Vata dosha
What is Vata?
Vata
is made up of the two elements space and air.
The most revered ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, defines
the characteristics of Vata dosha: dry and rough (rookshaha);
cool (sheetoha); light--lacking weight (laghuhu); very tiny, penetrating
molecules (sookhshmaha); always moving (chalota); broad, unlimited,
unbounded--akash means unbounded space (vishadaha); and rough
(kharaha).
People
with more Vata in their constitutions tend to be thin, with a
slender frame and prominent joints, delicate skin that is naturally
dry, and dry voluminous hair. They are quick and lively in thought,
speech and action, and make friends easily. There is an element
of airiness to their step, a quality of lightness in their laughter.
Change is usually their second name. They are light sleepers and
gravitate towards warm environments. Creativity and enthusiasm
are hallmarks of balanced Vata.
If
your prakriti or original constitution has more Vata in it, you
will exhibit many of the characteristics and qualities of Vata
when you are in balance than people who have more Pitta
or Kapha in their make-up. And
that's natural. But if the qualities become extreme, or more pronounced
than usual at a given time, then the Vata in you has in all likelihood
become aggravated or imbalanced, and needs to be brought back
into balance. And if a predominantly Kapha or Pitta person starts
exhibiting many Vata qualities, that indicates a Vata imbalance
in that Kapha or Pitta body type. In both cases, it is then time
to follow a Vata-balancing diet and lifestyle to help restore
the level of Vata in the physiology to its normal proportion.
Factors
that can cause Vata dosha to increase in the physiology include
a diet that contains too many dry or raw foods, over-consumption
of ice-cold beverages, exposure to cold dry winds, a variable
daily routine, too much travel, and mental overexertion.
Signs
that you need to balance Vata
- Are
you constantly worried, anxious, overwhelmed, fretful?
- Do
you feel tired but find yourself unable to slow down and relax?
- Do
you find it difficult to settle down and fall asleep at night?
Is your sleep restless when you do manage to fall asleep?
- Is
your skin feeling dryer than usual, stretched taut or flaking?
- Is
your hair more brittle, with split ends happening oftener?
- Are
your lips raw and chapped? Is your throat constantly dry?
- Is
your digestion irregular? Do you experience problems with abdominal
gas?
- Do
you feel like you cannot sit still, that you need to be constantly
moving?
- Do
you feel "spaced out"? Is it harder to remember things
for more than a short period of time? Is your attention span
shorter than usual? Is it harder to focus?
- Do
your bowel movements occur less than once daily?
If
you answered yes to many of the questions above, following a Vata-balancing
diet and lifestyle can help restore balance to Vata.
