and spoke to a man and his partner. They’d both taken a dosha test: he was more vata, his partner more kapha, which felt like a huge obstacle to them. They wanted to eat meals together that were good for both of them, but when you’re so different, how do you go about it? They’d started by just coordinating their breakfasts, because the rest simply became too complicated.
I understand that confusion, because I recently took a dosha test myself, just to see how it all worked again. If you’re in balance, do you have dry skin, skin that’s easily irritated and red, or oily skin? Err… none of the three…? Do you have full, plump lips, thin lips or very red lips? Err… something in between…? So it’s tricky to find an answer and even to work out what my healthy, balanced state is, which is what the questions are aiming at.
I don’t know many people who are currently in their natural, healthy state either. That is, with regular, easy bowel movements, a healthy appetite, easy digestion, a good night’s sleep, energy for the day, and no pain or discomfort.
And that’s exactly where a dosha test can let you down. It tells you something about your constitution, your foundation, who you are when everything’s going well.
But most people who take such a test often do so because something isn’t right. In that case, you’re not looking for your constitution. You’re looking for what’s currently out of balance.
When we looked into it together with that couple from the festival, it turned out that their imbalances weren’t as far apart as their constitutions might have suggested. A Vata person and a Kapha person can both have similar imbalances that manifest in different ways. And suddenly, it becomes a lot easier to sit down together.
There’s nothing wrong with a dosha test. But it assumes you’re healthy. And if you’re not, there’s a chance you might actually make your symptoms worse.
That’s why I’ve created the At Home in Your Body starter kit – to take that first step in understanding what’s going on for you right now, and what will help you with it. You can find it if you click on the picture below.
much love,
Rianne
