Vikruti - #2704

Lately, I’ve been reading about Ayurveda and came across the term vikruti, but I’m not entirely sure what it means. From what I understand, vikruti is different from your natural dosha constitution prakruti, and it represents an imbalance in the body. Is that correct? How do you determine your vikruti, and how is it different from just knowing your dosha? The reason I’m asking is that I’ve been experiencing some strange changes in my body and mind over the last few months. For example, I used to have a pretty stable digestion and consistent energy throughout the day, but now I’m constantly bloated, tired by the afternoon, and can’t focus on work like I used to. Could these symptoms be related to my vikruti? I also read that vikruti can change over time depending on lifestyle, diet, and even stress. That makes sense because I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately at work and haven’t been eating as healthy as I should. Could this have triggered an imbalance? Does knowing your vikruti help in addressing these types of issues? Another thing I’m confused about is how to balance your vikruti if it’s different from your prakruti. For instance, if someone’s natural dosha is Kapha, but their vikruti shows a Vata imbalance, do they need to follow treatments for Vata, Kapha, or both? And how do you even measure vikruti? Is it something I can figure out on my own, or do I need to see an Ayurvedic practitioner? I’d also like to know if certain diets or routines are better for addressing specific types of vikruti. For example, would warm, grounding foods help with Vata-related imbalances, or are there other things I should focus on? And how long does it typically take to correct an imbalance once you’ve identified your vikruti?