Vata prakriti

There are three doshas in Ayurveda which are the three vital energies. Vata is the dosha of movement, Pitta the dosha of transformation and Kapha the dosha of consolidation. These three doshas are present everywhere. They are present outside of us (seasons, climate, time) and inside of us.

Each one of us has a proportion of these three doshas that is unique, this is what we call prakriti, the birth’s constitution. This prakriti was formed during our conception, we keep it throughout our life until our death. We can have a dominant dosha (more than 50%), this is the dominant constitution. Ex : Vata constitution. We can have two dominant doshas (50-50), this is the dual constitution. Ex : Vata-Pitta, Vata-Kapha. We can have the three doshas in equal proportion (33% each), this is the triple constitution, extremely rare.

The birth constitution cannot be changed. As such, it should not be confused with Vrikriti, the state of imbalance. It can happen that one or more doshas are in excess in the body, this imbalance is the cause of illness. Imbalances evolve throughout our lives depending on our habits and lifestyle.

Here we will develop the dominant Vata constitution. The Vata dosha is composed of two elements : space or ether (akasha) and air (vayu). It has its own qualities, gunas, which allow us to see that we are in the presence of this dosha. Vata is :

• Light (laghu)

• Dry (ruksha)

• Cold (shita)

• Subtle (sukshma)

• Unstable (sara)

• Rough (khara)

These qualities are found in the physical appearance, the functioning of the body or even the way of thinking of a Vata dominant person.

Physical

The physique of Vata people is notably marked by lightness, dryness and irregularity.

Their corpulence is characterized by the qualities “dry” and “light”. Indeed, Vata people are thin people. It is difficult for them to gain weight and losing weight is easy. They may have hips and waist that are not very pronounced or they may have a slim waist. They are either taller than average or smaller than average. Their joints are fine and visible. They tend to have creaky joints. Bones are thin and fragile, they can break easily.

A Vata person’s gait is bouncy.

A Vata person’s face is characterized by the “irregularity” quality. The features are often irregular and asymmetrical. The face is long or oval. The forehead and chin are small.

The nose is often asymmetrical : it may be large, have bumps or be hooked.

The eyes are small and often wide. They are characterized by the “dry” quality : they are dry with few tears. Their gaze is always moving and going in all directions.

The teeth are also marked by irregularity. They are not straight, overlapping or may be missing. Their enamel is fragile. They must take good care of their teeth which tend to yellow, decay easily, crack and demineralize.

Their neck is elongated, the ears can be stuck out, small or large.

Lips are often thin, dry and chapped.

A Vata person's hair is fine and often sparse. The length may be uneven and does not exceed shoulder height. They are often dark and fragile. They are dry in nature and can easily form knots and split ends. The hair is often wavy.

Nails tend to break easily.

The skin of Vata people is olive. It is thin and dry. As a result, the skin will easily wrinkle. Veins and tendons are often visible through the skin. It is very sensitized to the cold : it can easily crack and her lips become chapped.

Moreover, a Vata person is sensitive to the cold and wind. Her extremities (hands, feet) are often cold and she has difficulty warming up. This is explained by the “cold” quality of the Vata dosha. They like warm climates, they are people who tan easily.

Physiological

From a physiological point of view, Vata people have weak immunity. This is the most fragile constitution. They get sick easily but often it’s nothing serious.

The quality “irregularity” is found in their appetite and in their digestion. Their appetite is irregular, both in terms of timing and in terms of the quantity of meals ingested. As a result, they tend to snack. Their digestive fire (which we call Agni in Ayurveda), that is to say the ability to digest a meal, is also irregular. Digestion varies between constipation and diarrhea. In addition, they have a lot of air in their stomach which can cause flatulence and gas. The stools are often black, dry and hard.

Regarding their cognitive functions, Vata people have strong intellectual activity. Movement governs their minds, they move from one idea to another constantly. Because of this perpetual movement, it is difficult for them to make a decision quickly. Hesitation and changes of mind prevent them from deciding. They understand quickly. They learn easily and quickly but forget just as quickly.

