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Ayurveda

WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

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The word Ayurveda is literally translated into “Life Knowledge”.  It is a system of balancing our environment for optimal health.  Our inner environment is created by what and how we eat, our sleep, our emotional reactions and thinking patterns.  Our outer environment is created by the weather, the noise, how our home and workplace are organized and if it’s a good fit for us.  This holistic medical approach teaches that the environments that we create, live in and react to create our overall health.

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There are 3 doshas that Ayurveda assesses, which are Vata, Pitta, Kapha.  A dosha is a constitution or humour.  In simple terms, it’s a way of being.  In a more complex view however, the seasons, time of day, trees, the years of our lives and almost anything you can imagine has a dosha.

Take your time filling out this quiz.  Pick the answer that best suits you.  If you’re not sure, ask someone close to you what their opinion is to help you make the best choice. One a piece of paper write down if you chose answer # 1, 2 or 3.  Total up how many (1s) (2s) and (3s) you have at the end of the quiz.  Remember you may have all in one category, or evenly spread out through all 3.

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____________ (1)  VATA                       ____________(2)  PITTA                       __________(3) KAPHA

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MIND & BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT

  1. I am
    Flexible, optimistic
    Ambitious, practical, intense
    Calm, peaceful, solicitous

  2. I consider myself as:
    Lively, intuitive,
    Motivated, perceptive, warm
    Resilient, content, loyal, slow

  3. My acquaintances describe me as:
    Enthusiastic, changeable
    Friendly, independent, courageous, discriminating
    Deliberate, relaxed, compassionate

  4. My friends describe me as:
    An initiator
    A good leader, goal-oriented, competitive
    Patient, nurturing, stable

  5. My memory is
    Quick to remember-and to forget. (Best in the short term)
    Average, clear, distinct (Good overall)
    Slow to remember and to forget (Best in the long term)

  6. My thinking style is
    Restless, quick
    Organized, efficient, accurate
    Slow, methodical, exacting

  7. I process information
    Quickly
    At medium speed
    Slowly

  8. My creativity level is
    Filled with ideas, but tends to follow through poorly
    Inventive in many areas, with good follow-through
    Best in the field of business

  9. Under stress I become
    Anxious, insecure, tense, and sigh and hyperventilate
    Aggressive, angry, irritable, headachy, nauseated
    Lethargic, dull, in denial

  10. I dream of
    Activity, running, flying, frightening things
    Violence, fire, anger, passion, the sun
    Romance, sentimentality, water and snow

  11. My speech pattern is
    Fast, talkative (Quick, often imaginative or excessive)
    Precise, convincing (Clear, precise, detailed, well-organized)
    Slow, monotoned, melodic (Soothing, rich with moments of silence)

  12. My voice sounds
    High pitched, fast, dissonant, weeping
    Medium pitched, sharp, laughing
    Low pitched, melodious, slow, monotone, pleasant, deep

  13. My lifestyle is
    Highly active
    Active
    Rather inactive

  14. My spending habits are
    Wasteful, can't save, throw money away on trifles
    Moderate, can save, but spend money on luxuries
    Thrifty, accumulate wealth but spend money on food

  15. My sex drive is
    Frequent, either in very high or very low gear
    Moderate frequency, but passionate and domineering
    Infrequent, constant or cyclic, loyal and devoted

  16. Regarding temperature and weather:
    I dislike weather that is cold, windy, dry. I am comfortable in the heat.
    I dislike weather that is hot, with strong sun. I perspire easily. I thrive in winter.
    I dislike weather that is cool and damp. I tolerate extremes well.

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 EMOTIONS & BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT

  1. When making decisions I am
    Unsure
    Quick and decisive
    Deliberate

  2. Emotionally, I
    Worry, am anxious, moody, and emotional
    Get angry and irritated easily
    Stay calm, complacent, get angry slowly

  3. I love
    Traveling, art, esoteric subjects
    Sports, politics, luxury
    Good food

  4. The pace of my activity is
    Fast
    Medium speed, intense
    Slow, steady

  5. When threatened, I become
    Fearful, anxious
    Angry, irritable, fights
    Indifferent, withdraws

  6. My taste preference is:
    Oily, heavy, sweet, soupy, salty, sour
    Medium, light, sweet, warm, bitter, astringent
    Dry, light, low-fat, sweet, pungent

 

  1. My mental tendencies are:
    Questions, theorizes
    Judgmental or artistic
    Stable, and logical

  2. My pulse can be described as
    Thready, slithering
    Moderate, jumping
    Slow and graceful

  3. My resting pulse rate is:
    Women: 80-100, Men: 70-80
    Women: 70-80, Men: 60-70
    Women: 60-70, Men: 50-60

  4. I generally eat
    Quickly
    Moderately fast
    Slowly

  5. My sleep is most often
    Interrupted, light
    Sound, moderate
    Deep, long. I am slow to waken.

  6. I am most sensitive to
    Noise
    Bright light
    Strong odors

  7. My way of learning is
    To learn quickly. I enjoy more than one thing at a time. I can lose focus.
    To focus sharply, discriminate. I finish what I start.
    To take my time. I tend to be methodical.

