Ayurveda's body types and constitutions

Ayurveda originated in India and is now practiced around the globe

Ayurvedic medicine is considered to be one of the oldest forms of medicine, originating in India and thought to be over 2,000 years old. This system incorporates specialized diets, various forms of massage, and herbal remedies.

Similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic medicine views the body in connection with nature and has five basic elements:

• Ether (atmosphere or space)
• Air
• Fire
• Water
• Earth

These five elements are found in three primary body types, or constitutions. Body types are called doshas and categorize a person based on his or her susceptibility to illness, personality, structure and diet. The three doshas are:

• Vata - governed by the elements of ether and air
• Pitta - governed by the elements of fire and water
• Kapha - governed by the elements of water and earth

When a person sees an Ayurvedic practitioner they will be treated according to their doshic type. In this way each person has a unique way of healing and the treatments are never the same for every patient.

Sources:

• Photo courtesy: Chaleerat Ng.
• Ayurvedic Medicine: An Introduction, NCCAM and NIH, accessed online April 2009.
• Perfect Health, Deepak Chopra [Three Rivers Press 2000]