01.06 what's your dosha?

i begin my day with a swig from the bottle of good ole safi syrup.

also known as liquid hell.

safi is a blood purifier made with 24 natural essences, and the most vile tasting concotion ever. i've been instructed take it every morning by the doc at the ayurvedic centre to help fix the trouble he found in my solar plexus during my reflexology treatment...

according to the label, safi cures skin blemishes, rashes, nose bleeding, eruptions, measles, burning fiery pee (the label says micturition!!), and general lassitude (also known aas a state of comatose stupor). yes, that's right! safi to the rescue!

the label omits any mention of my poor solar plexus. but i'll forge ahead. aside from tasting like tar and gasoline, i'm sure it can't do much harm.

the dosha
i found an interesting introduction to the three main categories of body type according to the ayurveda. ayurveda, the science of life, focuses on mainatining a healthy spirit, body and mind. the categories are called doshas - there's vata, pitta and kapha. each one represents a combination of two elements, from air, fire and water. most people have one or two dominant doshas and one or two 'recessive' ones.

i'm mainly vata (air and space), with some pitta and less kapha, so i'm vatta-pitta-kapha. according to the most revered ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, the characteristics of vata dosha are:

:dry and rough (rookshaha); cool (sheetoha); light--lacking weight (laghuhu); very tiny, penetrating molecules (sookhshmaha); always moving (chalota); broad, unlimited, unbounded--akash means unbounded space (vishadaha); and rough (kharaha).

....vata tend to be thin, with a slender frame and prominent joints, delicate skin that is naturally dry, and dry voluminous hair. They are quick and lively in thought, speech and action, and make friends easily. There is an element of airiness to their step, a quality of lightness in their laughter. Change is usually their second name. They are light sleepers and gravitate towards warm environments. Creativity and enthusiasm are hallmarks of balanced Vata.

it goes on to describe the lifestyles and the diets preferred by my fellow "vatans". normally i would pooh-pooh all this but as i read more, i'm agreeing with a lot of what it says. i'm like a kid learning about electricity and conductivity for the very first time. shabash!! no more the ayurvedic virgin. i'm hooked.

to find out your dosha or your natural state of "prakruti", use this great online test.

the dosha descritptions, lifestyle and balancing diets are also interesting.

there is a separate "vakruti" or imbalance test and lifestyle, exercise and diet on how to get you back to your optimal state.

amazing stuff... just no mention of the magical safi syrup...