VATA DOSHA

 

UNDERSTANDING VATA DOSHA 

Vata dosha is the Ayurvedic mind-body element associated with air and space. It’s light, cool, and dry in nature, and it governs all movement and processes in your mind and body—including processes like blood flow, elimination, breathing, and the movement of thoughts in your mind. 

Autumn is a Vata season, reflecting the windy and cold air. 

If you have a predominantly Vata constitution, the qualities of Vata dosha (light, cool, dry, quick) will be noticeably expressed in your mind and body. Your body is probably naturally thin and slender. Your hands and feet may tend to get cold easily, and your skin is cool and dry to the touch (especially in your extremities). Your sleep may sometimes be a bit elusive, or easily disturbed.

Intellectually, you have an agile mind that moves quickly—though you may be prone to forget things just as easily as you learn them! Your emotions are likely fluid as well. People with strong Vata tendencies are creative, dynamic, whirlwind types who often find themselves rushed or in a hurry.

Vata in balance :

  • energetic and vivacious
  • learns easily
  • clear and alert mind
  • falls asleep easily at bedtime
  • balanced digestion and elimination
  • good circulation and even body temperature

Vata out of balance :

  • tired and/or fatigued
  • lack of focus or forgetful
  • spaced out or scattered
  • difficulty falling asleep
  • occasional constipation, gas, wind
  • can feel cold physically
  • poor circulation - cold hands and feet
  •  feelings of anxiousness or worry

How to balance Vata Dosha - Lifestyle Tips 

  • Follow a Vata dosha-balancing diet, favoring warm, oily, heavy, well-spiced foods with sweet, sour, and salty tastes, and avoiding those that are cold, dry, and raw
  • Try not to skip meals. Instead, eat three warm, cooked meals per day at about the same time each day
  • Avoid stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, or staying up late watching TV and looking at electronic devices
  • Give yourself a soothing daily abhyanga (self-massage with warm oil) to help improve circulation, calm the nerves, and alleviate dry skin
  • Avoid work that is stressful—especially in the evening hours—and make time for relaxing exercise, like walks and yoga
  • Do gentle breathing exercises like Alternate Nostril breathing each day.
  • Bundle up in cool or cold, windy weather. Keep your extremities well protected and warm. Especially protect ears and neck
  • Go to bed early at night, well before ten o'clock, and rise before 6:00 a.m
  • Ensure you have some downtime every day

Vata Dosha Guidelines & Recipes 

In Ayurveda, food is medicine. A Vata-balancing diet will go a long way toward providing the warmth, grounding, and nourishment that Vata needs to stay balanced. Aim to eat three meals at the same times each day: morning, noon, and evening—and try not to snack & skip meals (which can disrupt Vata’s delicate digestive fire). It’s also better to avoid overeating and undereating. Ideally, you’ll feel hungry by the next meal, but not ravenous.

Try to eat in a quiet, relaxing environment to avoid overstimulation. Last, but definitely not least, whenever possible favor organically grown foods and avoid genetically modified foods (GMOs).

 

Vata calming foods to favour :

Food that is cooked well, oily, soupy and easy to digest calms vata.

Grains, such as brown and white basmati rice, wild rice, sushi rice, oats, bulgur wheat, amaranth, mochi, soba, udon and barley are ideal. Small amounts of millet, corn, buckwheat and rye are okay as long as constipation is not present.

Vegetables, such as asparagus, beets, bamboo shoots, carrots, daikon, field mustard, lotus root, summer squashes, winter squashes, sweet potatoes and yams are the best to favor. In smaller amounts eat celery, green beans, dark leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, wasabi and cabbage.

Oils, such as ghee, sesame, almond, olive, or sunflower. Use oil to warm spices before adding food and water and when you cook grains, legumes or vegetables.

Spices, such as asafoetida in tiny amounts, cardamom, cumin, coriander, ginger, fennel, dill, cinnamon, mustard seed and black pepper.

Nuts and seeds in small amounts, soaked or cooked and chewed well. Legumes, such as split mung beans, adzuki beans and small amounts of tofu.

