Prakruti Quiz: Determine Your Mind-Body Constitution

Prakruti, literally translated from Sanskrit as “nature”, refers to our natural Mind-Body constitution.

Each of us is born with a unique constitution that is predisposed from the time of birth. Our constitution largely depends upon which of the doshas Vata, Pitta or Kapha are predominant and becomes perceptible through emotions, behavior, body size and composition, metabolism and health tendencies.

Each of the doshas is different in quality and will therefore lend a different character to your constitution. Vata dosha types tend to be slender and small boned with smaller eyes and facial features. They feel cold and have thin skin. They tend to be “dry”, which can be seen in dry skin and hair, brittle nails and digestive issues.

They are creative folks, energetic with a whirlwind, some what unpredictable nature. Pitta folks are dynamic, inspirational, ambitious and passionate. They have a medium, athletic build, sharp eyes and facial features, and good coloring. Pitta folks tend to feel hot and sensitive – this can come out as acne or inflamed skin, or heated emotion. Kapha folks are grounded, placid, routine oriented, and dependable. They have a larger build, heavy bones and tend to hold weight due to a slower metabolism. They have a wonderful skin tone which ages well, thick hair and good strong nails.

Many of us exhibit more than one of the dosha characteristics. It is important to understand that we all have the three doshas in us, it is the one that is predominant that determines our Prakruti. For many people, two of the three doshas can actually exist in a higher proportion relative to the third.

These are mixed dosha types. It is quite common for example to be a Vata-Pitta type exhibiting physical and emotional characteristics of both doshas. This might be more obvious as having one dosha emphasize physical traits and another dosha emphasize emotional traits, or perhaps both emotional and physical aspects exist and emerge appropriately from time to time. A small percentage of people will actually have equal proportions of all three making those Tridosha types. This is quite uncommon but typically these folks can stay in balance more relative to others.

This quiz can help determine which of the three doshas you have in the highest proportion in your overall dosha composition. To more accurately determine your Prakruti, you can check in with an Ayurvedic doctor or practitioner, but the quiz will give you a good hint.

Answer one or more characteristics that ring true from the questions. It is important to answer truthfully rather to answer the questions ideally. All your answers do not have to be from the same dosha type. Also, feel free to choose more than one answer when necessary.

The skin on my face is mostly…

1. Vata – normal to dry. It might lack muscle tone or elasticity. I have fine lines and wrinkles. It often feels dry or tight when I travel, am dehydrated or in the cold weather.
2. Pitta – oily in the T-zone and drier on the cheeks. I might have many moles, freckles or hyper-pigmentation. It tends to be sensitive and might redden or break out upon touch (by chemicals, cosmetics, soap, synthetics etc.).
3. Kapha – normal to oily. My skin tone is good although my face might get puffy. I have a tendency to have large pores and perhaps get whiteheads and pustules.

The skin on my body is mostly…

1. Vata – normal to dry. It might lack elasticity and sag in places. It might be rough or flake easily in certain areas. It is thin and translucent; often you can see my veins through the skin.
2. Pitta – normal to sensitive. It has good coloration and might even redden easily, especially in the sun or warmer climates. I might scar easily or have hyper-pigmentation marks. I might also scratch my skin in response to sensitivities; this can cause my skin to scar.
3. Kapha – normal, thick and spongy. It has good, strong tone and elasticity.

The temperature of my skin is mostly…

1. Vata – cool or cold. I might have cold extremities, and I usually feel cold, especially in dry climates.
2. Pitta – warm. It feels especially warm in the core and sweaty in hands, feet and the hormonal areas. I also tend to feel hot and sweaty fairly easily, especially in warmer weather.
3. Kapha – cold. It might even feel more distinctly cold in fatty areas such as the buttocks, hips, thighs or upper arms. My skin does “breathe” as well in cool, damp climates, and can become congested. I might even often experience a cool, clammy “all over” kind of perspiration.

My body frame is mostly…

1. Vata – small, lean or wiry. I might be tall and thin or small and petite. I tend to have lighter and less dense bones.
2. Pitta – compact, athletic and muscular. I have a medium and quite well defined musculature and bone structure.
3. Kapha – large. I have wide hips and shoulders. I have large muscles, dense and heavy bones.

My body frame has mostly…

1. Vata – little sub-cutaneous fat. I can lose quite quickly and easily and might even get “scrawny” at times.
2. Pitta – a medium layer of sub-cutaneous fat although this might be more in some areas and less in others. I have a good strong metabolism and can gain or lose weight relatively easily.
3. Kapha -thick layers of sub-cutaneous fat. I can gain weight easily, but then find it relatively hard to lose.

