WHAT IS YOUR

DOSHA?

Ayurveda workbook

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Part 1:

AYURVEDA: SCIENCE OF LIFE

AYURVEDA: SCIENCE OF LIFE

Ayurveda is called the science of life for a reason. Suppose you would ask a few
100-year olds for their secret how they got to live so long. One might say: “I had a
glass of red wine every day”, another “I never touched any alcohol”; one might say “I
worked hard all my life”, another “I never stressed about anything.”

If there would be just one secret, surely we would all know about it!

Why do some people need more sleep than others?

Why are some people morning persons (me!), and others night owls?
Why can some people thrive on raw food and do others get diarrhea from eating
the same thing?
Why do some people need exercise daily and others, well, not?
Why do some people eat a pack of biscuits a day and don’t gain any weight
(Thinking of a couple of my friends right now, yes you evil eye wink wink) while I
can look at a cookie and I gain a kilo already…
Why do some people find one thing boring, and others find the same thing
infinitely interesting?
How is it possible that some people thrive in a competitive environment and
others fail in the same environment?

Ayurveda can explain all these things, my friends!

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 Part 2:

DOSHA
DIRTY
WHAT IS A DOSHA
DOZEN
Ayurveda sees everyone as an individual. We are all different, so our ideal lifestyle is
also different. To be able to describe your ideal lifestyle we need to know your
personal constitution or your dosha. The way your body is made up, your
preferences and behaviours are all described as part of three types or qualities,
called ‘doshas’.

We are born with a certain combination of doshas. We all have the three doshas in
us in different quantities. I mention quality and quantity here but the doshas are not
really tangible (not in a way that we can measure clinically at the moment anyway).
They manifest in different tangible characteristics, like body type, skin type, shape of 
eyes, behaviour, …

THREE DOSHAS, SEVEN TYPES

The three doshas are called Vata, Pita and Kapha. There are 7 types or combinations
possible:

Single dosha
Vata, pita or kapha dominant. This means one of the doshas is dominant, the other
two are present but minimal.

Tridosha
Vata, pita and kapha are equally present.  

Dual dosha
Single dosha and tridosha are very rare. It is much more common to see a
combination where two doshas are dominant and the third is minimal:
vata-pita: vata and pita dominant, kapha minimal
vata-kapha: vata and kapha dominant, pita minimal
pita-kapha: pita and kapha dominant, vata minimal

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Part 3:

WHAT DOSHA ARE YOU?

DO THE TEST!

For each trait, mark which one applies to you most. Only circle one answer per line.
You can do this together with a loved one for added honesty! ;-)
 

A B C

Face thin, bony oval, angular round, full

light, skinny, very short medium, normal strong, heavy, short,

Build or very tall, possibly weight,normal height, possibly overweight,
underweight toned muscles large chest

Teeth small, crooked, moderate size, yellowish, regular, strong, large,

protruding bleeding gums white

dry, rough, dark, tans moist, regular, light,

Skin reddish, sunburns easily, cool, soft, oily, clear,
easily pale
prone to acne

small, deep-set, normal size, sensitive, large, long eyelashes

Eyes blinking frequently penetrating gaze

normal, fine, soft,

Hair dry, thin, coarse, frizzy straight, early grey or oily, thick, curly
balding

Joints loose, cracking flexible, smooth strong

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 A B C

Movements, activity fast, twitching, moderate slow, steady

tremors

Speech fast, talkative, fast, precise slow, clear

skipping

Perspiration little, no smell plenty, strong smell moderate, no smell

strong, responds badly consistent, weak,

inconsistent, preference for frequent
Appetite forgets to eat to skipping meals,
prefers large meals small meals

Thirst inconsistent often thirsty rarely thirsty

irregular, dry stools, loose stools, 2 or more

Bowel movements tendency for constipation times a day, tendency for regular, well-formed
and gas diarrhea stools

Weight hard to gain, fluctuates easily both easy to gain,

easy to lose ways hard to lose

Sleep needs little sleep, normal, 6-8 hours, needs a lot of sleep,
poor quality light sleep deep sleep

Dreams frequent, fearful, erratic, moderately frequent, infrequent, slow,

restless, nightmares intense, violent, romantic
dramatic

Moods change quickly intense, change quickly steady

short term, learns learns quickly, long term, learns slowly,

Memory quickly, forgets easily doesn’t forget doesn’t forget

excitable, energetic, moderate energy, strong slow and steady,

Motivation inconsistent determination endurance

Mind creative sharp calm

Challenges are fear, worry, stress impatience, anger patience, stubbornness

met with

Total

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Part 4:

TEST RESULTS
KNOW YOUR DOSHA

To know which type you are, count the total you circled in each column.
Column A= Vata
Column B = Pita
Column C = Kapha

If you have only one column where most answers are from, this is your
dominant dosha.
If the number of answers in each column is equal, you may be Vata-Pita-
Kapha.
If you have a majority of A and B, you are Vata-Pita.
If you have a majority of A and C, you are Vata-Kapha.
If you have a majority of B and C, you are Pita-Kapha.