Fresh fruits, such as apricots, avocado, ripe bananas, berries, cherries, coconut, dates, limes, fresh figs, peaches, plums, mangoes, pineapple, papaya and tamarind. Soak or cook raisins and prunes. Cook apples and pears before eating. Avoid raw apples, pomegranates and dried fruit.

Dairy products, including ghee, whole cottage cheese, paneer freshly made from whole milk, fresh yogurt, buttermilk and warm milk.

Sweeteners, including honey, maple syrup if not feeling cool, dates, fresh juice and Sucanat.

Recipes :

Almond Date Shake with Cinnamon 

1 cup Almond milk ( preferably home made)

Pinch of cinnamon

2 dates 

1/8th inch fresh ginger 

Preparation

1. Remove the pit from the dates.

2. Warm the milk in advance, or serve room temperature according to preference.

3. Puree all ingredients in a blender.

4. For a stronger restorative effect, add 1 tsp ghee and substitute milk for almond milk. You may also substitute with coconut milk.

It is an Ojas building tonic. Both almond milk and dates are considered ojas-building nourishment. Ojas are associated with mental stability, endurance, and a calm, grounded presence. They bring peace of mind and bestow strong fertility. Vata people can enjoy this tonifying shake on a regular basis to build ojas.

 

Mung Dal Kitchari ( Serves 1 )

1Tbs of ghee 

Mineral Salt

1/2 tsp of fresh grated ginger root

1/8 tsp of turmeric ( fresh or powdered)

1/4 small strip of Kombu cut into small pieces 

1/8 tsp cumin seeds, coarse grind

1/8 tsp coriander seeds, coarse grind

1/8 tsp brown mustard seeds 

Pinch of asafoetida

1/16 tsp cardamom powder

3-4 drops lime

1/4 cup ( 50gr) basmati rice

1/8 cup ( 25gr ) split mung beans ( if split mung beans are not available use whole that has been soaked 6+ hrs )  

1 1/2 - 2 cups water or as much needed for desired thickness 

Preparation 

Warm the ghee in your pot, add salt, ginger, turmeric and kombu. Simmer until the aroma comes up. Add the remainder of the spices and continue to simmer until the aroma is present and the mustard seeds start to pop. Then add the rice and split mung. Stir together and simmer for a few minutes. Add water and simmer for 35 minutes in a covered pot on the stove. This time may vary depending on your pot, cooktop and temperature in the room. If you are using a pressure cooker, bring to pressure and cook for 15 minutes, allowing the pressure to come down naturally.

Let sit for 5 minutes with the lid off so the tastes can become friends and the food cools a bit. Add lime on the side to include the sour taste for a balance of the six tastes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, cilantro (coriander leaf), dill or basil. Add up to 1 Tbsp. flax meal if desired. Serve warm and enjoy.

Kitchari is Ayurveda's signature healing recipe and a perfect food. This recipe is especially suited to Vata dosha, and is a great healing meal for a Vata imbalance! 

 

Barley with Basil & Avocado ( serves 1 )

1 cup Avocado 

1/4 cup barely

1 tbsp basil

2 pinch black pepper

2 inch salt

1 tbsp ghee

3 cups water

Preparation :

Begin by warming up  pepper and salt in the ghee. Once the aroma is present add barley and sautee for 1-2 minutes before adding water. As the water comes to a boil, reduce heat and stir accordingly. Peel, dice, and mush the avocado with basil until the green colour has become consistent, blended and soft. Once the barley has also softened, remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, coarsely chop the barley (in half or quarters). Gently begin to mix the avocado and basil blend in with the grains, being careful and patient not to smush the barley. Perhaps envisioning the avocado filling the spaces between the grains, creating a dish that is both dense and grounding. Garnish with more barley if you so desire, sit and enjoy.

One of the few Vata pacifying green foods, avocados build ojas. Sharp basil aids digestion but barley is heavy and smooth

 

Yoga Video to balance&ground Vata Dosha 

 

Meditation&Pranayama  for Vata DoshaÂ