How do I figure out my Dosha?!
Question:
How do I figure out my Dosha?
Without guessing at it because I keep comeing out as a mix between Vata and Kapha.
Answers:
Most people ARE mixed doshas. Some, like me are even tri-doshic (almost completely equally divided between Pitta, Kapha, Vata, and yes, I have a difficult time staying balanced between the three...) Try first an online test. It sounds like you already have. I'll try to find a link. I consulted books to find out more about my doshas and how to balance them, and hung charts on the walls of my kitchen to consult while planning menus, cooking and eating. I seem to remember one by Amadea Morningstar as being particularly helpful. I also ended up going to two practitioners, one in Allston, MA, and one in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area of Northern CA, where he started and runs a great little Ayurvedic College. His first name was David or Mark(?), I think, and I'd have to go online to remember his last name. Truly gifted healers, all of them. I believe the woman in Allston was named Loretta Liberty and I would go to see her or her partner again in an instant, they were that good! What part of the country are you in? There is also an extremely gifted TCM practitioner in Allston, MA named Dan Dan. Her brother works up the street (Harvard Ave.) and is very gifted also, but I prefer her. Extremely intuitive and will work w/ you on price of her services.
Some tips: If a person has any blue or green in their eyes, they always have some Pitta in their constitution. If there is any weight or heft to them, there is Kapha and usually, tho' not always, some PItta, too. If they are very tall, or very tall and thin, especially gaunt and bony, there is vata. Vata is the most easily deranged/disturbed of all the doshas, especially in this world, at this time,and everyone has a nervous system composed of partial Vata, so that is what is usually treated for first. Ruddiness or red in the constitution or freckles always speak of Pitta, as does a fiery and passionate nature, that of a passionate lover or a fighter. Pittas can also be known for their black hair, intense eyes and very direct natures. What else do you need to know?
If you keep coming out on tests as a Vata/Kapha, you probably are. Things that help Vata: warmth and moisture, regularity of schedule, order, cleanliness, moisture, predictability and security, gentleness and avoidance of extremes in all things, enough rest, regular meals, not too much dry, dryed or drying foods, not too many beans or other gas forming/producing foods, a bit of oil and a good bit of moisture in their foods, things that ground such as a bit of salt and a diet tipped a little bit towards higher in healthy proteins, oil and fats, a bit of healthy sweets now and then, avoidance like the plague of drugs, alcohol, extremes in anything, too many sweets, especially white sugar; some organic meat/animal/eggs/salt in the diet can be helpful if the being is inclined towards "wasting away, skinniness, no matter how much they eat, nervous disorder/derangement, unbalance or ungroundedness for perhaps this dosha more than either Pittas or Kaphas.
Some things that can balance Kapha: 1) motion and exercise; getting up "off it" and moving the body through space (We can be the original couch potatoes, and the more out of balance we are, the less we feel like moving--and the more we need to!); spices in all cooking including in tea, in porridge, in even mashed potatoes, in milks...I find if it's a white food, it's usually not the best choice for me with the exception of the white flesh of apples and pears. 2) A very centered diet (away from the extremes of meat, sugar, too much dairy, alcohol or drugs, too much salt); 3) tons of preferably lightly cooked vegetables and fruit; grain pilaf; 4) sometimes a bit of coffee in the diet if one is inclined towards sluggishness or inactivity...5) a bit of sour and/or astringent taste can be a very good thing for Kaphas; 6)Anything that breaks up stagnation and gets it all moving around, down and out: cleaning the house, dancing, gratitude and reflecting on all that one already has and needs to be greatful for, rather than on how much more one would like to acquire...7) Giving things away; 8) Regular bowel habits and cleanliness regimens; 9) Prayer, singing and meditation; 10) Avoidance of too much meat, salt, eggs, animal foods in general; 11) Yoga, martial arts and tai chi in particular. 12) Dancing! 13) Avoidance of sadness and heaviness/depression and of people or places that aggravate any of those emotions. 14) Lots of love and laughter. This is tonifying for all doshas, but those high in Vata can definitely require their alone and down times, and their delicate nervous systems can need time, space and gentle quiet away from people and too much craziness to rejueve, whereas Kaphas often need the stimulation of other people to "get off it".
What else do you need or want to know?