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There is a lot of confusion about the doshas, especially when you first learn about Ayurveda.

First, the basics:

Ayurveda is an ancient system of health that considers your unique body, mind and circumstances.

Ayurveda describes the universe and everything in it as being made up five elements. We are part of nature so we are made up these elements.

Ether (Space) * Air * Fire * Water * Earth

The five elements form together in three vital energies.

Vata: Ether + Air
Pitta: Fire + Water
Kapha: Water + Earth

You were born with a unique combination of the three energies. It's like your blueprint.

We all have vata, pitta and kapha within us in our own proportions. Most of us have either one or two dominant doshas. A small percentage of the population has an even amount of all three doshas.

This is the way you are when your lifestyle and daily habits are in alignment with your true nature.

Ayurveda refers to your current imbalance as your vikriti. It's also called your dosha.

Many things can contribute to an elevated dosha including the season, your stage of life, diet and lifestyle.

It’s possible to have a dosha imbalance that’s completely different than your prakriti.

When you are working with a health counselor or practitioner, they are most concerned with your vikriti- your current state of balance or imbalance. When you have a physical or mental health condition, the root cause must be addressed. Ayurveda teaches that our natural state is health and vitality. When we aren’t feeling healthy, something is making us feel not well. We use the doshas (and agni) to figure out what’s out of balance so that you can make choices that will bring you back into balance.

But when you fill out a quiz, often times it is asking you questions about the way you were born. Some common quiz questions might be the size of your eyes, the thickness of your skin the shape of your tongue and so on. It is really hard to evaluate yourself from a neutral perspective. It’s also true that certain ethnic groups might have a tendency toward a certain physical characteristic. For example, you or your ancestors might be from a place where people tend to be tall. This does not mean that you are automatically a vata constitution.

I have one teacher that suggests we take a minimum of 10 tests to get a general idea. I have other teachers that are completely against the dosha quiz altogether because it’s not so important to figure out prakriti when you have a looming health concern. However, it is essential you learn what behaviors are contributing to disease so that you can stop doing them.

I’ve heard there are some Ayurvedic doctors in India that will not even tell you your prakriti.

Now what do your results mean? Well if you are looking at what’s happening now and have an even-ish number in each category, consider if this means you feel balanced or perhaps you are slightly off all around. A piece of paper will not answer that for you. Perhaps you can figure it out on your own or perhaps you’ll need to dig a little further or reach out for some individual support.

What about your prakriti results? The quiz offers an overview of your tendencies throughout your life (sign up here to receive The Modern Day Dosha Quiz via email).

Knowing your prakriti doesn’t mean much if you have a significant imbalance. You must focus on healing your current condition first.

But knowing your constitution does give you information on what type of habits might be helpful or what sort of indulgences you are drawn to that might be detrimental.

The moral of the story- an internet quiz or a piece of paper will never give you the full answer on anything deep. And figuring out who you are as an individual human being living this precious life might be the deepest question you could possibly ask. These sort of quizzes are meant to spark your curiosity, get you thinking and perhaps prompt you to start asking deliberate questions.

Have more questions? Join the Simple Ayurveda Collective to chat with Ayurveda-enthusiasts from all over the world.

Included in the Collective are fun lessons on understanding the doshas in depth so that you recognize them in yourself and others as well as Ayurvedic lifestyle support to live in harmony with the doshas.