The basic constitution prakruti can deviate by improper diet, lifestyle, and emotion called vikruti. If this basic body type deviates (vikruti) due to lifestyle stress is consider as defect or diseased state.
Determine Your Current Condition (Vikruti)
When determining your vikruti, identify problems by focusing on symptoms occurring consistently within the few weeks.
The Vikruti is a guideline to proper Ayurvedic treatment.
The emotion and perception tends to fluctuate more than the physical characteristics do, and you need to take the test multiple times to get a true picture.
Vata imbalances reflect as drying, airy, disruptive powers of the wind. Pitta imbalances reflect as burning action of fire. Kapha imbalances reflect as heaviness and stagnation of water. Location of the symptoms can also be a clue although all doshas found in every cell, still specific dosha dwells most within certain boundaries.
Vata primarily dwells in the lower abdomen, particularly in the colon; intestinal gas, pain, or constipation is the symptom of vata imbalance. Pitta primarily dwells in the middle of the body, particularly in the small intestine; burning sensation (heartburn or ulcer) is the symptom of pitta imbalance. Kapha primarily dwells in the upper part of the torso, particularly in the chest; congestion is the symptom of kapha imbalance. However, it is not the fixed rule, because doshas found in every cell and even it can produce symptoms to distant sites, other than where is actually dwell.
Points: When you take the vikruti test, put points based on the intensity and frequency of the symptoms in the last fortnight. Use the following points:
- 3 points for strong frequent symptoms
- 2 points for moderate symptoms
- 1 point for weak infrequent symptoms
- 0 points for no symptoms
You may need to ask your friends and relatives for their impressions about you then and now. You may astonish to hear from your friend/relative a different view about yourself.
Vikruti: Mental-Emotional-Behavioral Symptoms
Vikruti: Physical Symptoms and Illnesses
Compare the resultent points with your constitution (prakruti), closer to the vikruti better your health. If there is larger difference, then higher the deviation and stronger the disease condition.
The person 'A', who is consistently under pressure, his vikruti score were:
- Vata: 20 points from mental symptoms, 16 points from physical symptoms and the total is 36 points.
- Pitta: 15 points from mental symptoms, 20 points from physical symptoms and the total is 35 points.
- Kapha: 10 points from mental symptoms, 6 points from physical symptoms and the total is 16 points.
That is, his vikruti is 36V, 35P & 16K.
The prakruti of patient A; pitta is almost double of the vata. However, his vikruti has vata and pitta of same level. That means vata is deviated and it suppress the pitta causing indigestion. Additionally, the kapha marginally drops may be due to aggravated vata. Thus, the Ayurvedic treatment emphasizes to pacify aggravated vata.