Simple Guidelines For Decreasing Vata

According to ancient Ayurvedic science, there are three biological energies (doshas) derived from the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space). They control all the physical and mental activities in the human body. They offer us individual and unique health details of the person. For maintaining a healthy body, you need to balance all the doshas, namely Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in Sanskrit.

Each dosha has different characteristics, and they control different parts or functions of the body. For example, Vata controls body movement. In the human body, movements include breathing, the nervous system, elimination of wastes, and blood circulation. In mind, movement indicates the movement of thoughts, memories, and ideas. All types of movement due to Vata are essential for our health.

Vata dominant people have a creative mind, vivacity, and energy. The qualities of Vata dosha are cold, dry, moving, changeable, and enthusiastic. Those people will have a lean body.

Physical Characteristics of Vata Dominant People

--> Thin body and Energetic
--> Sensitive digestion
--> Dry skin and hair
--> Cold hands and feet
--> Always experience fatigue

What is Vata Imbalance?

In a Vata-dominant person, the mental, emotional, and the physical plane shows Vata qualities all the time. But during Vata imbalances, it becomes over-dominant. So the person may experience dry, cool, light, rough, mobile, and airy qualities. The Vata imbalance may damage the body’s nervous system and affects the ability to remove waste (Ama) from the body. It influences the Pitta dosha and Kapha dosha duty.

Causes of Vata Imbalance

--> Dry and cold weather environments can aggravate your Vata.
--> Eating food with a pungent and bitter taste will increase Vata.
--> Dry, cold property food will cause Vata imbalance.
--> Dry emotions such as unforgiveness, absence of love, repressed anger, and cold behavior can elevate your Vata.

Signs or Symptoms of Unbalanced Vata

Nervousness
Twitches
Tremors
Spasms
Dry skin
Constipation
Gas and bloating
Dry, hard stools
Low body weight
Hypertension
Uncomfortable with cold and wind
Difficulty in tolerating loud noises
Interrupted sleep
Scattered feeling
Overthinking

GUIDELINES FOR A VATA-PACIFYING DIET

Things to Do

• Take meals at regular routine
• Sweet, sour, and salty taste foods
• Warm, Whole, freshly cooked foods
• Take a deep breath after swallowing
• Eat your meal in a calm environment
• Spices like ginger, pepper, cinnamon, and cumin
• Drink lots of temperature drinks or warm drinks
• Add a small amount of good quality oils or ghee
• Warm soy milk seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg
• Well-cooked Legumes such as mung dahl, tofu, or tempeh
• Warm Dairy product spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg (one hour before or after food)

Things to Avoid

• Cool foods
• Eating heavy meals
• Caffeine and nicotine
• Cold or carbonated drinks
• Dry and light foods like popcorn
• All Beans and cold soy products
• Deep-fried foods and Hard alcohol
• Bitter, astringent, and pungent foods
• Avoid drinking milk along with your meals
• Foods or drinks with refined sugar or corn syrup
• Consuming too much raw food, especially in the mornings and evenings
• Don’t prefer salads, carrots, raw fruit, fresh fruit, and vegetable juices
• Don’t take highly processed foods like canned or frozen foods

Best Herbs for balancing Vata dosha: Ashwagandha, saffron, turmeric, and Shatavari are the excellent herbs that help to balance Vata.

Basic Guidelines for a Vata-Pacifying Lifestyle

Make your living environment calm and gentle.
Follow a routine daily with a regular time period for eating, sleeping, working, and exercising.
Have a self-massage for 10 to 20-minutes daily with 1/2 cup warm sesame oil.
Plan a Smooth exercise routine with a calm, stretch-focused form of yoga, walking, swimming.
Always keep yourself warm in any weather condition.
Keep yourself in sweet, soothing music, smells, and scenes.
Use Vata-reducing oils, herbs, and remedies.
Do regular meditation for stability and calmness of your mind.

Yoga Poses for Balancing Vata

--> Adamantine Pose (Vajrasana).
--> Cat Stretch (Marjariasana).
--> Corpse pose (Shavasana).
--> Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar).
--> Tree Pose (Vriksasana).
--> Victory Breath (Ujjayi pranayama).
--> Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasna).
--> Wind relieving pose (Purn Pavanmukt asana).

Conclusion

You have to balance your dosha to maintain a healthy body. Balancing dosha will extend your lifespan without any illness. You have to identify your dominant dosha so that you can consume food and modify your lifestyle based on that dosha. It is easy to identify your dosha, but it’s better to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner.