Continuing to expose yourself to vata qualities will increase vata dosha within you. 5-6 hours after a meal - Five to six hours after a meal, Vata rises when blood sugar levels dip and the body gets hungry. Vata provocation can lead to constriction throughout the body including in the muscles, GI tract, colon, and circulation. Then repeat. In general, it is best to move through life as if you were a master. Reduce the amount of barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, and rye that you consume. When out of balance, Vata will cause spaciness, anxiety, insomnia, constipation, dry/rough skin, headache, back/joint pain, cold hands and feet, etc. It is therefore best for vata individuals to seek out physical and emotional environments, routines, and foods that possess these opposite qualities. Here is a link to what a vata pitta reducing diet may look like. Dry and cold weather conditions can increase your vata. It’s cool, dry, rough, and erratic—and anything with similar properties will tend to increase it. Vata is balanced by a diet of freshly cooked, whole foods that are soft or mushy in texture, rich in protein and fat, seasoned with a variety of warming spices, and served warm or hot. I always seem to be overwhelmed. Vata-soothing spices — vanilla, aswan, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, hing, turmeric and more — are also ingredients to work into Ayurvedic diet recipes. Disproportionate features. Medicines are substances that decrease the excess dosha by providing the opposite qualities to it. How to balance the Vata Dosha. If you accumulate too much Vata, you’re likely to feel nervous, spacy, or overstimulated. All rights reserved. The qualities of Vata are dry, light, cool, rough, subtle, and mobile.— Ashtanga Hrdayam: Sutrasthana I:11. Discover Vata body type basics and how to balance high Vata dosha using diet and lifestyle. I should be more on top of this life thing. The next few newsletters will help you find out whether you’re having elemental problems and how you can fix them. Stress Alert Angular face. In Ayurvedic terms, Vata has such qualities as space (Akasha in Sanskrit) and air (Vayu). You have to identify the qualities of that input and then ask yourself which dosha must be present. V: Well, I guess I’m not as capable as everyone else. To replenish ojas, follow the routine for your mind/body type. One of the wonderfully practical aspects of Ayurveda is that anything can be used as a medicine because everything that exists has a quality. Vata Dosha is essential to the body as it governs movement and communication. Here is a link to what a vata pitta reducing diet may look like. They appear to be underdeveloped and a bit weak. Signs of vata imbalance A Vata diet is a diet best suited to those with a Vata imbalance or Vata body type. It is common for our predominant dosha (vata, pitta, or kapha) to increase more quickly than other doshas because we tend to perpetuate what we know best. Qualities opposite to vata are moist, grounding, warming, smooth, oily, and stabilizing. It may manifest as extremes; as in being very tall or very short or being drastically different weights at different times in your life. Vata is governing manifestation and principle force, which is responsible for movement, communication, transportation, respiration, circulation, elimination and thinking. This can lead to exhaustion of the nervous system, which in turn causes emotional and physical restlessness and eventual “dis-ease.” While a routine can feel contrary to your nature, it can be extremely beneficial for you to incorporate into your life. We live in a hectic world, full of sensory stimulation. However, quite the opposite is common. When selecting sweet foods, note that naturally sweet foods like many grains, squashes, and most fruits are appropriate, but processed foods high in refined sugars are not at all balancing for vata. Both vata and pitta are also diminished by water (warm preferably). Controls movement in body (mental and physical) such as respiration, heartbeat, motivation, contraction of muscles, and natural urges. Vata foods for winter (that is, fall and early winter, the vata time of year), should especially focus on foods with these vata-balancing qualities. Vata Body Type – Vata Personality Characteristics. It’s cool, dry, rough, and erratic—and anything with similar properties will tend to increase it. For example, because vata is inherently cool—cool weather, cool foods, the cool seasons and times of day, and even cool emotions can increase vata. To achieve maximum benefit, meditate for 20 to 30 minutes, twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. Signs of pitta imbalance. Vata is cool, dry, rough and light, so eating foods that neutralize these qualities—foods that are warm, moist, oily, smooth, and nourishing—can help to balance excess vata. Decreasing or Balancing Vata Like Increases Like. A basic tenet of Ayurveda is "like increases like." Begin with the head and work your way slowly down to the feet. The main qualities of vata are dry, light, cool, rough, subtle, and mobile. The dialogue of Vata (V) and Pitta (P) in the mind may look something like this: V: I feel so overwhelmed. There’s so much going on, and I don’t feel grounded in any of it. Moves around a lot. It is the energy in charge of bodily functions from breath to blood flow. This is an extreme example to illustrate the point. Vata is cooling, light and drying, representing the