What does it mean? Dharma.

Is it a religious phrase? A voodoo spiritual phrase? A catchword?

Dharma is Sanskrit and can be translated as life’s purpose. What are you here to do, learn, and share?

Now if I say, Life’s purpose” does that sound like “Soul’s purpose”? And if you think “Soul’s purpose” does that feel like we just moved the conversation out of the third dimension? If so, okay I get it. I’ll do my best to explain Dharma without hanging out in the 4D spiritual realm.

Simply ask yourself, what gifts do you have to share?  This purpose or Dharmic path can be reflected in our career path. Or in our passions. It can be reflected in the way we support our friends, family, and community.

In discovering our unique life’s purpose, it helps to identify our unique personality types. Okay, yes, I like to put people in boxes, but it has its validity. Let us take the box of introverts and extroverts for example. An “extroverted” personality type can be a great connector and succeed in sales. Easy enough? Well not quite. I feel it is important to decipher between nature versus nurture when it comes to personality. Maybe you think you are an extrovert but maybe you just went to a public school that said you had to work in groups and share ideas when in fact your brilliance comes from the allowance to work alone.

Nurture has its relevance in who we are however for the sake of discovering our Dharma let’s stick to discovering our nature and hold its value above nurture for now.

Discussing nature on a scientific level can lead to a discussion in genetics. Does that mean I look to genetics to determine my Dharma?

Well, genetic studies can find patterns of attributes in genes. For example, geneticists find that the gene: WSCD2 has a commonality to ADHD and Extraversion, a personality type from “The Big 5”. Did I lose some of you? For some, genetics can be fascinating. For others it’s “Snoozeville.” I prefer to use the language of Ayurveda when it comes to discovering our unique personality type, in turn, our “gifts”, our “purpose”, our “Dharma”.

Ayurveda is a science of the most fundamental form, the 5 basic elements! Ether, air, fire, water, earth. Ayurveda uses the language of elements to describe the world within us and around us. When we point to nature, we can all speak the same language. As well as connect better with those that prefer a more proof-driven (3D) conversation which I promised my efforts to at the beginning of this article.

So, what do the elements have to do with discovering one’s Dharma? Well, just as we are born with a specific genetic code at the time of birth, Ayurveda describes this genetic code as your Prakriti or your natural-born constitution. I’m sure we can all agree that we each have all 5 elements within us.  Ayurveda says that we each have our own unique combination of these elements. Some of us carry more fire in our constitution and some carry more earth for example. Each element carries a definable type of energy. As we define these energies, we can identify how they are expressed through our personalities.

Ayurveda science starts by condensing the 5 elements into 3 main personality types: Fire, Air, and Earth, in a simplistic form.

Let’s take fire for example. Fire can be defined as transformable. Nothing goes through fire and comes out the other end the same. The fire element is responsible for showing the light and the dark. Fire qualities also include hot and sharp. Ayurveda applies these qualities to a personality type or “dosha”. Pitta dosha represents the fire personality. If you are born with a lot of fire energy, you are here to transform things. The fire inside shows the light and dark. Fire in the mind has a linear, clear-cut, black and white way of seeing things. Fire is sharp, direct and to the point. When you decide to accomplish something, nothing will stand in your way. A pitta or fire personality type can best serve the world in positions of leadership. You are the boss! You are here to transform and get it done! Donald Trump is an example of Pitta/fire personality type.

If your genetic code is made up of more air element, Ayurveda calls this type “vata”. Someone with this airy personality type may be told, “You always have your head in the clouds” or “your mind is out in space”. Through identifying if you are a “vata” type you can learn to honor the gifts of the mind. There’s a reason your head is in the clouds because it’s pretty cool up there. Air/space has no resistance. Anything is possible in this element. This is where ideas live before, they exist in earthly form. If you are a vata prakriti your Dharmic path is likely to align with innovations, inventions, big dreams! Find a time and space to honor your daydreams. Your brilliance lies in bringing your expansive and fast-moving ideas down from space. Steve Jobs can be categorized as a Vata/air personality type.

Lastly are the earthy types or “kapha” dosha. Earth represents stability and structure. Earth energy is slow and steady. “Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson. A person with a lot of earth energy can bring to the world a calm, safe and stable presence. The patient earth energy type tends to be more of a listener than a talker. If this sounds like you, your caring and giving nature can best serve the world in roles such as: a therapist, nurse, a teacher, or caregiver. Oprah can be categorized as a Kapha personality type.

One Dosha or personality type is not better than the other. They each carry unique gifts. Remember we all have these elements in us and can connect with each one at any given time. The goal is simply to discover which element(s) make up the most of your natural-born constitution, therefore, honoring the energy you came to Earth with. When we operate from this energy, we have more of ourselves to give.

The Dharmic path is both an inward path and an outward path. An inward discovering of self in our unique attributes and what excites us. Subsequently, it’s an outward discovery of how we can share our attributes and excitement. Then a repeat of the practice. Diving deeper into the vast Self then continuing to share our expression with the expanding world. Adjusting and fine-tuning along the way.

To discover more about your Life’s purpose, Check out my, “Discover your Dosha” quiz here.

Or reach out to me here for scheduling your private session. Part of my Dharma is to guide others to their Dharma!

One of my favorite questions to ask my clients when navigating Life’s purpose is:

“What is a need you see in the world?”

“What have you, will you, or are you doing to fulfill this need?”

With Love,
Liz

The genetic research study can be found here.