At Open Table, we love food. It’s our passion. But we also know that it’s not just food that nourishes us. It’s many factors including lifestyle, relationships, how we eat, exercise, environment, that impact how we show up in the world. That’s why we are big believers in Ayurveda. It encompasses all of the above, helping you to navigate your body and it’s wellness.
We love these teachings so much that we’ve invited Ayurvedic Practitioner & Author, Chara Caruthers, to host a workshop in the Open Table kitchen on the subject. Chara is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things Ayurveda. She has just released her debut book ‘Eat Like You Love Yourself’. An excellent read btw!
Below, Chara shares her explanation of what “doshas” are and links to a quiz so you can figure out yours. G’luck!
Ayurveda & Doshas – What’s it all about?
Your dosha…
No, it’s not a body part you didn’t know you had… and it’s not something you wear either. Your dosha is Ayurveda’s way of describing the essence of you.
And if you’re in any way interested in unleashing the power of Ayurveda in your life, then you’re gonna want to get familiar with the Ayurvedic view of what makes you tick. You ready…? keep reading…
The first thing you need to know is that Ayurveda is all about You. The beauty of this ancient science of living is that it knows you are 100% unique and different from every other living thing on this planet. AND it believes you should live (i.e. eat, sleep, breathe, exercise, and other wise interact with the world) from this understanding.
According to Ayurveda everything that goes on in the natural world also goes on inside the human body… We are a microcosm of the macrocosm. And we each carry and exhibit our own unique version of the natural intelligence that defines how things work in nature.
Ayurveda calls this your “True Nature” or “Prakruti” and recognizes it as a combination of elements and energies (or doshas) that is all yours and no one else’s. It’s you, as a unique signature in the world. And this combination of energies (vata – energy of movement, pitta – energy of transformation and kapha – energy of cohesion) defines everything about you from the the way you hold your hat to the way you sing off key.
The word dosha actually comes from the sanskrit meaning “something that can be made defective” (or to borrow a term from my mom “thrown out of whack”). It’s a reminder that although vata, pitta and kapha interact to keep you balanced and healthy they can also be thrown off balance and wreak havoc, creating everything from crankiness to cancer!
Alright so by now you’re probably wondering how you can determine YOUR dosha?
The good news is there are a number of ways to determine your dosha. The better news is that one of them (The Bliss Quiz) is just a click away…
But don’t go skipping off to the Quiz just yet… Make sure to consider these things before… and then after you take it:
- There’s no such thing as a “good” or “bad” dosha. Your dosha is what it is and accepting that will make the process of creating balance and bringing more bliss into your life SO much easier.
- Your dosha is expressed as your dominant energy (i.e. A quiz result of “vata” would mean that you have a predominance of vata energy, a result of “vata-pitta” would mean that you have near equal influences of both vata and pitta energy).
- Each of us is a combination of all three of the doshas (they are all at work inside and around us), however our personalities, body shape and tendencies are most likely to reflect the characteristics and qualities of primarily one or two doshas (e.g. Someone who is bubbly and creative would be likely to have a predominance of vata – the energy of movement; someone who is intense and hot headed would be most likely pitta-dominant, etc., etc.).
- Interacting with your environment (remember everything in your environment has it’s own dosha) will effect your dosha and your ability to maintain balance.
Okay so off you go! Take the quiz by clicking here.
To book into Chara’s workshop on Ayurveda for the upcoming Autumn Season, click here.
Chara Caruthers
Facebook – BlissBody&Soul
Instagram – @blissbodyandsoul
