What's Your Body Type?

An Introduction to the Four Temperaments

You can access a recording of this post here

Our physical body is subject to the forces of nature. These forces of nature include the elements of earth, air, fire and water. In addition, our bodies are subject to the polarities that are inherent in living in this world. We see this reflected in the dynamics of hot and cold, dry and damp, expansion and contraction. Our bodies are each a unique reflection of the interplay of these elements and forces they are subject to. You might appreciate reading this article first, in order to get a background understanding on energetics. I owe my understanding regarding the temperaments to the work of the late Dr. Guéniot, a brilliant teacher and gifted clinician.

In this post I will share with you my interpretation of the interplay of the doshas from our understanding of Ayurvedic medicine, together with the temperaments. On the diagram above, I also include some orientation to the five elements of TCM. This framework is in no way set in stone. It is an ongoing exploration of how we can integrate these concepts and come to a better understanding in how to best support overall health within an energetic framework.

THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS

Lymphatic - cold, damp, relaxed/expanded and congested tissue states

Sanguinous - expressed primarily as heat, expansion and congestion

Bilious - primarily warm, dry and contracted with a tendency to stagnation

Nervous - primarily cold, dry and contracted

There are morphological, physiological and behavioural aspects to temperament. Meaning - it affects our body shape/structure - whether we tend to be curvier, more angular, heavier set or wiry and thin. It affects our physiology, determining the types of symptoms and health conditions we may be prone to. And finally, it expresses itself through our mental, emotional and behavioural tendencies.

We have all of these elements and forces of nature within us to a greater or lesser extent. One is not better than the other. They all have their place, their inherent gifts and challenges. Let’s take a look at the four temperaments and see if we might be able to recognize our own body’s unique patterns in their expression.

LYMPHATIC TEMPERAMENT

The Lymphatic temperament was called phlegmatic in Galenic medicine and associated with the humor “phlegm”. The lymphatic temperament is related to the Ayurvedic concept of Kapha, which expresses itself through the qualities of cold, damp and relaxed tissues, with a tendency to congestion, especially that of the lymphatic system. The tongue is often swollen and usually moist.

Those with a lymphatic temperament are physically strong with a sturdy, heavier build. They are slow and steady, having the most energy of all constitutions, but it is enduring, not explosive. They are slow moving and graceful with a tendency to slow speech, reflecting a deliberate thought process. They are slower to learn, but they never forget. They have an outstanding long-term memory.

They tend to be easygoing, relaxed, affectionate and loving, forgiving, and compassionate, with a non-judgmental nature. Being slow to anger, they strive to maintain harmony and peace in their surroundings. They are calm and not reactive emotionally. Being not easily upset, they are often a point of stability for others. Stable and reliable; faithful.

Self content and kind. They are often quite self-sufficient, needing less outward stimulation than do the other types. They have a mild, gentle, and essentially undemanding approach to life. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats. Like the sanguine personality, the lymphatic person often enjoys being around people. Being reliable and compassionate, the lymphatic person is a dependable friend. 

They are receptive and absorb things from the world around them. They tend to be possessive and hold on to things, people, money. They are good at saving, accumulating, amassing, managing and owning. They have a tendency to want to avoid physical activity and work, yet they are good at managing others and getting others to do the work. They may tend to be a bit lazy and resistant to change.

Some Symptoms of Lymphatic Imbalance

They may be prone to heavy, oppressive depressions. Depressed, sad, overly sentimental. Slow to comprehend and slow to react. They may tend to dependency, possessiveness, greed - clingy, hanging on to people and ideas. They may experience sluggish thinking, dull thinking, feeling groggy all day, apathetic, no desire, procrastination, lethargy, sleeping too much. Very tired in the morning, hard to get out of bed

Anabolism predominates their metabolism so they tend to gain weight easily. They tend to take in more than they expend energetically. They can tend to disorders of the venous and lymphatic circulation, with a tendency to passive congestion - clogging up, venous issues, risk of stroke, phlebitis, varicose veins, venous blood stagnation. A tendency to mucus and congestion in the chest, throat, nose or sinuses. Edema, water retention. There may be a tendency to inefficient immune defences, lymph node swellings, growths, cysts. There may be intestinal, or digestive pathologies, problems on the level of the abdomen, bloating. Sluggish digestion, food "just sits" in the stomach.