Sleep is light, dreams are restless with lots of movement. They often dream of flying, jumping, falling, running. They tend to have nightmares.

In general, Vata people are clumsy by nature, their movements are abrupt since they are in a hurry.

Their most developed sense is their hearing. They have keen ears and are very sensitive to sounds. Their voices are hoarse or rough. Their flow, like their thoughts, is rapid.

Psychological

The minds of Vata people are restless, active and curious. In terms of their emotions, they are very enthusiastic. When they are not well, they are anxious, worried, stressed or afraid. Their resistance to stress is low. Stressful situations make them anxious. Their mood is marked by irregularity and is very changeable.

Vata people have a need to feel free, free as air. They have a real need to be in the movement. They also like to be surrounded : to be seen, to occupy space, to be noisy and to attract attention. They are demonstrative people who have a great need to talk.

They are very sociable and outgoing by nature. They easily start conversations and have a lot of knowledge. These are chameleon people : they adapt easily to the people they have in front of them, which can be seen as a lack of authenticity by others. Their friendships are numerous but the relationships are often superficial or short-lived. This poses no problem for them because they do not like commitment and seek novelty.

Among their greatest qualities is their great capacity for adaptation. They adapt easily to new environments, new people, new habits.

They are curious, like change, novelty, learning and discovering new things.

They have a great artistic fiber. They are creative and have a very fertile imagination. They like to escape and have a dreamy side. As a result, they have a penchant for games, cinema, reading or traveling.

These are often idealistic people who are not going to fight for their ideas.

In terms of their faults, they can be messy, cannot stand solitude and cannot keep a secret.

Their biggest weaknesses are their tendency to spread themselves : everything interests them and they want to do lots of things. But their resistance being rather weak, they become exhausted by being in this permanent movement. Their self-confidence is low and they lack grounding, they have difficulty enjoying the present moment.

Vata people can sometimes have difficulty finding their place in society. Society asks us to be efficient beings.

But performance is not what Vata people are looking for. They are made to initiate new ideas, to undertake things without necessarily seeking a result. Their objective is to undertake and not perform. However, this is often frowned upon in society. To feel good in society, they must understand what their deepest needs are and detach themselves from society's expectations.

Likewise, our society encourages us to accumulate. Accumulate wealth, accumulate goods. Accomplish the famous pattern : career, marriage, start a family, buy a house. However, this pattern does not correspond to the needs of Vata person. Doing the same job all her life, having the same relationships throughout life and having long-term plans do not suit her. If Vata people seek to follow this pattern that is not her, she will be dissatisfied. It is fundamental for her to understand her nature in order to live in accordance with it.

At the professional level, Vata people may have a profession as a diplomat or politician in which relationships, being in the spotlight and speaking have important roles. We also find many Vata people in the world of artists or researchers because of their originality and their imagination.

Their beliefs are “I am worthless”, “I do not exist on my own”, “Seize the present day without worrying about tomorrow”.

Spiritual

Ayurveda believes that a person's constitution is chosen by her soul. This constitution is chosen to accomplish the mission, the life mission (the Dharma), for which the soul was reincarnated. So, each constitution experiences different things on a spiritual level.

Vata is composed in part by the air element. The air element makes it possible to link two opposites, water and fire, and to make the link between them. Air thus allows us to reconcile and create a link between opposites.

Thus, Vata people are here to create connections, initiate new projects and bring a new vision. They also have an important mediation role. They adapt easily to their environment and can link people, create encounters and reconcile different poles.

The balance to find for Vata people to be fulfilled is to find balance in movement. The objective is above all not to stop this movement but to adapt the speed of the movement. This is the key for them to achieve what their soul was reincarnated for and live in harmony with their true nature.

And you, do you recognize yourself in this description ? Do you think you have Vata in you ?

There are different ways to know your birth constitution.

You can take tests online : https://forms.gle/NNygjMMxsHteUwo58

You can also request a consultation with an Ayurveda practitioner who will ask you different questions to identify your prakriti.

Birth constitution, Prakriti

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