WE ARE ALL UNIQUE. We each have very different constitutions, externally, internally, emotionally, and spiritually. This is due to the fact that we carry our own one-of-a-kind combinations of the elements of air, fire, earth, water and space within each of those sectors of the self. So, while we all share much in common, we are not the same. The idea what's good for one person's body is also good for another's is a very limited, limiting concept of Western medicine that is gradually being abandoned by medical practitioners who have recognized the uniqueness of every human body. Our diets, health care, exercise routines, and other healthful practices are most effective when they take into account our very particular needs.

We are born with our individual constitutions, and they stay with us our entire lives. How we treat our bodies, minds, and spirits affects the balance of the elements within our highly customized makeups. There are specific foods, habits, and exercises that might promote well-being within one person, yet increase stress within another.

We can, and should, tailor our daily routines of nurturing habits to the specific needs and inclinations of each of our bodies. Before creating a routine, we each should study ourselves and our makeups so that we can most wisely choose the foods, scents, forms of movement, and other factors that will help us find our own perfect balance. The discoveries you make about yourself will help you to incorporate informed choices from the menus of practices.

How do we figure all this out? There's a very scientific, proven method of learning what our individual constitutions are, based on the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and other indigenous holistic traditions from around the globe. The questionnaire will help you to diagnose your particular Ayurvedic makeup of the elements, and determine what foods, essential oils, and exercises work best with your nature.

Ayurveda, an approach to prevention of illness, healing, and overall well-being, is one of the oldest healing traditions in the world. It dates back more than 3,500 years to the Vedas, divine Hindu texts of knowledge from India. But it is not based merely on religion and culture. The scientific explanations and approaches to healing presented in those ancient texts are taken very seriously by the modern medical community, in both the East and the West, and, lately, often are integrated into typically Western medical practices. There are specific Ayurvedic approaches to every aspect of medicine, including surgery and psychology. Both Freud and Jung studied Ayurvedic psychology as they were formulating their own theories on the subject.

Ayurveda considers our mind, our body, and our spirit, and helps us assess what we require on all levels in order to be in balance, making it a fully integrated medical system. At the root of Ayurvedic philosophy are the five elements: air, fire, earth, water, and space.

Other ancient indigenous traditions and modern practitionersof complementary medicine employ these elements aswell, as they look to understand an individual's relationship to the universe, which is also made up of those five elements. Native American, African, Chinese, and Tibetan medicine are among the other practices that incorporate the five elements as the basic building blocks of everything in the universe, and the variables that determine the different characteristics each individual entity in it displays.

We all possess some of each of the five elements, but within our own compositions some are amplified, and others are subdued. This allows for the vast variety of forms that energy takes on our physical plane of existence. It will be helpful to use the Ayurvedic model of doshas, or certain common element combinations, to understand your own elemental makeup.

Take the Dosha Questionnaire

Read about Kapha - Earth and Water

Read about Pitta - Fire

Read about Vata - Air and Space