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simplify this science, Ayurveda further generalizes the five elements into the three main constitutions. I use images to accent the main characteristics of each constitution.

THE THREE AYURVEDIC CONSTITUTIONS

The first constitution is Vata. To visualize Vata, you can imagine a thin person riding the cold, dry winds of outer space. This person is primarily composed of the elements of space and air. Thus, the Vata constitution is known for an excessive amount of openness, lightness, coldness and dryness. Picture a person floating in outer space, there is no source of light or warmth within them, thus, they are attracted to sources of light and warmth – bright shiny objects, brilliant ideas, the warmth of human kindness and a nice cozy room. Likewise, emotionally they frequently may feel like they are left in the dark or are clueless about a direction in life. But when they catch some light from a star, it is as if they are in the spotlight of attention, and then they really shine. Thus, they are always looking for reassurance and guidance in how to traverse their ungrounded world. The Vatic person complains of always feeling chilled, having dry skin, or having dry, creaky joints. The slightest imbalance in his or her health or emotions will create anxiety, ‘spaciness’, doubt, colon troubles and insomnia. When balanced and healthy, Vatic individuals are known for their creativity, movement (dance), insightfulness and artistic talents.

The second constitution is Pitta. Here you can imagine a person full of fire. Pittic individuals are warm, energetic and have a tendency toward aggression and competition. Pitta’s attributes center on the image of fire. Their digestive fire is strong, and their faces are red with the fire of circulation. Their mental radiance is often brilliant. Irritation, fevers, ulcers, oily skin and inflammatory diseases may arise when Pittas become imbalanced. These lean, muscular constitutions are known for warmth, leadership abilities, insight and vision.

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The third and final constitution is Kapha, which can be pictured as a large, gentle, nurturing person. These people are strong, sturdy, and soft. Their digestion is slow and their body is cold and bulky. When they become imbalanced, there is a wetness to their illness, which may appear in the form of edema, wet sounding coughs, chronic sinus infections, and digestive problems. These people are also prone to excessive weight gain and resistance to change. Kaphas are known to be loyal, dependable, grounded and consistent. They are tremendous readers and problem solvers.

All people contain these three Ayurvedic constitutions in some proportion. For instance, I had an aunt who was 5 feet tall, weighed 230 pounds, had consistently oily skin and su ered from mild depression. Her Ayurvedic constitution was probably 90 percent Kapha, and 10 percent Pitta/Vata. Thus, she was a Kaphic person. The majority of individuals have two predominant constitutions, for example 45 percent Vata, 45 percent Pitta and 10 percent Kapha. This individual would be called a Vata-Pitta person. Some individuals also have an equal proportion of all three constitutions, approximately 33 percent Vata, 33 percent Pitta and 33 percent Kapha. This individual would be called Vata-Pitta-Kapha or VPK.

Ayurveda takes the concept of Vata, Pitta and Kapha even further. The terms Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are also applied to all preferences and activities. Thus there is “Vatic sleep,” “Pittic sleep,” and “Kaphic sleep.” So my aunt most likely experienced Kaphic sleep due to the predominance of her Kaphic constitution. Likewise, Vata, Pitta and Kapha apply to thoughts, emotions, diseases and foods.

For example, salad is a typical Vatic food – cold, dry and uncooked. Vatic sleep is light and dreamy. Vatic activities include running and rushing. A typical Pittic food is a spicy burrito – spicy and oily. Pittic sleep is brief and restless, with a huge appetite upon awakening. Pittic activities center around intense competition. The representative

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Kaphic food is ice cream – heavy, fat-filled and rich. Kaphic sleep is deep and prolonged. Kaphic activities are usually slow and require little physical e ort. In later chapters we will discuss the importance of the three constitutions and their roles in your daily life.

There is no advantage to being one constitution or another. In Ayurveda, it becomes quite logical that certain professions fit better with certain constitutional types. Likewise, what you do for a living a ects your body type and personality. Such observations provide valuable clues for career guidance and treatment planning. For example, a ballerina would commonly have a Vatic body, while a lineman on a football team would be predominantly Kapha. The energetic triathlon athlete would have a strong source of Pitta. These three constitutions merely reflect the nature of a person and his or her tendencies. When anyone becomes imbalanced, the problems that occur will align with the qualities of his or her constitution. However, a person of any constitution can be healthy and happy when he or she is kept in balance. Therefore, knowing your Ayurvedic constitution can greatly assist you in staying balanced by knowing what foods to eat, how to sleep, what life events could be particularly disturbing, and what exercises and activities would be best for you.

Until your constitution is in good balance, a general rule is that the foods you crave are probably not the best option for you. For instance, Vatas need warm, heavy, grounding foods but commonly crave cold leftovers and simple salads. Pittas need mild, cooling foods, but may prefer alcoholic beverages and hot, spicy foods -- pouring alcohol on a fire is always treacherous. Kaphas need light, spicy foods, but will sneak in donuts and cheesecake. Thus your Ayurvedic constitution reveals your preferences and the corresponding lifestyle choices to help you stay in balance.

A simple questionnaire can reveal your dominant constitution. On the following pages, place a “1” next to each attribute that applies

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to you. Then total each page. The end result will give you the proportion of each constitution that applies to you. For example, if you have scored 5 on the Vata page, 25 on the Pitta page, and 5 on the Kapha page, then your dominant constitution is Pitta. If you have two scores that are roughly equal and one that is less, you are probably a combination of those two higher constitutions. If all three scores are nearly equal, then you are probably VPK.

