Vata Body Type From Structural, Functional Mental And Social Viewpoint

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S

Table of Contents

Anatomical viewpoint

Vata constitution features from anatomical viewpoint

Appearance of body – thin, sometimes bony, less fat, tall
Texture of body – Dry and rough skin
Body weight – less, light body
Vata people are not good looking and do not have fair look
Present fissures and cracks especially in hands and feet, broken tissue, tissue and organ damages
Tendons are clearly visible on upper and lower limbs, and also in other parts of body
Veins are clearly visible on skin
Bony protrusions can be seen at bone ends and are very prominent in comparison to other body types
Thigh and leg bones look protruded due to less muscles and fat.
Hairs, beard, moustache, nails, teeth, hands and legs appear dry, rough, crackled, lack luster, deficit and greyish / dusky-white
Eyes – dry and rough, lack of moistness, dusky-white colour, round, reddish and appear like those of a corpse, open even while at sleep
Instability and hyper-mobility in eyes, brows, jaws, lips, tongue, head, shoulders, hands and feet

Read – Dry Mouth Causes, Ayurvedic Treatment, Remedies, Tips, Diet

Physiological viewpoint

Vata constitution features from physiological viewpoint

Over talkative, speak irrelevantly,
Vagabonds, moves and walks around swiftly like a quick breeze
Voice – dry, tired, low pitch, shaky / shivering, stammer, obstructed, unclear
Physical movements and other activities of daily living will be confused, unpredictable, fast and inconsistent
These people start some work / assignment with great enthusiasm in quick time but they will get distracted very soon. They may also give up task in middle, without completing it or may finish in a hurry. Quality of a finished work assigned to them will also be an unpleasing one.
One can observe joints of Vata person producing cracking sounds as they walk.
Their eyes also look tricky and confused. They keep making quick glances here and there as if they are always confused.
These people do not tolerate cold and also has aversion to cold things including cold foods, activities and climate. Cold things and comforts are incompatible to these people. When exposed to cold on long term or when coldness builds up in body, these people suffer from body stiffness, tremors and rigors and other diseases caused due to cold.
Digestive fire, appetite and digestion power of these individuals are erratic and inconsistent. Therefore their food patterns are also variable. Sometimes they eat more and sometimes less. Food also gets digested properly sometimes and at other times it is not digested properly. They usually suffer from problems related to bowel clearance like constipation.
Pungent, bitter and astringent tastes do not suit them. They are comforted with food predominant in sweet, sour and salt tastes, hot foods and hot comforts.

Read – Dandruff – Ayurvedic Treatment, Herbs, Oils, Home Remedies

Mind – Behavior

Vata constitution features from mind behavior viewpoint

These people do not have control over their senses and are quickly attracted to sense objects.
They are not god-fearing, sometimes not trustworthy, not respectable and inferior
They are thieves, are angry, harmful and ungrateful
They have unstable mind, thoughts and intellect
These people become victims of fear, anxiety, detachment, anger, agitations, emotional swings and other mind disorders in quick time
They are very quick in starting any physical or mental task
They are attracted to and love singing, music, musical instruments, dancing, fun, luxury, hunting and quarrels
They have quick grasping and short lived memory
They have less courage
There is instability in all their possessions, property, wisdom and friends or people who love them because of their fluctuant mind, thoughts and intelligence

Read – Ways To Improve Knowledge, Intelligence As Per Sushruta

Social behavior

Vata constitution features from social behaviour viewpoint

They have tendency to steal things
They keep biting their nails with teeth, indicates that they are anxious people
They are not attracted by women, nor are attractable and beloved to women
They have less progeny, less equipments, wealth and luck, less friends and compatible circle, less strength, endurance and lifespan

Dreams

Vata constitution features from viewpoint of dreams they see

Vata constitution people see one or more of below mentioned in their dreams.

