Ayurveda is understood by the five elements found in our universe: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. These energies are understood by the qualities surrounding us in our environment, known as the physical gunas: hot and cold, wet and dry, heavy and light, and mobile and stable.
Ether is cold, dry, light, and stable. Air is cool, dry, light, and mobile. Fire is hot and wet, light and mobile. Water is calm, moist, heavy, and mobile; Earth is cold, damp, heavy, and stable.
In Ayurveda, the body comprises three primary energies known as the doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha - which govern our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual makeup. The Vata dosha consists of ether & air with the qualities of cold, dry, light, and mobile; the Pitta dosha is made up of fire & water with the qualities of hot, wet, light, and mobile; and the Kapha dosha is a combination of water & earth with the qualities of cold, damp, heavy and stable. Each of us has a unique combination of the doshas that make up our constitution: one prominent, one secondary, and a third less present.
Ayurveda also believes that three seasons, known as the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha seasons, represent each year. Each year, these doshas go through three stages: they build and accumulate, then increase or aggravate, and finally alleviate and rest.
This month, we will be discussing the Vata dosha and season (October-January), which accumulates during the hot and dry summer months, then aggravates during the cold and dry fall months, and finally alleviates in early winter and spring months when it is warm and moist.
The Vata dosha means “that which moves” and provides the motion necessary for our physical, mental, and emotional processes. This dosha is sometimes called the king of doshas because, without this, the other doshas have no movement.
People with a more prominent Vata nature tend to be physically light; their bones are thin, and their skin and hair are dry. They often move, think, and speak quickly, and when out of balance, they tend to lose weight, become constipated, and are inclined to weakness in the immune and nervous systems.
Ayurveda uses the five sense therapies to treat imbalances, which include Sight-color therapy and gemology, Hearing- mantras and chanting, Smell-aromatherapy, Taste-food, beverages, spices, and herbs, and Touch, which include massage (abhyanga) and gemology.
To bring balance to Vata, programs are designed to emphasize the qualities of warmth, heaviness, moistness, and stability. A grounding Vata diet would consist of sweet foods (heavy and wet), sour (hot, moist, and heavy), and salty (warm, moist, and heavy) are best. Good food choices are grains, rice, sweet fruits, nuts, dairy products, and warmer spices like ginger, cardamom, and fenugreek.
With the air element predominant, the Vata dosha tends to be ungrounded, so creating a daily practice (Dinacharya) of opposite actions is advisable. Upon waking, 5-10 minutes of seated meditation, self abhyanga (massage) with sesame oil, a warm shower, and, most importantly, eating warm foods, especially at breakfast, which brings the qualities of warmth, heaviness, moisture, and sweetness whose qualities will ground the natural tendencies of being cold, dry, light and mobile.
Ayurveda and Yoga are considered sister sciences, mentioned together in the Rig Veda (the original texts of India). In turn, the practice of yoga, pranayama, and meditation are very intertwined in our overall health.
The grounding Vata yoga practice should be more warming, systematic, and introspective without adding excess air elements. Incorporating the earth element with standing and seated forward bending and spin versions is beneficial. Twists and extended backbends are not recommended because of the air element, but a more extended savasana is imperative.
Holding poses longer will build core strength and increase flexibility, and using breath will create presence, calmness, and groundedness. Vata is centered in the colon and prone to constipation, so poses that compress the pelvis and engage the lower back and thighs will bring balance.
Pranayama (yogic breathing) practice should include Ujjayi, Viloma, and Bhramari, which will bring calm, focus, and warmth.
To bring balance to Vata, programs are designed to emphasize the qualities of warmth, heaviness, moistness, and stability. A grounding Vata diet would consist of sweet foods (heavy and wet), sour (hot, moist, and heavy), and salty (warm, moist, and heavy) are best. Good food choices are grains, rice, sweet fruits, most nuts, dairy products, and warmer spices like ginger, cardamom, and fenugreek. ll ground the natural tendencies of being cold, dry, light and mobile.