Nose
a.   My nose is small, thin, bumpy, slightly crooked with a thin bridge
b.   My nose is medium-sized, reddish with large pores
c.   My nose is large relative to my face, oily, with a wide bridge

8. Lips
a.   My lips are thin, dry or chapped, narrow and dark.
b.   My lips are medium, soft, pink
c.   My lips are large, moist, firm and smooth

9.  Teeth
a.   My teeth have at least two of these characteristics: crooked, large or very small, protruding, with large spaces, with receding gums.
b.   My teeth are medium-sized, yellowish
c.   My teeth are large, straight, and white

10. Tongue
a.   My tongue is thin with cracks or scallops, dark pink, blue-tinged on undersurface
b.   My tongue is moderately thick, red pointed, moist
c.   My tongue is thick, whitish, lighter pink

 11.  Neck
a.   My neck is narrow and long
b.   My neck is medium
c.   My neck is thick and strong

12. Chest
a.   My chest is thin, not muscular; breasts are small (women).
b.   My chest is medium
c.   My chest is muscular, thick, barrel-shaped, breasts are large (women).

13. Hands
a.   My hands are cold, dry, and well-lined, with veins and knuckles prominent.
b.   My hands are medium, warm, pink, moist, soft
c.   My hands are large, thick, with smooth knuckles.

14. Calves
a.   My calves are small and firm
b.   My calves are medium
c.   My calves are thick and firm.

15. Feet
a.   My feet are small or very large, cold, dry and rough
b.   My feet are medium-sized, soft, warm, pink
c.   My feet are large, thick, solid, moist

16. Hands
a.   My palms are rectangular and I have long narrow fingers
b.   My palms are square and my finger the same length as my palms
c.   My palms are square and fleshy and I have short wide fingers

17. Nails
a.   My nails are dry, small, ridged, crack or chip easily
b.   My nails are pink, medium thickness and size, soft, oily,
c.   My nails are large, hard, thick

18. Joints
a.   My joints are thin, prominent, and tend to make cracking sounds
b.   My joints are medium, soft, loose, and tend to sprain rather than break
c.   My joints are large, thick and strong

19. Bones
a.   The relative circumference is small compared to their length
b.   The relative circumference is medium compared to their length
c.   The relative circumference is large compared to their length

20. Face
a.   The shape of my face is long and narrow
b.   The shape of my face is angular, perhaps with strong jaw and cheekbones
c.   The shape of  my face is round and soft

21.  Facial energy
a.   My facial energy is subtle and less defined than others
b.   My facial energy is intense and passionate
c.   My facial energy is sweet, serene and calm  

22. Pulse
a.   Rapid, thready, thin, undulating
b.   Bounding, strong, froglike
c.   Slow, broad, swanlike 

Body Functions
  
23. Appetite
a.   Irregular, sometimes I forget to eat, other times I am very hungry between meals
b.   Sharp hunger, dislikes missing meals, can eat large quantities of food
c.   Steady, can miss a meal without discomfort, feels best eating smaller 

24. Digestive imbalance tendency
a.   I often get gas or bloating after meals
b.   I often get acid or heartburn after meals
c.   I often feel heavy or sleepy after meals

25.  Bowel Movements
a.   Hard, dry, dark brown, constipation 1 time/day or less
b.   Loose and soft or diarrhea, abundant, medium brown, regular 2+ times/day
c.   Heavy, slow, thick, regular, pale, large, oily 1 time/day

26. Urine
a.   Frequent small amounts of dark urine.
b.   Abundant, deep yellow, clear, occasionally slightly burning
c.   Moderate, concentrated, cloudy

27. Perspiration
a.   Scanty, without strong odor
b.   Profuse, strong odor
c.   Moderate, sweet odor
quantities.

28. Physical Activity Pattern
a.   Quick, restless, easily sidetracked
b.   Focused, intense and efficient, perfectionist dislikes interruptions
c.   Deliberate calm and steady

29. Learning Pattern
a.   Quick to learn, quick to forget if not used
b.   Moderate
c.   Longer to learn slow to forget

30. Endurance, strength, immunity
a.   Low, tires easily, minor illnesses often
b.   Moderate, rarely sick, moderate strength
c.   High, rarely sick, can keep steady on without missing work

31. Sex Urge
a.   Frequent desire, low stamina
b.   Moderate desire, passionate
c.   Cyclical, excellent stamina

32. Weather Intolerance
a.   Cold temperatures, wind, dryness
b.   Heat and humidity
c.   Cold temperatures, dampness

Subtle body

33. Speech
a.   Talkative, enthusiastic, speaks quickly, can ramble at times, high pitch
b.   Argumentative, precise, convincing, sharp, direct speech, medium pitch
c.   Slow, sometimes monotonous, low-pitched, melodious speech

34. Voice
a.   Low volume, hoarse, vibrato, high pitched,
b.   Sharp, loud, laughing, can project
c.   Deep, resonant, melodic

 35. Social temperament
a.   Shy or very outgoing, good storyteller
b.   Assertive, good leader
c.   At ease, good listener, companionable.

