It means taking a look at everything from how you wake up to how much you eat at each meal and the environment in which you eat. When we were treating Jennifer we started by giving her a test we got from one of the books we read. The test was to figure out her dominant Dosha by asking her questions about her usual state of health. We determined she was a dominantly Vata type, which was mostly confirmed by the physical characteristics of Vata. Doshas each have elements they are associated with.
Different elements affect different aspects of the personality.
They are also associated with the four seasons, as are Doshas. Being a Vata means your dominant elements are fire and wind. This goes into determining what is a balanced state for an individual, and what thinks are likely to go wrong with a person and how to fix the things that are unhealthy. Doshas are also important in determining what food people should eat to get them in balance because different types of foods increase and decrease different Doshas. Also, largely because Doshas have to do with personalities, they can be used to determine what meditations and treatments someone will accept and how well they will accept them.