Thanks for taking the Prakriti Quiz!

My hope is that the quiz was fun to take and gave you a teeny tiny glimpse into what your Ayurvedic Prakriti, or constitution, looks like. The best way to determine what your Prakriti is— the unique combination of doshas that you were born with and that constitutes your perfect in-balance self— is to have a one-on-one consultation, taking time to look at your health history, physicality, temperament, tendencies, likes and dislikes, and more. We can also determine your Vikruti— the current state of the doshas, or what is OUT of balance, and develop a plan to bring everything back in harmony.

If you’d like to learn a little more about the doshas, scroll on.

Prakriti

Your Prakriti (note that it can be spelled Prakṛti, Prakruti, or Prakriti— the Sanskrit Devanagari script writes it like प्रकृति ) is expressed as a combination of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Most people have one dominant dosha and one sub-dominant, written like this: Pitta-Vata or V2P3K1. It’s less common to have just one dominant: Pitta or V1P3K1. It’s very rare but possible to be Tridoshic (all three are equal).

The Doshas and The Five Elements

The five elements in Ayurveda are Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. These elements make up everything in the universe and everything in our bodies, as we are not separate from nature. When the elements combine, they create the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The doshas are energetic forces that are necessary for life— they are not bad or unwanted— but they can go out of balance if they increase or decrease too much. A Kapha Prakriti person in balance will always have high Kapha, but when it increases TOO much it can cause problems. This is why Ayurveda is such an individualized system— my unique balance of VPK will be different than your unique balance, but there are some universal recommendations too.

Vata

Vata is a combination of Air and Ether. It is responsible for movement, respiration, inspiration, circulation, the nervous system, creativity, and enthusiasm. Vata people generally have thin and light bodies, tend towards dry skin and hair, have a creative mind and are spontaneous and joyful. They can be independent and can have a hard time reaching out for connection. They love travel, new experiences, excitement. Their digestion can be tricky, irregular, tending towards dry stools, constipation, gassiness, and bloating. The best thing for Vata is having a solid daily routine and getting enough oil— internally and externally.

Pitta

Pitta is a combination of Fire and Water. It governs digestion, metabolism, and all kinds of transformation in the body and mind (processing food, processing emotions and experiences). Pitta folks have a medium build and tend to build muscle easily if they try. They might have reddish hair or skin, and they sometimes go gray (or lose hair) earlier than Vata and Kapha types. They tend towards fiery health problems when out of balance: rashes, diarrhea, heartburn, migraines. They tend to have warm skin and feel warm in general. Pitta types love learning, have an intellectual curiosity and tend towards being competitive. They can also be very organized, tackling Marie Kondo-type projects like a boss. The best thing for Pitta types is to learn how to surrender, let go, go with the flow.

Kapha

Kapha is a combination of Earth and Water. It is necessary for stability, structure and form in the body. Kapha folks have gravitas, both in physical weight and in the way that other people gravitate to them. They are loving and compassionate caretakers with easygoing temperaments. It’s hard to ruffle a Kapha. They have enviable skin (smooth, soft, well-moisturized) and hair (lustrous, thick). They have large, liquid eyes. When the dosha increases too much, Kaphas see weight gain, heaviness, depression, mucus-y sinus problems, wet coughs. They can become greedy or attached to things or people, and have a hard time changing habits, as they can be very set in their ways. The best thing for Kapha is to get moving.