  8. I learn new material best by
    Listening to a speaker
    Reading or using visual aids
    Associating it with another memory

  9. If there was one trait to best describe me, it would be
    Vivacious (lively, active, spirited and full of life)
    Determined
    Easygoing

  10. Regarding my relationships, I
    Easily adapt to different kinds of people
    Often choose friends on the basis of their values
    Am slow to make new friends but am forever loyal.

  11. My family and friends might prefer me to be more
    Settled
    Tolerant
    Enthusiastic

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BODY CHARACTERISTICS ASSESSMENT

  1.  Compared to others of my height, I have
    Smaller bones
    Average size bones
    Larger bones

  2. My height is
    Above to below average
    Average
    Average to tall

  3. My muscles are
    Wiry, undeveloped
    Moderately developed
    Solid, stocky, well developed

  4. My weight is
    Below average, I lose weight easily
    Medium, able to lose or gain weight
    Above average, I gain weight easily

  5. Most of my fat is located
    Around my waist
    Evenly over my body
    Around the hips and thighs

  6. My skin is
    Dry, flaky, thin, rough, cool to touch
    Delicate, sensitive, with freckles or moles, warm to touch, glowing
    Oily, thick, smooth, soft to touch

  7. My complexion (compared with others of my race) is
    Darker
    More reddish, freckled, or yellowish
    Lighter or pale

  8. My hair is
    Dry, brittle, thin, coarse, brown, black
    Fine and straight, blond, red, graying early or balding
    Oily, thick, luxuriant, wavy or curly, dark brown, black

  9. My eyebrows are
    Thin, dry, and firm
    Medium
    Thick, large, firm, bushy, oily

  10. My eyes are
    Small, nervous, dry, black or brown
    Sharp, bright, sensitive to light, gray or green, with a penetrating gaze
    Big, calm, blue, with a loving gaze

  11. My teeth are
    Big, crooked or protruding, with thin receding gums
    Medium-sized, yellowish and soft, with tender gums
    Strong and white with healthy gums

  12. My nose is
    Uneven in shape, small, thin
    Long and pointed
    Short, rounded, thick, oily

  13. My lips are
    Dry, thin, dark
    Soft, pink, red, or yellowish
    Oily and smooth, large, thick and firm, pale

  14. My veins are
    Prominent
    Somewhat visible
    Not visible

  15. My shoulders are
    Narrow and slope downward
    Medium-sized
    Broad, firm, developed

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BODY FUNCTIONS ASSESSMENT

  1.  My hips are
    Narrow
    Medium width
    Wide

  2. My hands are
    Small, dry, cool, with small, long fingers
    Medium-sized, moist, warm, pink
    Large, oily, cool, firm

  3. My joints are
    Thin, small, and make cracking noises
    Moderate in size, soft and loose
    Large, well lubricated and well knit

  4. My nails are
    Dry, rough, brittle, and break easily
    Flexible, pink, and lustrous
    Thick, smooth, shiny, and hard

  5. My perspiration is
    Scanty with no odor
    Heavy with strong odor
    Moderate or heavy with pleasant odor

  6. My appetite is
    Irregular, with skipped meals
    Strong, must eat regular meals
    Constant, but can skip meals

  7. My sleep pattern is
    Irregular, light, interrupted, 5-7 hours a night
    Sound and even, 6-8 hours a night
    Prolonged and deep, difficult to wake up

  8. My gait is
    Quick, short steps
    Medium pace, purposeful
    Slow and graceful

 

  1. My energy or endurance is
    Low, energy comes in spurts, then need to rest
    Is moderate or high. I can push myself too hard.
    Good, long-lasting

  2. My bowel movements are
    Dry, hard, constipation
    Soft, oily, loose
    Heavy, slow, thick

 

_____________ (1)  VATA                       ____________(2)  PITTA                       __________(3) KAPHA

Corena's new book will be an exciting and explorative read about Ayurveda. Ayurveda, which means life science in Sanskrit, embodies a way to live that promotes the optimal level of health, vitality and fitness for that individual. It is a system of eating, sleeping, and living that is based on the 3 doshas- vata, pitta, and kapha. In simple terms, understanding the seasonal dosha and especially our own dosha can help us lose weight, respond to situations, and handle the daily things in life by making simple yet profound changes.

My name is Bella, and I have attended Corena's teacher training program where we did a section on Ayurveda. Throughout my entire training, the Ayurveda month was the most interesting and useful to me personally. It helped me in my relationships, and with my own personal problems. My self-esteem has risen in understanding of my body and reactions. In my relationships, I have grown to understand my peers better, meaning I now relate more to their reactions and situations. Based on their Ayurvedic profiles, I can deal with them in a more effective way. Not to mention, that the way that I now live my life makes me feel better. I have more energy and have obtained a better life, living it based on Ayurveda. Ayurveda has been helpful to me to keep a schedule and eat the way that is best for my body and mind. Emotionally, I now realize why I might be reacting a certain way and am able to overcome it easier (well I'm working on it, and its getting better). Mentally, I understand the that I think.

Not only were the teachings interesting, Corena made them simple and easy to learn. Being that Ayurveda is a very complex, I would consider that to be an important factor when learning it: finding someone to teach it simply and easy.

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