How Do I Determine My Ayurvedic Type?

How do I determine my type?

What is a dosha (constitution type) and how do I discover my dosha?

Ayurveda is based on the 5 elements and sees the world through the glasses of these elements. Everything consists of a combination of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
How much you have of each of these elements, determines the qualities, but also what goes out of balance first and what symptoms they cause. 

On the basis of the elements, Ayurveda works with three doshas/constitution types.
Ether and Air form Vatha, Fire and Water form Pitta, Water and Earth form Kapha.

How much you have of these elements determine your constitution. This is usually a combination of two doshas, like Vata and Pitta for instance. Once you know your constitution, you know also what elements get out of balance the quickest, so you can give it some extra attention.

Ayurveda makes a difference between two constitutions

• Prakruti: the constitution in which you were born

• Vikruti: your current constitution

We will look at your current constitution to see what is going on and check what can be balanced.

Most books and websites on Ayurveda will offer questionnaires that can be used to determine your mind/body constitution. You can try this test at Holistic Online, which is very detailed and thorough. Most questionnaires are very similar and will provide similar results. Please keep in mind that shorter questionnaires will give a more generalised and approximate result. Also, your body changes with age, seasons, and life situations so the results will change as well. Taking a few different questionnaires will give you a more definite result for your Dosha type.

Dosha Test English: Holistic Online
Dosha Test Dutch:  Ayurvedisch Gezondheidscentrum Nederland
 

What Is Ayurveda?

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda, is the natural healing system of India, its traditional medicine going back to ancient times. The same great Vedic seers and sages that produced India’s original systems of yoga and meditation established Ayurveda as well.

"Ayurveda is a holistic science of health, focusing on maintaining a physically and emotionally balanced state."

Ayurveda originated as part of Vedic Science, an integral spiritual science that provides a comprehensive understanding of the entire universe of matter, mind and consciousness. Vedic Science includes yoga, meditation, mantra and astrology, and sets forth Ayurveda as its special branch for healing both body and mind. On this broad and profound background, Ayurveda includes herbal medicine, bodywork, psychology and spirituality. 

“Ayurveda began about 5,000 years ago when Indian monks were looking for new ways to be healthy. Revering their bodies like temples, the monks believed that preserving their health would help them meditate and develop spiritually. Over thousands of years of observations, they gathered all their conclusions and advice and preserved it for future generations. This collection of knowledge came to be known as Ayurveda, the “science or knowledge of life.”

The History Of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the traditional healing modality of the Vedic culture from India. It is said to be 2000 to 5000 years old, meaning it has stood the test of time. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that literally translates as “the wisdom of life” or “the knowledge of longevity”. In accordance with this definition, Ayurvedic medicine views health as much more than the absence of disease. The wise seers and sages of the time, intuitively understanding the physiology and workings of the mind-body-spirit long before the advents of modern medicine, explained the basic principles of Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic medicine was originally an oral tradition, taught and passed directly from teacher to apprentice, who would learn and work side by side. The oldest written codification of Ayurvedic principles is found in the Rig Veda. The fundamentals are then laid out in several major treatises, including the texts from Charaka, Sushruta, and Vaghbhat. There are also numerous other smaller works, written over time to explain the various branches of Ayurveda, which include disciplines such as general medicine, pediatrics, surgery, toxicology, fertility, and rejuvenation. The beauty in the way these have been explained is that they rely on basic principles which can be applied practically in any day and age.

Ayurveda has thus been passed down through the centuries as a complete healing system, evolving to meet the needs of the time, and yet remaining committed to its core principles. Various cultures have drawn upon the ideas of Ayurvedic medicine, and it continues to thrive in both the East and the West. In India, an Ayurvedic physician must undergo at least a 5 year post-graduate degree program (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) to become qualified. In the West, Ayurveda is recognized as a Complementary and Alternative Health System by the National Institutes of Health, and is blossoming in various educational institutions.

Ayurveda is a more recent arrival on the Western scene than Yoga, following closely in its footsteps. Up to thirty years ago knowledge of Ayurveda was confined to a small number of people who knew the greater tradition behind Yoga. In the past few years, along with the explosion of interest in alternative and complementary medicines, Ayurveda has gained a growing recognition. It has now emerged as one of the most important systems of mind-body medicine in the world today.

Ayurveda offers a unique system of treatment based upon life-style adjustments. Its profound classification of mind-body types provides a clear assessment of individual constitution and how to treat it holistically. This makes Ayurveda an ideal practice for disease prevention, promotion of longevity, and increasing our creative powers.