36. Gait
a.   Quick with short light steps
b.   Purposeful pace at moderate speed, feet go out in front
c.   Slow, long strides

37. Mental tendencies
a.   Questioning, hypothesizing, can change mind easily, creative, enthusiastic.
b.   Leader, self-motivated, driven.  Decides easily but can change with new information.
c.   Stable, logical, slow to make or change decisions.

38.  Sleep
a.   Wakes easily, sleeps 5-7 hours per night, tendency toward insomnia, lies awake thinking
b.   Sound sleeper, 6-8 hours per night.  If wakes, gets up and works until sleepy again
c.   Deep, easy to fall asleep difficult to awaken

39. Memory
a.   Short, forgets relatively easily.
b.   Average, clear on details
c.   Long

40.  Emotional state/tendency when threatened or stressed
a.   Unpredictable, fearful, anxious, worried
b.   Aggressive, irritable, judgmental, uncompromising, suspicious
c.   Withdraws, ignores, becomes stubborn, may become depressed 

41. Spiritual life
a.   Irregular.
b.   Disciplined
c.   Not much interested.

42. Love and romance
a.   Many romances, falls in and out love easily
b.   Passionate and intense
c.   Affectionate, comfortable likes long term relationships.

43. Dreams
a.   Flying, running, fear, searching, traveling
b.   Fire, passion, violence, strife, battle
c.   Romance, water, erotic, emotional

44. Hygiene
a.   Clean and neat, dislikes disorder
b.   Functionally clean, according to priorities
c.   Messy, cluttery at times

45. Work Habits
a.   Selfless service, often volunteers
b.   Works intensely toward personal goals
c.   Procrastinates, but steady when gets going.

46. Leisure
a.   Travel, movies, dancing, parties, socializing
b.   Sports, reading, projects,  hobbies, developing personal talents
c.   Watching movies, theater, concerts, dining out, television, sleep, sex, food, reading.

47. Financial Behavior
a.   Buys on impulse, dislikes sticking to a budget
b.   Plans, but enjoys luxuries
c.   Frugal, but spends money on food and entertainment

Total                      ___________ a          ___________ b        ___________ c

Your "a" responses correspond to vata dosha, "b" responses to pitta dosha and "c" responses to kapha dosha.  




While this test is not perfect, it is reliable for providing a valuable starting point for bringing your health into balance. Check again to make sure you answered the questions according to your long-term tendencies when you felt rested and healthy. If not, make corrections and recalculate the results.
Remember that to exist, everything in our world must be made up of some of each of the five elements, which means you have some of each of the three doshas derived from the elements. It is the relative proportions of these in the different aspects of our being that make up our individual differences.
Below are the general descriptions of the main constitutional types.

Vata
A high proportion of Vata in your constitution means you are light, enthusiastic, inspiring and creative. You enjoy new projects and you have lots of diverse interests. Highly Vata people make inspired artists, salespeople, entertainers and delightful companions. Your Vata energy makes you like a butterfly that flits and flirts from one interest to the next, maybe never completing the projects begun. You may be very social or very shy, or alternate between the two. As a matter of fact, you can be summed up as variable. Your opinions may be influenced by that last thing you heard, as your mind is prone to changing. Vata energy is fragile and mobile and you might find yourself fidgety or restless. You probably like to travel and always look for new horizons.
It may be difficult for you to build bulky muscles, and you probably tend to be thin. If you aren't thin, your weight gain will tend to be looser and less firm. When you are stressed, you tend to become anxious and fearful rather than angry or playing dead. When you approach a difficult situation, your tactics tend to be more subtle, rather than fiery or like a bulldozer. Your physical challenges tend to be pain, excess movement (tremors), afflictions of the nervous system and organs of elimination (colon). Your mental and emotional challenges tend to be fear, anxiety, feelings of scarcity (not enough), and confusing external satisfaction with inner peace.
Your Vata energy infuses you with the characteristics of the "a" answers of the questionnaire.
​
Pitta
A high proportion of Pitta in your constitution makes you focused, goal-oriented, clear- minded and energetic. Highly Pitta people make good leaders, excellent teachers and engineers. Your Pitta energy hones your mind into a precision tool that can laser its way through difficult tangles of problems. You tend to be direct and concise in your speech. You value loyalty and tend to dislike frills and extras unless they have a purpose. You enjoy the finer things in life because you appreciate their innate beauty, quality and perfection. Pitta energy brings color of all sorts into your being, from the intense color of your passions to a slightly colored tinge to your teeth and the whites of your eyes.
Pitta energy in your body will bring a medium build, well defined muscles, ruddy skin with a tendency to inflame or blemish. If you gain weight, you take it off easily. Pitta energy is perfectionist energy. When you are stressed, you tend to become impatient, irritable, critical or angry. You enjoy setting goals and seeing them completed, taking satisfaction in your creations. As a leader, you are good at discerning the potential of others and developing their talents. Your physical challenges tend to be inflammation, infections, rashes, diseases of the liver and spleen.
Early graying of hair is typical of individuals with a significant amount of Pitta in their constitution. Your mental and emotional challenges tend to be being impatience, anger, being overly critical, pushy or intolerant.
Your Pitta energy infuses you with the characteristics of the "b" answers of the questionnaire.

