Ayurvedic Body Types
Knowledge of Ayurvedic body types leads to deeper self-awareness and personalized strategies for wellbeing. One can reclaim and sustain health with diet, lifestyle and herbs based on understanding the Ayurvedic body types.
Your Ayurvedic body type, known as your prakruti, is established at the time of conception, remains the same throughout life and impacts your physical traits, mental and emotional tendencies and spiritual proclivities. A traditional process of observation, contemplation and analysis determine Ayurvedic body types.
Tridosha – Vata, Pitta & Kapha
The Ayurvedic body types are based on three biological principles or doshas –vata, pitta and kapha. Present in each of us at all times, the three doshas combine in varied ratios from person to person. According to Ayurveda, balance means upholding your Ayurvedic body type – your natural ratio of the doshas.
Ayurveda originated in India over 5,000 years ago and is known as the world’s oldest healing science. Consisting of two Sanskrit words, ayush – meaning longevity and veda meaning deep knowledge, Ayurveda means “knowledge of longevity”. Ayurvedic medicine thrived over time and provided the foundation for modern medical systems. Its key facets are personalized and seasonal diet, balanced lifestyle and herbs according to the Ayurvedic body types.
Each of the Ayurvedic body types is a combination of two of the five elements
- Vata is space + air – responsible for all movement in the body and mind.
- Pitta is fire + water – responsible for mental and physical transformation.
- Kapha is water + earth – responsible for structure and stability.
The Ayurvedic body types are based on the pervasiveness of one or more dosha. For example, if vata predominates, your prakruti is “vata” and if pitta and kapha share center stage, your prakruti is “kapha-pitta”. Rarely, vata, pitta and kapha express themselves equally – this is the “tri-doshic” Ayurvedic body type. Each of the Ayurvedic body types carries with it the qualities of its elements.
Changes in weather, age, diet, lifestyle, exercise and emotions affect the doshas. When a discrepancy develops between your current proportions of vata, pitta and kapha and your natural Ayurvedic body type, you experience symptoms of imbalance which leads to disease. Each of the Ayurvedic body types benefits from specific practices, herbs and lifestyle – allowing you to thrive according to your own nature.
About Banyan Botanicals
Established in 1996, Banyan Botanicals is your ethical, knowledgeable source for the highest standards of Ayurvedic whole herbs, formulas and lifestyle products – including those based on the Ayurvedic body types. Banyan Botanicals is committed to using herbs that are pure, USDA certified organic, sustainably sourced and fairly traded.
