Vata

Warming Ayurvedic Breakfast for the Cold, Dry Winter Mornings

Warm Ayurvedic Breakfast

Roasted Rice with Dates, Cinnamon & Cardamom

  • 1 cup basmati rice

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

  • ¼ tsp cardamom

  • ¼ tsp cinnamon

  • 4 whole dates

  • 1 Tbsp ghee

  • 1 to 2 pinches of mineral salt

  • 3 cups of water

Preparation

Chop dates. Heat a medium saucepan on low, and add ghee. When it melts, add uncooked rice. Stir continually for 2–5 minutes, until it smells sweet and all the rice is coated with ghee. Add the spices and dates. Stir for 1 more minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover pot and lower to a simmer. Cook until rice is tender (about 20 minutes). Serve with warm coconut milk or rice milk. And top with slivered almonds or nut of choice.

 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

What is Vata Dosha?

What is Vata Dosha

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, there are three doshas (a.k.a. humors) present in every cell, tissue, and organ of our body that govern our psychobiological functioning. These doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—comprise the five potential states of matter (i.e., space, air, fire, earth, and water). All five of these elements are present in each dosha, but the two predominant elements in a dosha determine its defining qualities. When in balance, the three doshas create health; when out of balance, they cause disease. They are also responsible for the vast variety of differences and preferences that exist among individuals, and they influence all we are and all we do, from our food choices to the ways we relate to others.

As the forces that govern our physiology, the doshas regulate the creation, maintenance, and destruction of body tissue, as well as the elimination of waste products. They also act as psychological drivers, governing our emotions and mental state. When in balance, the doshas generate the understanding, compassion, and love that sustain mental health. When their balance is disturbed by stress, improper diet, and environmental conditions, they give rise to disturbances such as anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, depression, and disease.

Vata dosha is composed of akasa(space, or ether) and vayu(air). The root va, which means “to spread,” suggests vata’s responsibility for all movement in the body and mind. This includes the flow of breath, pumping of blood; waste elimination; movement of the muscles, bones, limbs, and diaphragm, and the gut’s secretor-motor functions, as well as expressions of speech and responses of the intellect, the nervous system, and the five senses. 

Known as the master dosha because without it all the doshas would be inert, vata exerts a powerful influence on our well-being. Its capacity to affect our internal energies both positively and negatively becomes evident when we consider the dynamic between air and space in the external world. When the movement of air is unrestricted by space (as on the open ocean), it can gain enough momentum to become a hurricane  with gale-force winds traveling at speeds of over 150 mph. When air is confined in a box, it can’t move and becomes stale. Whether it’s due to lack of movement or too much movement, a vata imbalance disrupts the harmony of the doshas. 

The primary site of vata is the colon, but it also resides in the thighs, ears, bones, and bladder. The predominant qualities of its elements, or pañcamahābhūtās, are cold, light, rough, mobile, subtle, clear, dry, and astringent. These attributes can manifest as physical traits such as agility and thinness or health conditions like insomnia, as well as finding expression in mental and emotional functions and characteristics such as imagination, sensitivity, spontaneity, intuition, exhilaration, fear, insecurity, and doubt.

 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.

 

Tips for Vata Yoga

People whose constitutions are dominated by vata tend to move quickly without paying sufficient attention to what they’re doing and often push their body beyond its natural limits. The  hallmarks of this dosha are coldness, mobility, lightness, and expansiveness. The best type of yoga practice for these individuals is one that generates warmth, serenity, and nourishment. Vatas can cultivate these qualities by following some basic guidelines:

  • Move through your practice at a slow, smooth, steady pace.

  • Aim for fluidity in your poses. Focus on gentle movements, such as spinal and pelvic undulation, rotation in the joints, counter-poses, and flexion and extension.

  • Hold each posture briefly, but do multiple repetitions.

  • Draw into and move from your hara. In Eastern philosophies, the hara is the body’s internal energy center, located below the navel and above the pubic bone.

  •  Cultivate stability by concentrating on the foundation of the pose.

  • Rotate the femurs and press them into the outer sides of your legs.

  • Picture yourself moving through warm water or warm mud as you execute the poses.

  •  Focus on prolonging your inhalation.

  • Stay grounded by pressing your big toes into the floor.

  • Fix your gaze below or at the horizon.

  • Engage your entire body in the poses by holding your muscles tightly against the bones.

  • Avoid overexerting yourself. Aim to build stamina without draining your energy. In cases of severely aggravated vata, adopt a restorative practice.

  • Be fully present in your practice.

  • Stay warm.

  • Follow the active portion of your practice with a long period of relaxation.

A vata imbalance arises when an overabundance of air accumulates in the mind, body, and environment. The result is a sense of instability. The best way to balance excess vata is to integrate the stable qualities of the earth into your physiology and focus on relaxing.

  • Go to bed and awaken at the same time every day.

  •  Meditate twice a day to quiet the mind.

  • Practice yoga to connect with your body.

  • Wear fragrances that evoke a sense of tranquility.

  • Eat three meals per day, and favor, sweet, sour, and salty tastes.

  • Perform a slow daily self-massage with warm herbal oils.

  • Drink soothing herbal teas.

  • Look for opportunities to incorporate rhythm and routine into your life.

  • Finish things once you start them.

Vata in the Fall

This time of year, many of us feel out of whack. Fall usually increases the Vata energy in all of us, which in excess can result in anxiety, pain, the urge to travel (which would of course make Vata even stronger), dryness of skin and hair and many other symptoms. We may find it harder to concentrate or focus for any length of time. We may feel compelled to create changes in our lives – when actually steadying the course is just what we need. If you are primarily made up of Vata energy, you will feel this even more keenly than the rest of us!

To keep Vata in balance, there are any number of things we can do. Food is the best medicine. So eat lots of Vata-balancing foods, which are generally hot, well-cooked and wet. Eat seasonal foods such as cooked onion, carrots sweet potatoes, parsley, beets, radish  grapefruit, grape strawberries, raspberries, figs and avocado. Also use whole grains such as whole wheat, basmati rice, brown rice and oats. Increase pecans, walnuts almonds and pine nuts. Drink warm water with ginger and lemon through out the day. 

For reducing Vata, take time before you shower and give yourself a sesame oil massage. Let oil soak in for 20 mins. It is good to calm your mind at this time, practice breathing exercises and meditate. Also, much of our grandmothers’ seasonal advice is well-aligned with what Ayurveda has to say about reducing Vata. For example, bundle up in cooler weather, drink warm (caffeine free) liquids, and protect your head (especially the ears) from the wind.  

The best way to deal with seasonal change is to get ahead of it. If you eat for your Ayurevdic constitution all year, and do a seasonal cleanse/panchakarma program at each junction of the seasons, you can avoid/prevent/lessen the imbalances often caused at these times of year.