What is My Dosha?
Discover Your Ayurvedic Body Type
Your dosha is your Ayurvedic body type—Vata (air/ether), Pitta (fire/water), or Kapha (earth/water)—that determines your ideal diet, exercise, sleep, and daily routine. Most people are a combination of two doshas. Take Shaanti's free AI-powered quiz to discover your unique constitution and get personalized recommendations that work for YOUR body.
Takes about 10 minutes. No account required to start.
The Three Doshas Explained
In Ayurveda, everything in nature is made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether (space). These elements combine to form three fundamental energies called doshas. Everyone has all three doshas, but most people have one or two that dominate.
Vata Dosha (Air + Ether)
The energy of movement and creativity
Physical Characteristics
Thin or lean build, dry skin and hair, cold hands and feet, light sleeper, variable appetite, tends toward constipation when imbalanced.
Mental & Emotional Traits
Creative, quick-thinking, enthusiastic, learns fast (but may forget fast too), loves change and new experiences.
When Vata is Balanced
You feel energetic, creative, adaptable, and joyful. Your digestion is regular, sleep is restful, and you handle change with ease.
When Vata is Imbalanced
Anxiety, racing thoughts, insomnia, dry skin, constipation, feeling scattered or overwhelmed, cold extremities, weight loss.
What Vata Needs
Warmth, routine, grounding foods (warm, cooked, moist), regular meals, adequate rest, oil massage, calming practices. Avoid cold, raw foods, irregular schedules, and overstimulation.
Pitta Dosha (Fire + Water)
The energy of transformation and metabolism
Physical Characteristics
Medium, athletic build, warm body temperature, strong appetite (gets irritable if meals are skipped), prone to inflammation, sensitive skin, may have reddish complexion.
Mental & Emotional Traits
Sharp intellect, natural leader, goal-oriented, competitive, articulate, enjoys challenges, strong opinions.
When Pitta is Balanced
You feel focused, confident, intelligent, and motivated. Your digestion is strong, skin is clear, and you lead with warmth rather than intensity.
When Pitta is Imbalanced
Irritability, anger, impatience, acid reflux, heartburn, skin rashes, inflammation, overheating, perfectionism, being overly critical.
What Pitta Needs
Cooling foods (sweet, bitter, astringent), moderation in all things, stress management, avoiding excessive heat and competition, time in nature, sweet relationships. Avoid spicy foods, alcohol, and overworking.
Kapha Dosha (Earth + Water)
The energy of structure and stability
Physical Characteristics
Larger, sturdy build, gains weight easily, smooth skin, thick hair, slow digestion, deep sleeper, excellent stamina and endurance.
Mental & Emotional Traits
Calm, steady, patient, loyal, excellent long-term memory, nurturing, prefers routine, doesn't like change.
When Kapha is Balanced
You feel grounded, strong, loving, and content. Your immunity is strong, relationships are stable, and you have steady energy throughout the day.
When Kapha is Imbalanced
Weight gain, sluggishness, congestion, depression, oversleeping, resistance to change, attachment, possessiveness, lack of motivation.
What Kapha Needs
Stimulation, regular vigorous exercise, lighter foods (pungent, bitter, astringent), variety, warmth, early rising, new experiences. Avoid heavy foods, excessive sleep, and too much routine.
What if I'm More Than One Dosha?
Most people are actually a combination of two doshas—this is completely normal. The most common combinations are:
- •Vata-Pitta: Creative and driven, but can burn out quickly. Needs both grounding AND cooling.
- •Pitta-Kapha: Strong and determined, but can become stubborn. Needs both cooling AND stimulation.
- •Vata-Kapha: Adaptable and steady, but can feel stuck. Needs both warming AND lightening.
Some people are tri-doshic (equal parts all three), which is rare and requires balancing all three energies.
Shaanti's quiz determines your exact constitutional ratio—not just "you're a Vata" but whether you're 60% Vata / 30% Pitta / 10% Kapha, for example. This precision matters because your recommendations are calibrated to YOUR specific balance.
Your Birth Constitution vs. Current Imbalance
In Ayurveda, there are two important concepts:
Prakriti is your birth constitution—the dosha balance you were born with. This doesn't change throughout your life. It's your natural baseline, your body's default setting.
Vikriti is your current state—the dosha imbalances you're experiencing right now due to diet, lifestyle, stress, seasons, or life circumstances. This changes constantly.
For example, you might be born with a Pitta-dominant constitution (prakriti), but due to stress, travel, and irregular eating, you're currently experiencing Vata imbalance (vikriti).
Why this matters: Effective Ayurvedic guidance addresses BOTH—honoring your natural constitution while correcting current imbalances. Shaanti's quiz evaluates both your prakriti and vikriti to give you recommendations that work for where you are RIGHT NOW.
How to Find Your Dosha
Quick Self-Assessment (1 minute)
Answer these three questions honestly—think about your NATURAL tendencies, not how you've been lately:
- Body temperature: Are you usually cold and need layers (Vata), warm and prefer cool environments (Pitta), or neutral and adaptable (Kapha)?
- Appetite: Is your appetite variable/forget to eat (Vata), strong/can't skip meals without getting irritable (Pitta), or slow/can easily skip meals (Kapha)?
- Under stress: Do you become anxious and worried (Vata), irritable and critical (Pitta), or withdrawn and unmotivated (Kapha)?
Your most common answers suggest your dominant dosha. But this is just a starting point—most people need a more thorough assessment.
Comprehensive AI Assessment (Recommended)
Shaanti's AI-powered dosha quiz evaluates your physical characteristics, digestion patterns, energy levels, and mental tendencies to determine both your birth constitution (prakriti) and current state of imbalance (vikriti). You'll get:
- •Your exact dosha ratio (not just "you're a Vata")
- •Your current imbalances to address
- •Personalized diet recommendations
- •Ideal daily routine for your type
- •Sleep and energy optimization tips
- •Seasonal adjustments for your constitution
Why Knowing Your Dosha Matters
Generic wellness advice doesn't work because different bodies need different things:
- •The diet that helps your friend lose weight might make YOU gain weight
- •The morning routine that energizes a Kapha might exhaust a Vata
- •The exercise that balances a Pitta might overheat them further
- •The sleep advice for a Vata might make a Kapha more sluggish
When you know your dosha, you stop guessing. You stop trying every new wellness trend hoping something sticks. You start following guidance designed specifically for YOUR constitutional type—and things actually start working.
This is why Ayurveda has lasted 5,000 years. It's not one-size-fits-all. It's personalized medicine that honors your unique body.
Ready to Discover Your Dosha?
Shaanti is an AI-powered Ayurvedic wellness platform that determines your dosha and provides personalized recommendations and products for diet, exercise, sleep, and lifestyle.
Take our free quiz to discover your unique constitution and get guidance that actually works for YOUR body.
No credit card required. No account needed to start.