SANGUINOUS TEMPERAMENT

The Sanguinous temperament was called sanguine in Galenic medicine and associated with blood. In Ayurvedic medicine the sanguinous temperament relates to one aspect of the Pitta dosha that expresses itself through fire and expansion with a tendency to circulatory congestion or stagnation. You will see some expression of heat and redness that is often reflected in a red elongated tongue. Their body type is often more expanded in the upper body, in the area of the heart and chest, often having broad shoulders.

For the sanguinous person, it’s all about communication, connection and emotion. The sanguinous person is lighthearted, fun loving, a people person, extroverted. They make easy contact with others and need that contact. They love to experience and enjoy life. They like going out, going to restaurants. They are passionate and romantic. They need to talk, to communicate. They make great public speakers. They love to entertain. They are skilled in sales, marketing and commerce. They work with their heart and do not count their hours. They are spontaneous and confident. They have a thirst for life. They are adaptable. They are competitive, enjoy challenges and they can see the final goal. They tend to be assertive, self-confident, and entrepreneurial. They are not particularly orderly or detail oriented and can tend to be a bit all over the place. They have big picture vision of things.

Some Symptoms of Sanguinous Imbalance

They have a tendency to invade other’s space, put their nose in other people’s business, be a bit overwhelming. They can be a busy body, tells tall tales and talk too much. They can be superficial and tend to be disorganized. When out of balance the fire energy of desire can express itself in an aggressive, demanding, or pushy manner. They can be angry, irritable, hostile, enraged, destructive, reckless. When they anger it is an impulsive kind of anger versus bilious anger which is more thought out and intellectual. They can be arrogant, cocky and indulgent. They can be day dreamy and off task – not accomplishing anything. They tend to be hyperactive. Can be impulsive, acting on whims, unpredictable.

They may tend to inflammation, heat and redness - high fevers with brutal onset, intense infection, skin rashes, bloodshot eyes, allergic tendencies. They tend to digestive problems including heartburn, reflux, stomach ulcers, diarrhea, food allergies. They are prone to issues related to the circulatory system manifesting as active versus passive congestion - stroke, cerebral congestion, acute hypertension, heart attack.

BILIOUS TEMPERAMENT

The bilious temperament was called choleric in Galenic medicine and associated with “yellow bile”. In Ayurvedic medicine the bilious temperament relates to one branch of the expression of the Pitta dosha related to heat, and in this case the accompanying qualities of dryness and tension associated with the liver. The bilious person tends to a medium physique, muscled, strong, well-built, angular and may have a broad or square jaw. The tongue is often muscular and often dry or coated. It may have a tendency to tremble or shake.

They are focused, rational, objective, decisive, direct, firm, independent and responsible. They are orderly, categorizing, scrutinizing, organizing, analytical and efficient. They have a sharp mind and good powers of concentration. They tend to be assertive and self confident, and like a good challenge. They are practical and strong willed and want to see results. They are a doer and a leader and want to be in command. They are driven by purpose. Without purpose, they lose interest. They are not good at delegating tasks, they want to do it themselves. They can be opinionated and stubborn. They tend to have a lot of ambition, energy and passion which they may try to instill in others. They can dominate others. Their priority is to action rather than to debate. They are not very communicative or outgoing. When they do communicate they tend to be commanding, directing and speak with confidence. They are rigorous and tend to have high standards. They are demanding of self as well as others. Having good management and leadership ability, they make good organizers, entrepreneurs, business owners, managers, supervisors, project managers, leaders, attorneys.

Some Symptoms of Bilious Imbalance

Others may find them stubborn, pushy, opinionated. They can be easily irritated, angered, frustrated, bad-tempered, hostile, enraged, destructive, impatient. They are intolerant of contradiction, argumentative, aggressive, bossy, controlling. They can be sarcastic, cutting, mean-spirited, suspicious, close minded. May not trust others. They may be closed to contact with others and not communicate. If their drive for leadership is out of balance they risk becoming domineering and authoritarian.

In the bilious temperament we can see problems of metabolism related to cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, gout, blood sugar issues, poor liver or kidney function. A tendency to pain, spasms, osteoarthritis, arteritis, angina, atherosclerosis, and sclerosis or retraction of tissues in general. There can be a tendency to hormonal problems, acne, boils, anemia, vision problems, jaundice.

NERVOUS TEMPERAMENT

The nervous temperament was called melancholic in Galenic medicine and associated with the humor termed “black bile”. Black bile is associated with melancholia which we often interpret to mean depression, but it is in fact a much wider definition that points more to the tendency for someone to ponder, to always be thinking about things, to be in their head and in their thinking brain. The nervous temperament is related to the element of air and related primarily to patterns affecting the brain and nervous system. The nervous temperament can be compared to the Vata dosha, embodying the qualities cold, dry and contracted. The tongue is often thin and dry, and may even tend to be cracked. This person tends to have a more wiry or slight build. Their body tends to extreme catabolism and they often have a hard time gaining weight. They have a tendency toward cold hands and feet, and feel discomfort in cold climates. Their energy often comes in short bursts with a tendency to tire easily and overexert.

They are often introverted, timid and shy. They are highly imaginative and quick thinking. They have a tendency to act on impulse. They may have racing and or disjointed thoughts. They are quick to learn and grasp new knowledge but also quick to forget. They tend to talk and walk quickly. Easily excited and sensitive to stimuli, they may tend to changeable moods. They tend to lack of routine, or are easily thrown off of their routine. Distracted. Being are excitable, lively and fun, they can be full of joy and enthusiasm when in balance. Often very kind and considerate. They can be highly creative in poetry and art but can also become overly pre-occupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world thus becoming depressed. Often a perfectionist, they can be very particular about things. They can tend to be self critical, always pointing out to themselves what should be improved. They tend to have high standards and fear of making mistakes. They often respond to stress with fear, worry, and anxiety, especially when they are out of balance.

Spending a great deal of time in their head, they are often in their own world. They tend to be quite serious, often disconnected from how they are feeling. As such, they are organized, logical, analytical, detail oriented, conscientious and factual. They prefer when things are well planned out in advance. Being very creative, they can make excellent researchers and scholars. They like discovering new ideas. They are often great at solving problems. Being detail oriented they make good accountants, computer programmers, engineers, pharmacists, doctors, artists, writers, technicians.

Some Symptoms of Nervous Imbalance

They can tend to anxiety and worry. They can be tired yet unable to relax. They experience fatigue and poor stamina. They can be very sensitive to the cold. They can be nervous, fearful, unable to concentrate and have an agitated mind. They may tend to bite their nails. They have a hard time making decisions and may be self defeating. They can be restless, impatient, hyperactive, spaced out. They may tend to insomnia, waking up during the night and not able to get back to sleep

They tend to dry rough skin, dry eyes, dry hair and chapped lips. They don't perspire much. Typical health problems may include headaches, hypertension, anxiety, irregular heart rate, palpitations, fainting spells, constipation, gas and bloating, hiccoughs, nervous stomach, menstrual cramps. Generalized aches, sharp pains, muscle spasms, low back pain, arthritis, stiff and painful joints,Fainting spells. Heart palpitations.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

We are all an integration of these temperaments, so don’t get stuck on just one of them. Over time, throughout life, the way these temperaments express themselves can change based on life experiences and societal influences. For example, living in this fast paced, disconnected digital world can have a tendency to aggravate the Nervous or “Vata” patterns in most of us. The power hungry patterns of our culture can aggravate the Bilious patterns around domination and control. The influences of our consumer driven culture can aggravate Sanguinous patterns around desire or Lymphatic patterns towards over accumulation. Our Lymphatic tendencies can also be aggravated by our societal tendencies to overeat and be couch potatoes. Whatever it is, we want to be aware of how the way we live our lives may be impacting the expression of our temperament and throwing us further out of balance.

When assessing someone’s temperament, we consider not only the prevailing temperament of the person’s life. In addition we look at the life phase that one is currently moving through as this also affects the expression of temperament. In infancy the lymphatic temperament prevails. In childhood, sanguinous. In adulthood, bilious. As we age, the nervous temperament become stronger in its expression.

We will continue to further explore these concepts regarding energetics and tissue states as they apply to our lifestyle choices and dietary habits so that we can begin to understand how to make the best choices to support our inherent temperament patterns. As well we will continue to look at foods, teas, herbs and spices from the perspective of energetics so that we can begin to understand which of these are best suited to our unique body type.

You can find the post on an Intro to Energetics HERE.

You can find the post on Understanding Plant Energetics HERE.