Prakriti

Prakruti is the unique psychophysical makeup and functional habits of a person. Each person's combination and proportions of vata, pitta, and kapha are determined by the genetics, diet, lifestyle, and emotions of the parents at the time of conception. This combination, set at conception, forms the person's constitution.

There are seven possible combinations of vata, pitta, and kapha. For example, a person might be mostly kapha with secondary pitta and small vata (V1 P2 K3), or equally pitta and vata with small kapha (V3 P3 K1). A few rare individuals are born with equal proportions of all three doshas (V3 P3 K3) and experience good health and excellent digestion. However, the majority of people will have one or two doshas predominant.

Not every person with the same ratio of doshas is identical — even when quantities are the same, the qualities express in different ways. For example, one person with high vata may be more cold while another with the same proportion may be more dry. With proper diet and lifestyle, people of any constitution can maintain balance and optimal health. The prakruti, as one's genetic code, does not change during one's lifetime except in rare cases.