As per the ancient Ayurveda texts and verses, every individual is born with a specific constitution (Sanskrit: prakruti). This constitution is a unique combination of physical and psychological characteristics of a person. The personal constitution of an individual is decided at the time of conception and in Ayurvedic medicine, it is the starting point of all treatment.

An individual’s prakruti always remains unchanged, however, it is constantly influenced by various external factors like diet, lifestyle choices, seasonal changes, sleep patterns and so on. This individual prakruti or constitution is a manifestation of three doshas (bio energies or life forces) known as: vata, pitta and kapha. These doshas have a specific impact on bodily functions and are the foundational pillars of physical, mental, and emotional health.

Ayurvedic healing emphasizes on maintaining holistic health and preventing illness by following daily and seasonal regimens that help create a balance between internal and external factors. To understand this further, let’s take a closer look at the relationship between the constitution, the three doshas, and the elements of nature.

Each cell in our body comprises of five basic elements of nature. A specific combination of these elements is responsible for the dominant characteristics or doshas, which in turn determines the individual prakruti. The five elements are:

• Space (expansiveness)
• Air (gaseousness or mobility)
• Fire (transformation or heat)
• Water (liquidity or instability)
• Earth (solidity or stability)

The vata dosha consists of the elements of space and air, the pitta dosha of fire and water, the kapha dosha of water and earth. For maintaining a holistic health, it is essential to have these five elements (or three doshas) in balance.

As the combination of dominant elements constitute doshas, a combination of dominant doshas constitute an individual prakruti. A trained Ayurvedic practitioner can accurately determine a person’s prakruti based on a thorough examination which includes observing the pulse, aura, facial features, body build, way of walking, speech pattern, and many other traits. This method of constitution analysis is called Trividh Nidan and it includes – Darshana (observation through vision), Sparsha (observation through touch), and Prashna (asking relevant questions) – to determine the root cause of the symptoms.

Ayurvedic constitution or prakruti is an inner reflection of ‘self’ manifested by the dominant combination and characteristics of your doshas.

Vata dosha

Vata dosha is the driver of all motion within the body and contains the properties of ether and air elements. It governs all biological movement such as breathing, speech, muscular contraction, heartbeats, and movement of impulses through the nerves.

Vata ​also governs the five senses and stimulates the body’s fire for appetite. It is responsible for bowel movement and distributes pitta and kapha in the body. It’s balance helps maintain healthy functioning of the body. It also governs emotions such as pain, fear, nervousness, anxiety, tremors, and muscle spasms.

Vata​ dominates the fall season and is also most prominent between 2 am to 6 am and 2 pm to 6 pm. During these times, it is not wise to do or ingest anything that may bring about an imbalance of the vata​ ​force. It is this time dominance that suggests that we rise from sleep each day before sunrise. Vata​ ​is also dominant in the old-age period.

Pitta dosha

Pitta ​is the life-force that balances the kinetic energy of vata​ ​and the potential energy of Kapha​. Pitta ​consists of fire and water energy, is dominant in July to October, and peaks at noon and midnight. It governs metabolism, the enzymatic and endocrine systems, and has a great influence on mental activities.

Pitta dosha’s function is pigmentation, digestion, heat, intelligence, sight, hunger, thirst, softness & radiance of the body, cheerfulness, and courage. The physical properties of pitta​ ​are lightly viscid, non-sticky, active, hot to touch, and bitter to taste. The normal seat is the duodenum (first section of the small intestine), liver, and spleen. It also resides in the heart, eyes, and skin and accounts for the skin’s radiant heat and health.

Unbalanced pitta​ ​may bring about changes in sight, digestion, and inflammations of the skin. There is a tendency to be overheated and very thirsty. Ulcers, colitis, migraine headaches, hepatitis, allergies, and hyperthyroidism are typical pita​ ​diseases.

Kapha dosha

Kapha dosha is active from March to June and during early morning and early evening time. People with dominant kapha dosha should not eat then as it would increase the kapha​ ​within the body. Kapha​ ​is not actually the mucus but it produces mucus to eliminate its bioenergy.

Kapha dosha’s ​main characteristics are viscidity, nourishment, binding of the joints, solidarity, fortitude, forbearance, patience, and abstinence. Its physical properties are motionless, viscid, sticky, heavy, sweet, inert, cold, soft, white, and tamasic. ​ Kapha ​is a combination of the earth and water elements. The natural site of kapha dosha is above the diaphragm. Unbalanced Kapha​ ​produces heaviness in the body, drowsiness, numbness, feeling of old age, dyspepsia, sweet taste in the mouth, loss of memory, decrease in sensations, and general debility.

In conclusion, ayurvedic medicine and the concepts of holistic health emphasize on careful attention to diet and daily routine according to the seasons of the year and even times of the day to establish a balance of doshas as per the individual constitution. This balance is the first step toward a healthy and disease-free life.