For those who aren’t very familiar with Ayurveda and the doshas, I thought I would share some insight into Vata dosha.
Vata dosha is “that which moves things”. It governs all movement processes within the body, mind and subtle body. It contains space and air elements and qualities of coldness, dryness, and mobility. Try to imagine these qualities coming into contact with you.
When disturbed, it can lead to imbalances such as:
Anxiety
Worry
Overthinking
Spaciness
Insomnia
Excess gas and bloating
Coldness of the hands and feet
Dryness of the skin
Under-eating/undernourishing
Thinning of the nails, hair, and bones
Premature aging and wrinkles
Frequent travel
Overexercising
Handling many tasks at one time
When working with any individual, I often find Vata dosha to be the first thing to work with regardless of one’s constitution because it usually is the first to move out of balance. Once that occurs, it can oftentimes push Pitta dosha and Kapha dosha out of balance as well.
The antidote to calming Vata, is through the opposite…slowing down, grounding, stabilizing,
and warmth.
When a Vata type is in balance, they are charismatic and bubbly, are one’s who jump at the idea of trying new things, are adventurous, and flock from place to place. They are the creative, inspiring, and artistic souls. While we all know someone who is exactly like this, Vata, just like the other doshas, are in all of us. We all contain space and air, as well as fire and water (Pitta), and water and earth (Kapha). We just have different ratios of each within us. That’s what makes the joy of who you are, you.
Here’s some simple tips you can do to calm the Vata in you.
Create a simple morning and evening routine to give Vata some structure and stability
Reduce screen time and scrolling
Daily walks in nature
Abhyanga (self oil massage)
Warm and unctuous foods
Alternate nostril breathing
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