The Vata in me

I first came across this term “Ayurveda” when I travelled to India back in 2009. I had an ayurvedic head massage where I was laying on a wooden table and a drop of oil was constantly dropping on my forehead. Little did I know how much more there is to it.

Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur=life, Veda= science or knowledge), one of the worlds oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed in India thousands of years before modern medicine provided scientific evidence for the mind and body connection. It’s based on the belief that health and wellness depend on the balance between the mind, body and spirit.

The central basis of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that there are 3 elements in each person that need to be in balance – Vata, Pitta and Khapa. Most people have a dominant one or a combination of the two and it’s important to know which one you are in order to for your well being.

I found this personality test very interesting because I have only ever come across personality tests (in the corporate world) that don’t take into account your physical body at all. 

In the Ayurvedic personality test, there are questions around your height, bone density, hair colour, skin type, as well as your character. Based on your type, you can know what foods to eat and not to eat to help you be in balance and healthy.

It makes a lot of sense to me to include this dimension to personality tests. Our bodies can tell a lot about our lifestyle and hence how personality and mind. If someone is sleep deprived, stress or has a poor diet, this can be seen in their skin and hair for example.

The test not only takes into account how your body is now, but how it was at birth i.e. bone density, these are attributes that don’t change, but other attributes change due to diet, climate and lifestyle.

Vata is my dominant Dosha. I’m petite, have small bones, small eyes, dry skin, fast metabolic rate, I don’t like routine, I like to live at a fast pace, love changes. To be in balance I should be doing slow actives. Until now I have only been involved and interested in Asthanga Vinyasa. However, I have to say that I am more open minded now to do Hatha. Mainly because I have understood that I can benefit from a slower activity, but also because I did my first Hatha class with Master Satya which I really enjoyed.

However, Vatas are not advised to eat cold and raw food…but I am not ready yet to give up Sushi!  One step at a time!

-Angela –