Publication

Abstract : In the Indian medical system of Ayurveda, health results from the balanced interplay between three functional principles or dos . a – V¯ ata, Pitta, and Kapha – that regulate psychophysical functions. The relative proportion of the three dos . a in an individual determines the person's psychophysical constitution, Prakti. The aim of this pilot study was to jointly assess individuals' Prakti and personality and emotional traits, investigating convergences and divergences between the two classification approaches. Method: Data were collected among 391 adult participants through the following self-assessment instruments: Questionnaire on Dos . a Prakti AyurVeda (QDAV), specifically developed in this study to evaluate Prakti; Big Five Inventory (BFI) to assess personality; Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), to evaluate emotional profile; Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), to measure perceived health. Participants' Prakti profile was identified first through QDAV and subsequently through its implemented version QDAV-R. Individuals characterized by predominant V¯ ata, Pitta, or Kapha Prakti (N = 173) were selected for subsequent analyses. Personality, emotional profile, and perceived health were compared across these groups through nonparametric procedures. Results: QDAV-R allowed for effectively classifying participants according to their Prakti. Personality, emotional and health features reported by V¯ ata, Pitta, and Kapha participants were consistent with the corresponding descriptions provided in the Ayurveda literature. Discussion: Findings suggest that Prakti classification can be fruitfully integrated into diagnostic and treatment protocols in healthcare and psychotherapy. These results can inform future studies, aimed at combining psychophysical measures derived from different knowledge traditions within an authentically integrated and person-centered approach to health and well-being.