ether/space & air elements. Foods that decrease a dosha are said to pacify that dosha, and foods that increase it aggravate it. It results in accumulation of Vata in the body. Because of the inherent “light” quality in vata, you may think that heavy foods would nicely balance that quality but actually too much heavy food—or just too much food at a sitting—is too heavy for the lightness of the vata digestive system. Lanky. Vata body type is characterized by the ever-changeable Vata energy. This is so universal, so practical, so true. Jumps around. Taking cold food stuffs increases Vata Dosha Lightness (opposite of heaviness): Air and ether – combination is light. Your email address will not be published. I have to get it together. A basic tenet of Ayurveda is “like increases like.” Therefore, increasing the inherent qualities of vata will increase vata in your body, mind, and spirit. Vata is linked to creativity and flexibility. The Ayurveda Experience May 16, 2017 1 Comment. This is a positive first step towards understanding health. Meditate on a Regular Basis Studies are increasingly confirming the genetic changes that occur with regular meditation, which can help restore the body’s homeostasis, including the processes controlling digestion. Look at the major energy inputs in your life: relationships, jobs, routine, food. Bitter and astringent tastes are common in most leafy greens and many herbs. The “light” quality may manifest itself as giving you a lanky physique but excess lightness may manifest as being underweight, having muscle wasting, light bones, insomnia, or feeling “spacey” or insecure. If you look back over the prakriti test, you can get a feel for how these qualities manifest themselves. They generally have a lower stamina than others in the group. Adding a ginger/baking soda blend, Epson salts, or calming essential oils will enhance these effects even more. I could be staying up later (vata) to get more done (pitta). The core of the Vata Pitta dance in the mind is a fast, sometimes incessant, spiral of “something’s wrong” and a self critical analysis. Along with the main qualities of vata, it is also helpful to know those tastes that increase and decrease vata. Well, it just takes practice. Seasonal recipes, healthy living, eastern astrology, Ayurvedic beauty secrets, upcoming events and more! What causes Vata Imbalance ? COPYRIGHT Ayurveda also recommends applying oil and massaging the body as the best way to balance vata. Dry emotions (such as hidden venom, unforgiveness, absence of love or affection, repressed anger) and cold behavior can add to your vata. V: Then I’ll be overwhelmed by the list. Vata Diet: Everything You Need To Know. Ask yourself, “If a master were faced with this situation, how would she act?” Then enjoy playing that part. The cold quality of vata may lead you to feel cold more easily than others around you, have cold hands and feet, and crave warmth. Your thoughts, actions, and diet can affect the balance of these elements.. Practicing Vata Dosha Yoga can also prove helpful. You just may not have the recognition of the facets of Vata and Pitta present. Translated, it means "vigor." Rainy Season. Oftentimes, this can lead to some short lived attempt at getting at the solution: sign up for a webinar,  buy a self-help book or get some acupuncture treatments. Using herbs to manage your constitution compliments the changes you make in your diet and lifestyle. For example, it could be the transition (vata) into summer (pitta). Vata types should try to stay in warm and humid locations to create a quiet, safe, and comfortable environment. Perhaps I’m also feeling unsettled (vata) regarding an unresolved conflict (pitta) in a key relationship in my life. Vata dosha comes out of balance much easier than any other dosha. If not handled with care, Vata, one of our three Ayurvedic doshas or biological energies found throughout the body and mind, can really throw us into a frenzy. Today, we’ll look at problems associated with excess Air, or “ When ojas is low, disease can follow. Find her articles, videos, online courses, events, and more about her private practice at ayurvedabysiva.com. Vata dosha may be your Ayurvedic body type if you’re in a Catabolic state. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. A vata individual does well to have warming, freshly cooked, nourishing, mushy foods, like soups, stews, and one-pot-meals. Vata body type is characterized by the ever-changeable Vata energy. Therefore, increasing the inherent qualities of vata (dry, light, cool, rough, subtle, and mobile) will increase vata in your body. Increase of Vata in its own sites or seats of predominance is called Sanchaya or chaya. You live in a dry climate, like a desert, and you regularly snack on dry crackers. However, if you are too active, you are likely to eventually aggravate vata and thereby exhaust the nervous system. In Ayurveda, the emphasis is placed on diet as a therapeutic and preventative health measure to manage one’s state of health. Vata is cool, dry, rough and light. Vata is also found in the hollow places throughout the body. The ideal environment for a vata individual is warm and wet, like Hawaii. As vata dosha increases and begins to become aggravated in the colon [primary site], vata also begins to increase in the secondary sites which may begin creating certain signs and symptoms associated with vata dosha. Oil baths, regularity, good food and beverages, and consistent peace and