Please note that NONE of these are BAD! Every dosha and
combination of doshas has desirable charachteristics and
undesirable characteristics when present in excess. 

This test gives you an indication of your constitution. If you want to know for sure
what your constitution or ‘prakruti’ is, consult an ayurvedic practitioner or doctor,
who has more tools to diagnose you.

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Part 5:

UP TO YOU
MAKE SOME CHANGES

When you know your constitution, you can adapt your lifestyle according to what’s
best for your type. Instinctively, you may already know what’s good for you, but they
are not necessarily the things that you like the most!

Quick note: if you are a dual dosha type, some of these recommendations may
seem to contradict each other. As everyone is individual, you can find out by
elimination and re-introduction of foods what your response is to a particular food.

These are recommendations and by no means a complete categorisation of good

and bad foods! A healthy diet consists mainly of fresh plant-based foods of all
colours and textures.

When the text says ‘avoid’ you can still have this food. Just don’t have it too often.
You can still have certain foods if you know how to use spices and condiments to
improve their digestion.
Likewise, when the text says ‘choose’, you can opt for this food over other kinds
most of the time but it is by no means restrictive! Experiment until you find what
suits you best.

This list consists of foods based on their ayurvedic qualities and takes into account
whether foods are easy to digest, cooling or warming, stimulating or calming,
increasing or decreasing doshas.

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Part 5:

VATA
FOOD

If you are vata it is ok to use salt in your food. When using salt, use rock salt.
avoid spinach, radish, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, okra, raw onions,
potatoes, spinach
avoid all kinds of beans, except mung beans
avoid raspberries, pomegranate
avoid buckwheat, barley in excess, rye
choose ginger
choose mango, ripe banana, dates, watermelon, oranges, coconut, cherries,
apricot, apple (cooked with cinnamon), lemon, strawberries, blackberries,
blueberries
choose butter milk, milk, yoghurt, butter
choose carrot, aubergine, avocado, cucumber, zucchini
choose mung beans
choose oats, rice, wheat

EXERCISE

Vata types should choose an active type of exercise, but nothing too exciting or
competitive.
Walking, swimming and dancing are good activities for vata.
Yoga and stretching are also good for vata.

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Part 5:

PITA
FOOD

use salt moderately in your food. When using salt, use rock salt.
avoid tamarind, water melon, unripe pomegranate, apricots, lemon
avoid cucumber, aubergine, onions, spinach
avoid black gram, butter beans, sprouted beans, dry vegetables
avoid sesame seeds
avoid corn, buckwheat, millet
choose unripe banana, apple, coconut, dates, strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries, blueberries, tangerines, mandarins, pomegranate
choose dairy
choose chickpeas, string beans, black gram, fava beans, kidney beans, pinto
beans, lentils, mung beans, aduki beans
choose yellow pumpkin, avocado, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, okra,
potatoes, zucchini
choose barley, oats, rice, rye, wheat

EXERCISE

Pita types are active and can be excessively competitive. Choosing a team sport can
help keep the fun in exercising!
Walking, hiking, cycling and team sports are great for pita.
Relaxation and stretching are necessary for pita types.

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Part 5:

KAPHA
FOOD

avoid use of salt in your food. When using salt, use rock salt.
drink a glass of water a half hour before every meal.
avoid sugar, sugar cane juice
avoid mango, oranges, tamarind,  apples, cherries, dates
avoid avocado, cucumber, zucchini
avoid black gram, string beans, sprouted beans, dry vegetables
avoid sesame seeds
avoid dairy
choose ginger, black pepper, mustard seeds
choose carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, okra, onions, potatoes, spinach
choose watermelon, pomegranate, lemon, unripe banana, apricots, cranberries,
raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
choose barley, corn, buckwheat, millet, rice, rye
choose chickpeas, aduki beans, fava beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils,
mung beans

EXERCISE

Kapha types generally dislike exercise, but they need it the most to stay healthy!
A vigorous type of exercise is most suitable for kapha.
Walking, running, aerobics, active sports are great for kapha.

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THANK YOU!
Thank you for downloading the Dosha Workbook. I've put a lot of work into creating
this Dosha Workbook and wrote it according to my understanding of Ayurveda. I'm
happy I can share it with you and hope you will find it useful.

What's next?

A deep understanding of your doshas and how they are influenced by your
environment will help you navigate the ebbs and flows of your life.

With Ayurveda it becomes easy to optimise your lifestyle to serve your unique
purpose in life. Ayurveda has, after all, been successful for thousands of years in
helping people achieve a life of health and wellbeing.

Nutrition and lifestyle are very individual

things and there is no one size fits all. If
you're looking for additional
personalised support, consider booking
one-on-one Ayurvedic coaching with
me.

You will find more information on my

website.

I look forward to further guiding you

along the path of Ayurveda.

With love,
Irina
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DISCLAIMER
This workbook is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended
to serve as professional medical advice. Consult a qualified health care professional
before making drastic changes to your diet.The author disclaims any and all liability
arising directly or indirectly from the use of any information in this book.

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