Balancing Your Vata Dosha with Yoga

The Vata dosha, the combination of air and water elements, tends to be thin, creative, and energetic. Of the three dosha constitutions—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—the Vatas can become a creaky jointed, itchy, cold, anxious mess without the proper balance of food, yoga, and lifestyle choices.  

There are plenty of ayurvedic resources and practitioners available for a deep dive into these universal elements as they pertain to you. For now, this is a quick primer for the Vata dosha.

Here are a few techniques to offer balance when the Vata type goes a little haywire.

Vata doshas reach a balance with less high-intensity workouts but more low-intensity 30-minute sets of walking, hiking, or biking each day. Think slow pace and low weight-bearing exercises for optimal Vata outcome.

Avoid beverages that cool you or foods that are dry. Instead, go for warmed foods (as opposed to a crisp salad with croutons) like sweet potato puree, lentil stew, and steamed rice bowls loaded with cooked vegetables. Avoid eating raw vegetables as they put the Vata's gut in distress. Warm or cook everything for internal balancing, as Vata's are prone to indigestion (i.e., constipation, gastrointestinal bloating, etc.)

By Tricia Louvar; All Rights Reserved @2021

By Tricia Louvar; All Rights Reserved @2021