Roam around and see themselves flying in sky since vata is made up of air and space element in excess
They see themselves climbing mountains and trees
Nature of activities and behavior will be similar to those of goat, jackal, rabbit, mouse, camel, dog, crow and donkey

Read – 6 Easy Tips To Stay Positive, Happy And Successful Forever

Influence of Vata qualities on Vata body type

Constitution of an individual is formed at time of conception. When sperm and ovum unite in womb so as to form embryo, if vata is predominant in embryo, vata body type is formed.
Read – Prakriti – Dosha Body Type Features As Per Master Charaka

In vata body types, vata influences fetus. Therefore, person of vata temperament will be rich in vata qualities. Each and every feature of vata body type are produced and influenced by qualities of vata.

This influence will continue even after birth, during growth phase, at all phases and ages of life and cannot be influenced or changed by anything throughout lifetime of an individual.
Read – Understand Vata Dosha By Its Functions

Ruksha Guna – Dry quality

This is one of main qualities of vata. This quality causes below mentioned features in vata personalities –

Dryness of body
Emaciation
Deficit fat in body
Person is tall and thin
Voice – dried, tired, dull, pathetic, words come with difficulty, broken, interrupted and low pitch, shivering
Less sleep, interrupted even with small noises

Read – Diet And Lifestyle Advice For Vata Dosha Body Type

Laghu Guna – Lightness quality

Light quality is responsible for producing lightness and instability in body. This quality will cause below mentioned features –

Light and unpredictable, fluctuant body movements and behaviour
All activities of body are unstable
Food these people consume, lifestyle activities will also be light and unstable. This means to tell that there is always an element of inconsistency about quantity of food vata body types will consume. Their daily activities too are unstable and inconsistent. They will be fluctuant and will be difficult to predict what activities person does today. Same things and activities and food which they like today may be rejected tomorrow.

Read – How To Balance Vata Dosha? Line Of Treatment And Reasoning

Chala Guna – movement quality

This quality is responsible for causing many movements in body parts.

This quality causes movements in bony joints, eyes, eyebrows, jaws, lips, tongue, head, shoulders, hands and legs. This is the reason that these parts of body are never stable, they are constantly in movement. These structures will always be shaking and unsteady. Movements taking place inside body like peristalsis, excretion, circulation, aeration etc are also caused by this quality of vata.

Read – Symptoms Of Vata Dosha Increase And Imbalance – Vata Vruddhi Lakshana

Bahu Guna – Excessive

Certain things and features are expressed in excess due to this quality of vata.

Vata type of people tends to speak more due to this quality.

Excess blood vessels and tendons are seen on surface of the body.

Sheeghra Guna – Quickness

Vata is quick moving. Therefore it mobilizes things quickly in body. We can imagine blowing wind with great force moving and shuffling things, often displacing them. Similar activity is carried out inside body also.

These people would achieve any task quickly, may not be perfectly. They approach every task in hurry and unorganized way. Due to this quality, there are high end emotional swings. These people suffer from fear, panic, attachments and detachments quickly.

Due to this quality, these people have quick grasping. They quickly grasp and understand any concept in offering. But due to weak memory in vata constitution, people also forget things in quick time. Therefore they have memory of things for short duration.

Read – Vata Dosha Dominance In Different Body Parts – How it affects health?

Sheeta Guna – Coldness

Cold quality of vata increases coldness in body. People with vata body type will not tolerate cold when it is beyond limits. Cold foods, comforts and season would increase coldness in body beyond levels of tolerance. These people are prone to suffer from illnesses caused by excessive coldness, chillness, tremors and stiffness in body parts.

Read – Ayurvedic Winter Regimen – 75 Diet And Lifestyle Tips

Parusha Guna – Harsh / Rough

This quality contributes to roughness and hardness of many structures of body. Hairs, beard, nail, body hair, teeth, hands, legs and body of these people are rough, brittle and hard.

Vishadha Guna – Clear / Distinct

This causes distinct demarcation of body parts. These people will have cracked and scaly skin. This quality also causes sounds in joints while walking or movements.

Read – Sensitive Skin: Diet Changes, Ayurvedic Remedies, Medicines

Overall effect of these qualities on temperament of person

Owing to above said qualities of vata, vata constitution persons will have –