What’s Your Dosha?
February 26th, 2007 by Anne
Publication: CBS4
Author: Jennifer Santiago
Date: 26 February 2007
When you get sick, do you reach for a pill? Most people do, but chances are you never thought about changing what colors you wear, incorporating meditation into your life or cutting out fast food and sugar. The trick may be a five thousand year old system of healing and balancing the body and environment. Step one to getting healthy in Ayurveda is knowing your Dosha.
What’s your Dosha baby? That’s the title of Lisa Marie Coffey’s book about Ayurveda. The self-proclaimed “Dosha Diva” has been explaining the ancient hindu art of medicine known as Ayurveda in plain language to audiences all over the world.
In Ayurveda, our inner nature is called your constitution or Prakrut. Prakruti and your “Prakruti” is an individual blend of the three Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Everyone has a unique balance of these three energies. It is determined at birth and with us for the rest of our life.
There are certain characteristics in our bodies and minds that make us Vata, Pitta or Kapha dominant.
The first step in finding out your Dosha is by taking “The Dosha Divas” quiz on www.whatsyourdosha.com
We decided to take three different body types around the CBS 4 newsroom and put them through the Dosha Quiz.
The first was thin and fast talking CBS 4 reporter and anchor Beatriz Canals, who appears to be Vata.
Large and loyal CBS 4 commentator Jim Defede appears to be Kapha
Jennifer Santiago, who is self proclaimed well-proportioned and sharp, fits the description of Pitta,
The results were just as we expected. As for Beatriz, Vata’s are very short when out of balance.
Kaphas like Jim gain weight easily but when in balance, they are the perfect friend.
And as for Jennifer, she is all Pitta in mind. All three Doshas were in balance.
Knowing your Dosha helps you determine what is in harmony with your nature and what will cause you to become out of balance, sick, and diseased.
Your constitution determines how you react to various foods, colors, aromas, and general life habits.
So once you figure out your dominant Dosha and what is out of balance, massage is the best way to get you back in balance.
Getting rid of disease will take a lot more effort and Ayurveda encourages treatments with medical doctors for serial ailments. This ancient vedic science is about self-healing.
Foot massages, scalp massages and detoxifying wraps will help in maintaining day-to-day well being. At the Mandarin Oriental, Ayurvedic trained therapists will tailor your experience depending on your exact state of mind and body at that moment.
If you don’t have the time or money for a two hour treatment, there is a simpler solution. Change the colors you wear depending on your mood.
Another important component of Ayurveda is yoga, which is considered its sister science. While Ayurveda is the science of self-healing. yoga provides the key to spiritual development, so find out your Dosha and start living a balanced, healthy and happy life.
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