Here at the Chopra Center, we teach guests to balance their lives according to what dosha they are. A definition of this Sanskrit word is “mind-body constitution” or “mind-body personality.” Have you ever asked yourself, “What’s my dosha?” or “What is a dosha and what does it mean to me?”

According to Ayurveda – the 5,000-year-old “science of life” – there are five master elements or mahabhutas that make up everything within our bodies and everything outside of our bodies: space, air, fire, water, and earth. Space carries all the aspects of pure potentiality – infinite possibilities; air has the qualities of movement and change; fire is hot, direct, and transformational; water is cohesive and protective; and earth is solid, grounded, and stable.

At the moment we are conceived, these five master elements are sprinkled into our DNA and our physiology. Of course, because they are sprinkled by a divine hand, each of us has a different amount of each master element in our mind-body constitution. Certain combinations of the elements occur more frequently than others: These are space and air; fire and water; and water and earth.

These three combinations are referred to as the doshas. So when someone asks, “What’s my dosha?” the answer is found by assessing which combination of the master elements is predominant in their body and mind. If it’s mostly space and air – we call that Vata; if it’s primarily fire and water, we call that Pitta; and if it’s mostly water and earth, we refer to that as Kapha. The three doshas are Vata . . . Pitta . . . Kapha. Since each of us has all five of the master elements within us, we also have all three doshas. But typically, each person has one primary dosha.

Aside from this being a fun way to look at ourselves and everyone and everything in our lives (dogs and cats have doshas, as do cars, houses, and geographic locations), figuring out your dosha is a helpful way to maintain balance in your life. It’s like holding up a mirror to your bodymind and seeing what needs to be adjusted and healed. Once you know what your innate tendencies are, you can make more nourishing choices. One easy, natural technique that balances all of the doshas is meditation. A spacey Vata, a fiery Pitta, and a lethargic Kapha can each move forward on the path to balance through a regular meditation practice.

Take our Dosha Quiz and find out right now what’s in or out of balance in your life. If you feel overwhelmed, if you’ve been barking at people, or if you feel sluggish, completing the quiz will help you identify the cause and restore your natural equilibrium.

After you have taken the quiz, leave a comment and let us know your dosha.