How is Ayurveda different from modern medicine?

• In Ayurveda, every individual is unique and there is no diet or lifestyle routine that works for everyone.

• Prevention is key. Ayurveda focuses on providing specific advice and guidance on how to maintain physical and emotional health.

• Food and lifestyle routines are considered the most important medicine. If you come to an Ayurvedic doctor with a complaint, you are more likely to leave with a recipe than with a prescription for pills.

How Does Ayurveda Work?

How does Ayurveda work?

Ayurveda is based on the 5 elements and sees the world through the glasses of these elements. How much you have of each of these elements, determines the qualities, but also what goes out of balance first and what symptoms they cause. 

The Five Great Elements
Ayurveda believes that everything in this universe is made up of five great elements or building blocks. These are earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

Earth represents the solid state of matter. It manifests stability, permanence, and rigidity. In our body, the parts such as bones, teeth, cells, and tissues are manifestations of the earth. Earth is considered a stable substance.

Water characterizes change and represents the liquid state. Water is necessary for the survival of all living things. A large part of the human body is made up of water. Our blood, lymph, and other fluids move between our cells and through our vessels, bringing energy, carrying away wastes, regulating temperature, bringing disease fighters, and carrying hormonal information from one area to another. Water is a substance without stability.

Fire is the power to transform solids into liquids, to gas, and back again. In other words, it possess power to transform the state of any substance. Within our bodies, the fire or energy binds the atoms together. It also converts food to fat (stored energy) and muscle. Fire transforms food into energy. It creates the impulses of nervous reactions, our feelings, and even our thought processes. Fire is considered a form without substance.

Air is the gaseous form of matter which is mobile and dynamic. Within the body, air (oxygen) is the basis for all energy transfer reactions. It is a key element required for fire to burn. Air is existence without form.

Ether is the space in which everything happens. It is the field that is simultaneously the source of all matter and the space in which it exists. Ether is only the distances which separate matter. The chief characteristic of ether is sound. Here sound represents the entire spectrum of vibration.

Every substance in our world is made up of these five substances. All substances can be classified according to their predominant element. For example, a mountain is predominantly made up of earth element. A mountain also contain water, fire, air and ether. But these elements are very small compared to the earth. So, its classification is the earth.

Ayurveda defines a human as the assemblage of the five great elements plus the "immaterial self."

Doshas / Constitution Types

On the basis of the elements, Ayurveda works with three doshas/constitution types.
Ether and Air form Vata, Fire and Water form Pitta, Water and Earth form Kapha.

Doshas are the energies that make up every individual, which perform different physiological functions in the body.

The three doshas are always intertwined in what they do:
• Vata is the carrier
• Pitta pushes or provokes
• Kapha strengthens or resists
 

How to protect yourself from unwanted energies

Hello world

Imagine yourself going to an unknown country. You have no protective clothes on, you don't have a travel buddy next to you, you don't speak the language and you know nothing about the culture of the country you are in.

With much excitement you say "Hello!" to this new world you know nothing of.

Now two things can happen. 

Either you meet someone good and they quickly wrap a blanket around you to protect you from the crowd, they instantly are your new buddy and make sure you don't have to worry about the language you don't speak or the culture you know nothing of. They are good in their heart and take care of you.

The other option is, you meet someone bad. And the rest speaks for itself.

This is what happens in the spiritual world every day. There are tons of classes, workshops or sessions about opening up and connecting to the unknown, without people knowing anything about the country they are in. They learn how to open up, but they don't learn how to protect themselves. 

A problem not to be taken lightly.

Here are a bunch of tips for those in need!

Tips on how to protect yourself

• Take a shower
  Literally, take a shower. Rinse off the day and the negative energy down the drain. While you are at it, you can choose to imagine sparkles of light rinsing your whole body from head to toe. Wash your hair if the energy feels heavy. You can choose to play a mantra or a list of mantra's which helps taking away the negative energy. We have a Spotify playlist with mantra's here.

• Clear your space
  There are several ways to clear energy in a space. One way is to use a smudge stick like white sage, burn the holy wood Palo Santo, or Frankincense or Mirre on a charcoal tablet in the space you are in. You can start with the corners and ask for divine protection, it can be anyone that resonates you'd like to help clear the space, follow the steps of Ask for help to see how. After the corners you can go through the rest of the space, make sure you open the windows so the smoke and the energy can get out. Playing mantra's is a good way of clearing a space as well. There is great power in Mantra's as they are at least 3000 year old sacred prayers that are still repeated around the globe today.

