It governs all movement, and carries both Pitta and Kapha. Pitta is hot, light, fluid, subtle, sharp, malodorous, soft and clear. It governs heat, temperature and all chemical reactions. Kapha is cold, wet, heavy, slow, dull, static, smooth, dense and cloudy. It maintains substance, weight and coherence in the body.
Individual constitution is acquired at birth and remains constant through life.
Through Ayurvedic books, teachers, and courses, one is able to determine one's individual constitution and thereby knowing which direction to take for self-diagnosis purposes. The above is simply a brief summary of Ayurvedic principles. If you would like more information on Ayurveda, upon request, there are excellent books available to further one's knowledge of this wonderful 5,000 year old ancient science of self-healing.