Ayurvedic practitioners believe that there are three universal governing forces within each person. They are called doshas and are described as fire, air and earth. Your dosha defines not only your physical characteristics (body shape, skin type, colouring and metabolism), but also your emotional and mental temperament. It is believed that you may display characteristics from more than one dosha, but when the less dominant elements grow too strong, illness will occur.

Fire (pitta)- ambitious, focused and of medium build; can be irritable or argumentative

Earth (kapha)- slow-moving, curvaceous and placid; tends to put on weight easily and dislikes change