Vata.

Air + Ether (space) = Vata

Vata is one of the three doshas of Ayurveda.  Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga which means the "science of life".  Yoga teaches us how to quiet the mind and connect to the infinite, while Ayurveda teaches us how to live in harmony with the universe and achieve optimal health and longevity.  Traditionally, before students were given the practices of yoga, they were first expected to have a strong foundation in the habits of Ayurveda.  

The five elements; ether, air, fire, water, and earth manifest in the body and the world around us as three basic principles known as doshas.  They are kapha (earth & water), pitta (fire and water), and vata (air and ether).  They are found in everything in nature in different proportions.  Not one dosha is better than the other.  Each of us has a unique combination of these elements that is known as your constitution. (Click on this link to take a quiz to discover your constitution.)

The qualities of vata are dry, light, cold, rough, irregular, expansive, quick, and changeable.  Its principle is movement and it moves the other doshas.  In the body, vata governs movement through breathing, circulation, elimination, and nervous activity.

People of vata constitution tend to have dry skin, cold hands/feet, a light, agile frame, sensitive digestion, and be a light sleeper.  When out of balance in the body, vata shows up as arthritis, constipation, hypertension, weakness, restlessness, and other digestive issues.  

Emotionally, those with a vata constitution tend to be creative, energetic, flexible, and good communicators.  When unbalanced, they are overwhelmed, worried, anxious and therefore have trouble sleeping.  Vata, like space, moves out in all directions and needs to get centered and grounded. 

Vata is dominant in fall and early winter.  Think wind: dry, moving, cold, erratic, rough, subtle and clear.   Living with a consistent routine creates stability during the vata season. 

My constitution is vata/pitta and I can easily become scattered by a lack of routine in my life. When I incorporated the practice of dinacharya or daily rhythm, this greatly shifted my nervous system to a state of ease that has allowed me to heal inflammation in my gut, reduce stress, improve my digestion, and overall it has given me an abundance of energy. Balancing vata in my body has given me the structure that I needed to direct my energy in order to achieve my desires.  

Click here to learn more about my story of improving my health with better daily habits.

Kapha.

Earth+Water=Kapha

Kapha is one of the three doshas of Ayurveda.  Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga which means the "science of life".  Yoga teaches us how to quiet the mind and connect to the infinite, while Ayurveda teaches us how to live in harmony with the universe and achieve optimal health and longevity.  Traditionally, before students were given the practices of yoga, they were first expected to have a strong foundation in the habits of Ayurveda. 

The five elements; ether, air, fire, water, and earth manifest in the body and the world around us as three basic principles known as doshas.  They are kapha (earth & water), pitta (fire and water), and vata (air and ether).  They are found in everything in nature in different proportions.  Not one dosha is better than the other.  Each of us has a unique combination of these elements that is known as your constitution. You can discover your dosha here. We will use this information to help us find balance between what we are made of, the quality of the season, climate, the food we eat, and the activities we do. 

Kapha provides cohesiveness, structure, and lubrication.  In the body, kapha hydrates.  It lubricates the joints, moisturizes the skin, strengthens the immune system, and overall protects the tissues.  Kapha is present in the chest, throat, head, sinuses, nose, mouth, stomach, joints, plasma, and liquid secretions of the body.  The energy of kapha is grounding.  It is also dense, fluid and stable. 

When kapha is out of balance, it can show up as stagnation and congestion in the body as well as in the mind.  Emotionally, an imbalance of kapha is presented as attachment, greed, possessiveness, resistance to change, lethargy, depression, and stubbornness.

During late winter and spring, the qualities of kapha are dominant.  Think mud: damp, wet, heavy, soft, earth. You want to get the heaviness or stagnation of kapha moving.  Bring more intensity and heat to your life with backbends, breath of fire, bursts of quick movements, core work, lengthening the inhale, and all things that raise your energy.

People with kapha dominance in their constitution do well when they lighten their diet and possibly eat two meals a day without snacking in between. This is very beneficial for reducing the heaviness of this dosha.

Pitta.

Fire + Water = Pitta

Pitta is one of the three doshas of Ayurveda. You can learn about the other two via these links: vata and kapha.

For review, Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga which means the "science of life".  Yoga teaches us how to quiet the mind and connect to the infinite, while Ayurveda teaches us how to live in harmony with the universe and achieve optimal health and longevity.  Traditionally, before students were given the practices of yoga, they were first expected to have a strong foundation in the habits of Ayurveda. 

The five elements; ether, air, fire, water, and earth manifest in the body and the world around us as three basic principles known as doshas.  They are kapha (earth & water), pitta (fire and water), and vata (air and ether).  They are found in everything in nature in different proportions.  Not one dosha is better than the other.  Each of us has a unique combination of these elements that is known as your constitution. You can click on this link to determine your constitution. We can use this information to help us find balance between what we are made of, the quality of the season, climate, the food we eat, and the activities we participate in. 

The qualities of pitta are hot, light, intense, penetrating, pungent, sharp, and acidic. Pitta's main function is transformation.  In the body, pitta controls digestion, metabolism, energy production, and it is found in the small intestine, stomach, sweat glands, blood, fat, eyes, and skin.

People of pitta constitution tend to have a medium frame, strong digestion, robust energy, soft skin and have a warm body temperature.  When there is too much pitta in the body, it shows up as heartburn, indigestion, skin rashes, diarrhea, inflammation, auto-immune problems, headaches, gout, adrenal fatigue, and other ailments.  Psychologically, those with a pitta constitution tend to be intelligent, sharp, good speakers, and leaders.  When unbalanced, they have a tendency towards impatience, hate, anger, and jealousy.  

Pitta is dominant in summer and early fall. Think heat! In your movement practices you can balance pitta by doing more gentle, cooling, and restorative activities like swimming, walking, yoga, and self-massage. You can also use a cooling breath called sitali that will calm the nervous system and reduce inflammation in your body. 

The energy of pitta rises, so it helps to ground the energy by walking barefoot on the earth, giving yourself time to rest, and keeping your schedule open so that you have space in your day for ease.