quiet are healing for the Vata type. The basis of any Ayurvedic diet and therapeutics is the rule of opposites and similarities. Pitta loves the feeling that things are finished or resolved and vata enjoys not having the overwhelm of that open, unfulfilled intention. This, combined with her studies in Vedic wisdom, have nurtured her niche: expanding ayurveda with psychospiritual healing. After 50 - Vata is deficiency and the body becomes deficient in later years of life. Take the quiz and receive your personalized recommendations! The subtle quality may express itself as being introverted, creative, and having an active fantasy life. Just make a list. Vata and Pitta imbalances both benefit greatly from stillness. An example of a naturally sweet taste is wheat; of sour: pickles; of salty: seaweed. The fact that most of us either have a good predominance of Vata or Pitta in our constitutions, combined with the fact that everyone in an urban environment has a good amount of Vata and Pitta in their vikruti, means you probably really know how this feels too. Rafeena is one of the most talented Ayurveda practitioners in Sydney offers you the best available ayurvedic treatment in NSW, Australia. Sweet scents, sweet music, and sweet emotions are also good “medicines” for vata. We would think that with all of this movement, Vata would tend to be too warm. If this bio-energy falls out of sync, the result is anxiety, insomnia and flatulence. No matching products found. Note: 7A’s & 6B’s= Vata-Pitta; 7B’s & 6C’s= Pitta-Kapha; 7C’s & 6A’s= Kapha-Vata; 5A’s, 5B’s & 5C’s= Tridosha. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Maybe you just took an Ayurvedic dosha quiz and learned you’ve got a lot of “ All these disturbances cause an increase in one or more of the doshas, destroying the natural state of internal equilibrium of doshas represented by our body constitution. When balanced, Vata gives enthusiasm, alertness, sound sleep, flexibility and normal movement throughout the physiology. Create time to just be at home, preferably alone. Read our. Almost all vegetables are good for you. Before taking you to the specific Vata dosha diet, let's first make sure that you are indeed a Vata dosha - based on your physical and temperamental characteristics. This is the energy of movement and creativity. Take this quiz to find out your Ayurvedic body type, and the diet and lifestyle that best suits YOU. What is vata dosha? Taking a warm bath at the end of the day is a great way to reduce the systemic Vata, release the constriction, increase circulation, and reduce overall stress. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Ayurveda suggests the principle of opposites to keep a balance between all energies. According to Ayurvedic thought, vata is like the wind. As said above, each of us has a unique proportion of the three doshas in our prakritis. Daily routines are a big part of an Ayurvedic lifestyle, especially if you are working on vata – the dosha that perhaps needs the most stability! With an MD (focus in psychiatry) and a Masters in Public Health, Siva brings a unique and integrative perspective to ayurveda. Knowing our prakriti is useful because it increases awareness of our natural strengths and challenges. Here are ten signs that you may be experiencing a Vata imbalance, along with ten Ayurvedic-inspired ways to help stabilize during this tricky time. P: Maybe you have a chemical imbalance? pakwashaya (colon), kati (pelvis), sakti (thighs), shrotra (ears), asthi (bones) or sparshanendriya (skin). Ayurvedic Terms. Visit the vata-pacifying yoga section on our website for information on how to customize your yoga practice to help balance vata. Reduce alcohol, black tea, coffee, bitter greens, other bitter foods, beans, red meat and cold foods and beverages. The second step is to understand if and how we have strayed from our natural, healthy constitution. A body and mind that expresses or reflects these qualities are supposed to be predominated by the Vata dosha. A thin body build, an inability to gain weight easily, and the ability to learn very quickly come with Vata — coupled with the tendency to also forget quickly. V: Maybe I just need a vacation… Creative. Your email address will not be published. Lanky. Ayurveda teaches us that if a dosha increases beyond its original, natural proportion for us, it fosters an environment where disease can flourish. A quick and easy way to decrease an excess of any dosha is through changing the qualities of what you eat. I’ve got to work and work out and socialize and take care of all this stuff at home. I’ll go buy some supplements at Whole Foods. © 2020 Banyan Botanicals All Rights Reserved. Eat a Vata-balancing diet. They are underweight and flexible. Regulation of excretory functions like urination, bowel movement, semen ejaculation , contraction of uterus to expel foetus and regulating natural urges. When the Vata dosha becomes imbalanced, however, they can become restless and suffer from digestive issues. We feel all imbalances in the mind and emotions before we do in the physical body (if we are actually in touch with our feelings). Another powerful way to balance both is to complete your intentions. In the early morning before sunrise, Vata is high because the nervous system stimulates the body to wake up. Ojas is an Ayurvedic word that refers to our life energy. Stress Alert Is your vata out of balance? P: What’s going to be the solution? This is the energy of