WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

​

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.

​

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.

​

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

​

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.

​

​

 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

​

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

​

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