Thursday, November 12, 2009
Coming across a photograph of myself with my very good friend D., it occurred to me that everytime I see it, I chuckle and note, "kapha and vata" (referring to the two of us, respectively) in some layer of my mind.
While training for my yoga teacher's 20
0-hour certification, we studied a bit about Ayurveda ("knowledge of life"), the traditional form of medicine prominent in India and slowly gaining a foothold as an alternative form of medicine in the West. Yoga and Ayurveda are complementary and interwoven disciplines, and every serious yogi should have at least a very basic knowledge. So it was that, early on in the program, we were assigned to read texts by two leading practitioners, Vasant Lad and David Frawley.
There is a very simple assessment - every certified yoga teacher is familiar with it - that helps you determine your dosha, or constitution. Every body comprises the three doshas - vata (air), kapha (earth) and pitta (fire), and most people manifest one or two primarily. We were assigned to take the assessment and discuss at our next session. I'm not going to bore you with an introductory lesson in ayurveda, but it became clear to just about everyone that you didn't want to be a kapha. While pitta people were fiery and vata's were lean, it seemed we all interpreted kapha attributes to point to an underlying truth: You're fat, you're slow, you're lazy. Trust me, nobody wanted to be kapha. I completed the assessment (several times), finagled my way to pitta-vata at some point and stuck with it. When the assignments were returned, a message in red ink read, "Oh, I would have thought pitta-kapha!" Hrrumph!
In the nearly two years since that assignment, the truth has made itself abundantly clear. I am the very epitome of kapha, tempered by pitta. Slow to act, slow to react and slow to anger; yet balanced by a certain focus, passion and yen for control.
So I came across the picture again today. It's a wonderful picture, with an abundance of all the best attributes of kapha and vata. What a beautiful balance.
As a kapha, my traits are more or less:
 | Easygoing, relaxed, slow-paced. Agreed! |
| Affectionate and loving. Not always outwardly so, but...yeah. |
| Forgiving, compassionate, nonjudgmental nature Stable and reliable; faithful. Yup. |
| Physically strong and with a sturdy, heavier build. Mmmm....yeah.... |
| Have the most energy of all constitutions, but it is steady and enduring, not explosive. Steady, that's me. |
| Slow moving and graceful. I'll need an outside opinion on this one, but it seems right... |
| Slow speech, reflecting a deliberate thought process. Yup. |
| Slower to learn, but never forgets; outstanding long-term memory. So true! |
| Soft hair and skin; tendency to have large "soft" eyes and a low, soft voice. Maybe one trait I don't manifest... |
| Tend toward being overweight; may also suffer from sluggish digestion. Well, I sure don't run because I like it. |
| Prone to heavy, oppressive depressions. Unfortunately so, but much more balanced since practicing yoga. |
| More self-sufficient, need less outward stimulation than do the other types A mild, gentle, and essentially undemanding approach to life. True that. |
| Sexually Kaphas are the slowest to be aroused, but they also have the most endurance. Um, wait...what? (*blush*) |
| Excellent health, strong resistance to disease. Pretty much. |
| Slow to anger; strive to maintain harmony and peace in their surroundings. Yessiree. |
| Not easily upset and can be a point of stability for others. So I've been told. |
| Tend to be possessive and hold on to things, people, money; good savers. Don't like cold, damp weather. Make that another trait I don't exhibit - I'm not possessive, not a great saver, and love, love, love rainy weather. |
| Physical problems include colds and congestion, sinus headaches, respiratory problems including asthma and wheezing, hay fever, allergies, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Uh, I swear this is the last donut. :) |
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2 comments:
Yes, a perfect balance!
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