Kapha
A high proportion of Kapha in your constitution makes you steady, gives you stamina and the ability to stick with people and projects and nurture them along. You have patience, sweetness and a calm serenity that attracts others. Highly Kapha people are centered and grounded. They can be the sustainers and nurturers of the world. You may not move quickly but once going on a project (it may be hard to prod yourself to get started!), you are able to maintain a steady stride until it is done. You are loyal, considerate and affectionate. You have a long memory once something gets into your brain. You are slow to anger, but also slow to let it go and forgive.
Kapha energy puts stocky strength in your body. You enjoy lustrous large dewy eyes, thick luxuriant hair and beautiful skin that are resistant to rash or blemish. If you gain weight, it tends to come on slowly, feels firm rather than flabby and is difficult to take off. Kapha energy is supportive. When you are stressed, you would just as soon stay in bed and ignore the problem, or play dead, like an opossum. You enjoy good food, good friends and comfort. Your physical challenges are mucous conditions, excess tissues including overweight and tumors, afflictions of the lungs, heart and circulatory system. Your mental and emotional challenges tend to be stubbornness, laziness, resentment, covetousness, and inability to let go of things, thoughts and emotions.
Your Kapha energy infuses you with the characteristics of the "c" answers of the questionnaire.

Vata-Pitta
If you have nearly equal proportions of Vata and Pitta, you may be described as Vata-Pitta constitution. This constitution blends the attributes of Vata and Pitta as described above. A balanced Vata-Pitta person will be creative, artistic and articulate. An imbalanced person will tend to suffer from running and working too hard, never believing enough has been accomplished. We have many Vata-Pittas in our world today.

Vata-Kapha
If you have nearly equal proportions of Vata and Kapha, you may be described as Vata- Kapha constitution. This constitution blends the attributes of Vata and Kapha as described above. A balanced Vata-Kapha person will be variable, sometimes light and sometimes heavy in their personality, in some ways quick and in others, slow. If this is your constitution, you enjoy more stamina than a highly Vata only person and more ability to change easily than a highly Kapha only person. These two doshas are in many ways, on opposite ends of the continuum and, not surprisingly, express with many variations depending upon which aspect of the body/mind/spirit embraces Vata and which embraces Kapha. Your Vata - Kapha energy infuses you with the characteristics of the "a" and "c" answers of the questionnaire as appropriate.

Pitta-Kapha
If you have nearly equal proportions of Pitta and Kapha, you may be described as a Pitta- Kapha constitution. This constitution blends the attributes of Pitta and Kapha as described in their respective sections. A balanced Pitta-Kapha person will be a shaker and a mover, able to set goals, and have the stamina to really see them through on a large scale. If this is your constitution, you have the fiery and energetic qualities of Pitta and the steadiness, dedication and strength of Kapha to make things happen. You have the reason and sharp vision of Pitta and the stamina and persistence of Kapha. This is a common constitution for many successful executives. These two doshas are in many ways, complementary for material pursuits.
Your Pitta - Kapha energy infuses you with the characteristics of the "b" and "c" answers of the questionnaire as appropriate.

Vata-Pitta-Kapha
If you have nearly equal proportions of all three doshas, you are tridoshic. Your Prakruti has an innately balanced dynamic. The doshas counteract one another's weaknesses, giving you the best attributes each Dosha has to offer. You have stamina, and clarity and creativity. If you become impatient ("your Pitta is up!"), the lightness of Vata will bring levity and the nurturing aspects of Kapha will open you to compassion. On the other hand, though you tend to stay in balance, if ever you do fall out of balance, it is tricky to find that equilibrium again.

Be Happy, Be Peaceful, Be Free.