When untreated, the texture of my hair is mostly…

1. Vata – wavy and prone to dryness. I need to use hair product to control its flyaway tendency. My scalp tends to be dry and can flake when I rub or scratch it (i.e. dry scalp dandruff)
2. Pitta – fine or perhaps finer and oilier in some patches. My scalp can be sensitive to chemicals in hair product and have chemical fall-out (dandruff caused due to micro-particles of chemicals in hair product, often associated with pimples or skin breakout)
3. Kapha – lustrous and beautiful. It has good natural shine and moisture, although my scalp can be slightly oily to touch. Sometimes the oil can clump up forming large oily (dandruff caused by too much oil secretion in the scalp).

The strength and thickness of my hair is mostly…

1. Vata – erratic. While individual each hair might be thin and relatively dry or brittle, I have a decent amount of hair on my head.
2. Pitta – fine. Each individual hair is fine, and the overall volume is also fin or can be scanty. I am prone to premature hair loss or graying hair.
3. Kapha – thick. Each individual hair is strong, thick and resistant to damage. I have lots of hair on my head.

My nails are mostly…

1. Vata – normal to dry. They might break easily and are better managed if kept short. They might have ridges.
2. Pitta – pinkish and fairly strong.
3. Kapha – big and thick with prominent moons. They are strong and resistant to damage.

My eyes are mostly…

1. Vata – small and perhaps with fewer lashes. They might get dry easily and be sensitive to dust. I move them a lot.
2. Pitta – sharp and expressive. They are sensitive to bright light and redden easily with external influences.
3. Kapha – large and beautiful. They might get puffy or have some whitish discharge from time to time.

My appetite is mostly…

1. Vata – irregular. I might feel more hungry at times and less at others. Or, I might forget to eat and then feel spacey or weak.
2. Pitta – intense. If I delay eating past my regular mealtimes, then I get irritable.
3. Kapha – consistent or low. I can go without meals because I am still full from the last, but I also tend to be an emotional eater.

My physical digestive patterns are mostly…

1. Vata – irregular. I might get constipated, gassy or have bad breath. I might have drier, hard stools. When this happens I also see dryer than normal hair, skin and nails.
2. Pitta – regular to quick. I might have loose stools and sometimes heartburn or acidity. When this happens I might also have more hot and sensitive skin and hair loss.
3. Kapha – regular to slow. I often have a slower passage of thick, well formed stools. When this happens, I might also see more oiliness in my skin and hair.

My sleep patterns are mostly…

1. Vata – light and interrupted. I might stay awake a part of the night or have a fitful interrupted sleep. I cannot remember my dreams or if I do then they tend to be vivid or imaginative.
2. Pitta – regular. I get a decent amount of sleep at night and feel fairly rested. I might have active and sometimes even violent dreams.
3. Kapha – deep and heavy. I sleep a long hours. I am not a morning person.

When I manifest physical imbalances then I mostly…

1. Vata – experience aches and pains in my muscles or joints. I might have lower resistance or energy.
2. Pitta – feel excessively hot and sweaty. I might break out into rosacea, acne or an itchy rash.
3. Kapha – retain water or put on weight. I might oversleep or eat for comfort.

Emotionally speaking, I am mostly…

1. Vata – quick and imaginative. I am perceptive, easily excited and can get quite restless with creativity. I am a friendly and exuberant person. I tend to have a short term memory.
2. Pitta – sharp, analytical, intelligent and focused. I am a disciplined person, passionate about what I do with good management and leadership skills.
3. Kapha – calm, steady and nurturing. I do not get easily influenced or excited. I am a loyal, loving friend with a long term memory.

When it comes to life, family or work situations I am mostly…

1. Vata – thrilled to explore change, new ideas and experiences although an array of choice can be overwhelming, making it hard to me to focus or be decisive.
2. Pitta – I like to be in control of situations and the people involving them. I like to make decisions based on logic and analysis.
3. Kapha – I am a creature of habit. I like consistency in my life and might not be easily open to change.

When I manifest emotional imbalances then I mostly…

1. Vata – become anxious, stressed, nervous or fearful.
2. Pitta – become critical, controlling and angry.
3. Kapha – stubborn, stuck and excessively hard to communicate with.

My endurance is…

1. Vata – become not great. I get tired or bored fairly soon.
2. Pitta – fine, as long as I am in control of the situation.
3. Kapha – extremely strong. I can withstand a lot.

The pace of my life is …

1. Vata – intentionally fast. I must keep myself busy to stay happy and prevent boredom.
2. Pitta – intense. My activities are well numbered and clustered but require my absolute focus and involvement.
3. Kapha – slow. I like to follow through at my own pace.

Scoring up – Add up your totals to see where you come out. The dosha category with the highest total is the dosha that you have most of in your Prakruti. The dosha category with the next highest total is your secondary dosha. If you come out equal (or close) in two categories, it is likely that you are dual dosha. Look at the chart below to assess the characterstics of your doshas.

When your doshas are in balance, then they work harmoniously to increase Ojas at all times. But when they are imbalanced, then they become obvious as negative forces that obstruct the normal functions of your mind-body.