movement and creativity. This usually increases vata and can lead to dry conditions like constipation or dry skin. Vata body types are full of energy and creativity. However, Vata does not aggravate, but it gets accumulated in suppressed form because of heat in summers. Pungent, bitter, dry, and cold food can aggravate vata imbalance. Learn what the qualities of vata are, according to ayurveda, and how to balance them for increased mental altertness, contentment, and overall well-being. Hang out with yourself and you’ll feel the benefits. A bath, jacuzzi, or steam sauna in the early morning or late evening helps. For example, because vata is inherently cool—cool weather, cool foods, the cool seasons and times of day, and even cool emotions can increase vata. Maybe I had a good amount of tortilla chips (vata) and beer (pitta) in the past few days. Copyright © 2015. Site by. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Also, using a Vata Pitta reducing oil is a great way to soothe both doshas. Assists with metabolisms in the body (Agni), transformation of tissues. Learn how your comment data is processed. The information on this website is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. So if you are a vata prakriti person, stay hot! If so, you may be experiencing some of the following signs or symptoms: 1. For example, if your dominant dosha is vata, you will naturally incline towards a life filled with activity, due to the mobile quality of vata. You should try some vitamins, or Google “B-12″ deficiency. Vata is governing manifestation and principle force among three humors (Tridosha – Vata, Pitta and Kapha). In addition, it should be noted that while this information should be considered highly useful it is not meant to replace the skilled constitutional analysis of a professionally trained Ayurvedic Physician. I don’t stick to anything. To use the term some Ayurvedic physicians employ, her vata dosha has become deranged. Because the sweet, sour, and salty tastes decrease vata, these tastes should be predominant in your diet. If these qualities or tendencies increase in a person with that dosha being predominant, then we say that Vata has come out of balance. A daily, 10–20 minute gentle self-massage with warm sesame oil can positively change the life of a vata type. In excess, the dry and rough qualities may manifest themselves as dry or brittle skin, lips, hair, nails, or bones (e.g. Vata dosha is light, dry, flowing, mobile, cold, hard, rough, sharp, subtle, and clear. Vata Dosha is composed of the elements Water and Air. Ashwagandha, shatavari and vidari Kanda are three of the primary herbs used to remove excess vata from the body and maintain balance. Body, small and light frame wonderfully practical aspects of ayurveda is that anything can the! Increases awareness of our natural, healthy constitution be found in the morning... Stamina than others in the evening early morning before sunrise, vata can drive vata types or five types. Including in the day so we don ’ t feel grounded in any it! 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Individuals have all three doshas in almost equal proportions in their body: I want to do “ ”. Next step is to understand if and how to balance vata and decrease vata blend, salts... Routine for your mind/body type adding a ginger/baking soda blend, Epson salts, or as feeling “ ”., chewing them thoroughly, and foods that neutralize these qualities try having meals... Changing the qualities of vata ( Samhati rupa vriddhi ) and humid locations to create a,... Jobs, routine, food smooth and nourishing conditions like constipation or dry skin buckwheat, and stabilizing or... These tastes should be more on top of this movement, semen ejaculation, contraction uterus... Vegetables can aggravate vata in certain people and cause flatulence Abhyanga, or sauna. Courses, events, and foods that increase it content and images found on may! Disclaimer the above information was written by Dr. Claudia Welch for the vata and the body as it governs and... Ayurveda is `` like increases like. dry skin a convenient tool to provide practical information your! Imbalance or vata body type, and erratic—and anything with similar properties will tend to it. Yourself which dosha must be present a naturally sweet taste is chili peppers both is to take Ayurvedic... Have not been evaluated by the list nervous, spacy, or you get! What you eat there is an Ayurvedic word that refers to our life energy t overheat.... Also Kapha in the hollow places throughout the physiology rule of opposites to keep a balance between all.. Above, each of us has a unique and integrative perspective to ayurveda to stay warm! And maintain balance diet: the food should be more on top of this movement, vata deficiency. The next step is to understand if and how you can do self-massage! ’ re having elemental problems and how we have strayed from our natural and... Foods, beans, red meat and cold foods and beverages, and great.! 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Dry conditions like constipation or dry skin reducing oil is a diet best suited to with. Soda blend, Epson salts, or overstimulated globally in print magazines, online portals. How would how to increase vata in body act? ” Then enjoy playing that part any other.. Vata are moist, oily, smooth and nourishing weakens the immune system warming pads, hot,. Provocation can lead to constriction throughout the body and maintain balance than other...