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Ayurvedic Quiz – Find out your nature

Questions on Vata (35)

Vata is a blending of air and space elements

Physical (13)

____ Thin frame

____	Prominent joints
____	Very tall or short
____	Flat-chested
____	Chilly
____	Dry kinky hair
____	Small dry eyes
____	Joint pain or joint instability
____	Variable appetite/thirst
____	Variable energy
____ Crooked teeth
____	Dry, cold skin
____	Di cult to gain and maintain weight
Emotional Temperament (10)
____	Talks fast or a lot
____	Indecisive
____	Learns fast, but forgets
____	Enthusiastic, joyful
____	Restless, active
____	Sensitive to noise, lights
____	Creative, artistic
____	Intuitive
____	Easily worried and anxious
Under Stress (12)
____	Loses weight
____	Constipation
____	Excess gas
____	Restless/active
____ Chronic pain
____	Light sleeper/insomnia
____	Anxious/fearful
____ Drug use/abuse
____	Panic attacks
____	Psychic
____	Dry cracking joints
____ Tendency to bite fingernails
____	Pain is severe; cutting or throbbing

Your Vata Total: ____

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Questions on Pitta (35)

Pitta is a blending of fire and water elements

Physical (12)

____ Medium build

____	Athletic
____ Warm-blooded
____	Oily, soft skin
____	Freckles
____	Prematurely gray
____	Straight fine hair
____	Eyes red or yellow
____	Pink, pliable nails
____	Excessive hunger
____	Excessive thirst

____ Muscular

Emotional Temperament (13)

____ Words sharp/concise

____ Competitive

____	Intelligent
____	Perceptive
____ Keen memory
____	Irritable/impatient
____	Controlling
____	Jealous
____ Courageous
____	Organized/e cient
____	Successful
____	Natural born leader
____	Overly eager and quick

Under Stress (10)

____ Rashes

____	Excess sweat
____	Gastritis/ulcers
____	High blood pressure
____	Excess bleeding
____	Eats hot spices
____	Drinks alcohol to excess
____	Anger/violent temper
____	Sleep sound/short

____ Body odor

Your Pitta Total: _____

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Questions on Kapha (35)

Kapha is the blending of earth and water elements

Physical (14)
____	Thick, wide frame
____ Good stamina
____ Strong
____	Well-lubricated joints
____	Weight in hips/thighs
____	White, even teeth
____	Thick lustrous hair
____	Large eyes
____	Slow/regular bowels
____	Thick oily cool skin
____	Slow digestion
____	Di culty losing weight
____	Gain weight easily
____	Large stools
Emotional Temperament (11)
____ Slow speech
____ Calm
____	Responsible
____	Steady faith
____	Slow memory, but with good retention
____ Stubborn
____	Forgiving
____ Empathic
____ Nurturing
____ Loyal
____ Good-natured
Under Stress (10)
____	Over sleeps
____	Overeats or loss of appetite
____ Excess mucus
____	Water retention
____ Overweight			Grand Totals – which
____	Lazy/inert		constitution are you?
____ Greedy
____ Complacent			Vata: ______
____ Depressed			Pitta:______
____	Chilly
Your Kapha Total: _____			Kapha: _____

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SUMMARY

Now that you know your dominant constitution(s), you can begin to understand the importance of this self-knowledge. If my dear aunt, who su ered from mild depression, had known that her Ayurvedic constitution was Kapha, she would have realized that exercise was a wonderful therapy for her. This is because Kaphas have a tendency toward inertia, and movement is therapeutic for them. However, had she been a Pitta, movement therapy and intense exercise likely would not have helped her depression. She would have needed to express herself, possibly in writing or song, so that she could let out her emotions without becoming more upset.

Each disease is also classified as Vata, Pitta or Kapha. Some diseases are primarily experienced by Kaphas, thus these diseases are called Kaphic diseases. But it is important to realize that any one of the three constitutions can become imbalanced in any person. A strongly Vatic person can develop a Pittic disorder by subjecting himself or herself to Pitta-aggravating influences (foods, exercises, etc.) This is true for all three of the constitutions, even though it is more likely that a person will develop a disease that is aligned with his or her own constitution (a Pittic person is more likely to develop a Pittic illness). Therefore, it is important for you to have an understanding of all three of the constitutions.

Now that you have a better understanding of yourself at this elemental level, you will be able to more skillfully choose the best therapies for you. Throughout this text, I will refer back to these three fundamental constitutions of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. You will come to further understand the importance of your Ayurvedic constitution in menu planning, sleeping, and exercising.

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CHAPTER SUMMARY

•To know which path will take you to happiness, you must fi rst know who you are, what you are and what resources you have available.

•Understanding the three Ayurvedic constitutions will provide you with a foundation from which you can go on to understand yourself at deeper levels.

•When you make your choices in life with respect to your knowledge of yourself and your constitution, you will be less likely to suffer from imbalances in any area of life.

ACTION ITEMS

•Think of someone you know who clearly personifi es each of the three Ayurvedic constitutions.

•Take the “Ayurvedic Quiz” to fi nd out your constitution.

•Make a list of activities you engage in or foods or beverages you consume that may not be helpful for your constitution.

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Chapter3

Living with Purpose

Achieving Purpose and Clarity

INTRODUCTION

Designing and building a lifestyle to generate and maintain happiness, begins with a personal philosophy and life purpose. Knowing your basic beliefs, goals and aspirations

will make traversing the path of happiness easier and more successful. In my youth I did not always know what I wanted to accomplish from day to day. I had no consistent criteria by which I could prioritize my life. How could I possibly find happiness if I did not even know myself at this basic level?

Being a writer, I have always found that putting my thoughts and ideas on paper helps give them clarity and power. When I first began to formulate a personal philosophy, I filled many tablets of paper as I tried to pin myself down. What was really important to me and why? What did I really believe about me and my life?

In the end, I realized that it is not the beliefs themselves that are important, but the understanding that I gained from my own inquiry about my life goals. Once you understand yourself and your basic