Balancing Vata. Practical Tips & Tools For A Balanced Life This Winter

Welcome to Winter everyone! The clinic is filled with Vata dosha's at the moment, so you know it's that time of the year. Vata's suffer with the cold, the wind and they sometimes struggle to find a solution on how to balance their dosha. So if you're a Vata. Pour yourself a nice warm cup of tea, and settle down by the fire for some information that will help!

Vata is one of the three main Ayurvedic mind-body types, comprised of the elements of air and ether. Responsible for movement and impulse, creativity and connection, everyone experiences the energy of Vata to some degree, especially during the months of Winter (Vata Time).

When healthy, this dosha governs our capacity to experience flexibility, joy, and expansive consciousness. In excess, it can cause things like fear, anxiousness, dry skin, cracking joints, and difficulty sleeping. This guide is intended to support those with a Vata constitution or imbalance, as well as those with a combination of Vata/Pitta or Vata/Kapha doshas.

Signs and Symptoms of Vata Imbalance:

Is your Vata our of balance? If so, you may be experiencing some of the following Vata dosha symptoms and signs of imbalance:

• strained elimination, gas, bloating, dry, hard stools

• low body weight

• dislike of cold and wind

• difficulty tolerating loud noises

• light, interrupted sleep

• spacey, scattered feelings

• excess thinking or worrying

• nervousness, anxiousness, panic, fear

• twitches, tics, tremors, spasms

To decrease excess vata, Ayurveda has given us dietary and lifestyle treatment strategies, as well as herbs and food and lifestyle choices that balance out Vata. Here are a few underlying concepts that these tools and techniques are based on:

• routine

• warmth

• serenity

• nourishment

General Guidelines for a Vata-Balancing Diet:

Eating a grounding and nourishing Vata diet is one of the best ways to cultivate greater balance in your body and mind. The following recommendations offer guidelines for how to choose healthy Vata pacifying foods.

Enjoy:

• foods that are naturally sweet, sour and salty in taste

• warm foods, both energetically and in temperature

• whole, freshly cooked foods

• a limited selection of legumes, including mung dhal, tofu, or tempeh that is well cooked and warm soy milk spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg

• warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cumin, don't make them

super hot, but drink plenty of warm drinks and herbal teas

• dairy foods , as long as they are not cold, avoid drinking milk with your meals, it is best to have dairy warm and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, at least an hour before or after other food

• a generous amount of high-quality oils or ghee in your daily diet

• eating your meals at consistent times each day

• taking a deep breath after swallowing your last bite and heading off to your next activity

• eating your meal in a peaceful environment, this will reduce your stress and anxiety

Avoid:

• foods that are bitter, astringent and pungent (spicy)

• foods that are cooling, both energetically and in temperature

• dry and light foods, such as popcorn and crackers

• too much raw food, especially in the mornings and evenings (salads, carrot sticks, raw fruit, fresh fruit and vegetable juices)

• most beans, including cold soy products.

• highly processed foods (like canned or frozen foods, preprepared dinners or pastries)

• cold or carbonated drinks

• caffeine, nicotine and other stimulants

• overeating or eating very heavy meals

• eating fresh fruit or drinking fruit juice within 1/2 hour of any other food

• foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup

• deep-fried foods

• hard alcohol - spirits

General Guidelines for a Vata-Balancing Lifestyle:

Enjoy:

• live as you would imagine a master would, with calm awareness and a gentle pace

• a regular, daily routine with regular times for eating, sleeping, and working

• a daily self-massage with warm sesame oil or book in with me and I'll do all the work for you!

• a gentle exercise routine, such as a calm, grounding form of yoga, tai chi, qi gong, walking, or swimming in a heated pool

• keeping warm, no matter what the weather, try warm baths, warm drinks, and warm woolly jumpers

• sweet, soothing music, smells, scenes, and company

• taking time to slow down and turn inward with medication, a good book or creative writing

Our lives, environments, and health naturally shift and change on a regular basis. I recommend making an appointment periodically to see where you're at and what you may need to focus on in order to regain balance.

It may be helpful to research or learn more

about Vata Dosha to understand why these simple guidelines are effective, or pop into the clinic for further support. I can advise on specific health conditions arising from Vata imbalances that might include age-related considerations, women's cycles, healthy weight management, and the effects of certain supplements on the body.

Until next time, Namaste and be well.

Anji