• Ask for help
  One golden rule with protection is that you have to ask for it. If you're not asking, it's not coming. And when you ask you must do it with the utmost respect towards whom you are asking. Divine protection comes in many forms. Whether that's Buddha, Ganesha, Virgin Mary, Jesus, Allah, Shaman Goodlands, Archangel Michael or all of the Archangels, they are all members of the same team ;) You can also ask the help of Mother Earth, with her powerful snowstorms, rain or wind. Ask the animals or the trees, they are all here to help us. When you work with energy, it’s good to start with what you know. This helps you see whether the energy is manipulated or not. Like we would notice if a lion is feeling a bit off in it’s energy. More difficult to notice when you work with an archangel you’ve never met before! Also, it's good to aim for something big in the line of protecting because it's like asking your late aunt Tilly for help or the army of Archangel Michael, it ain't the same ballpark ;) You can ask for unlimited help, so make your army of light as big as you can!

• Imagine a pyramid of light
  If you are good at using your imagination this works perfectly, imagine a sacred circle of light or a golden pyramid around you. It will be your sacred safe spot (to sleep in). Before you imagine the circle or the pyramid, you have to make sure your aura is cleared, by either clearing the space and asking for help. Say in your mind that the space of pure light is yours and unwanted energies that don't belong are not welcome, then your sacred dome is all yours :) 

• Protective words
  For those who have trouble imagining a pyramid or circle of light, we have another solution, the use of holy words or intentions. I learned this one from a good friend: "Everything that is not good for me, that doesn't belong to me, that is not for my highest purpose, I send it to mother earth, she'll know what to do with it". The other one is from a Brazilian Shaman, use it wisely: "Kadoish, Kadoish, Kadoish, Adonai 'Tsebayoth" - this means: "Expanding Pure Wave Forms As A Power Of One Unto A Deliverance Eternally" - this ancient Hebraic text are words of "the universal laws" - which reminds the darkness to seriously step aside. But you can also choose something from a mantra you know, like "Wahe Guru" :) Good to know: repeat sayings a few times to make it resonate as a sacred chant. 

• Gemstones and crystals
  Gemstones and crystals hold metaphysical properties, alter our moods, and remedy a spectrum of ailments for thousands of years. There are many protective stones like black tourmaline, labradorite or selenite that help with a good night sleep. Crystals tend to amplify and open up, so i'd skip that one in the bedroom, but for daily protection they are beautiful as well. If you walk into a gemstone shop - check what resonates or pops out as the stone for you. You can easily look up it's meaning on the internet. Make sure you don't wear more than 3 different types of stone as they will lose their power. When you lose a stone or it just falls off, then the stone is not necessary to be with you anymore in that period of time.

• Inner light
  “I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” - Hafiz of Shiraz.
  Know that the brilliant light inside yourself is enough to see your way through your darkest nights. Your light is a mirror for those in darkness, but no matter what darkness comes our way, love will overcome, ALWAYS. You have a magical diamond in your heart, so let that pure light shine from within! And while you shine, ask for help, members of #teamloveandlight are on their way! You are not alone!

• Create a sacred space
  Surround yourself with sacred objects, you can make an altar with pictures, stones, sea shells, feathers, flowers, you name it! You can have pictures of powerful animals around like the wolf or bear for instance, but also the eagle or owl. You can have Ganesha, Buddha, Jesus, Archangels, Guanyin, a picture of a native american shaman - just pick what resonates with you. Use sacred shapes and forms, like the seed of life or other sacred geometry. Don't be shy or humble in what you pick - you can have it all. Create that what is filled with love, as your own sacred space and circle of light.

Using Your Intentions Well

Everything you do has to be done with respect and the right intentions. There is no room for ego, so always be humble towards those of the divine, or it will backfire on you. Only with dark energies you need to be very strict, stand up for yourself, there is no room for grey matter or discussion, when someone with bad intentions comes along it is either left or right. And that choice is to go with the light or it is going to be ended right here and now. When you feel something is not right, don't hesitate, you feel this for a reason and can end it right there.

In case of emergency you can always walk into The Conscious Club for help.

Protection / Power Bundles

We made little protection bags for those wanting to create a sacred environment. It contains all you need for protection and travels easy. Feel free to drop by to check them out, they are €10,- per bag.

Article: Elizabeth Plokker