Balancing Vata ~ Banyan Boanicals

Balancing Vata

Signs and Symptoms of Increased Vata

You may be experiencing some of the following signs or symptoms:

• nervousness, anxiety, panic, fear
• twitches, tics, tremors, spasms
• dry or chapped skin
• constipation, gas, bloating, dry, hard stools
• low body weight
• dislike of cold and wind
• difficulty tolerating loud noises
• light, interrupted sleep
• spacey, scattered feeling
• excess thinking or worrying

To decrease vata, Ayurveda has given us dietary, lifestyle and herbal treatment strategies. Here are a few underlying concepts that these strategies are based on:

• Routine
• Warmth
• Serenity
• Nourishment

General Guidelines for a Vata-Reducing Diet

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 dahl, 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, but not extremely hot spices like cayenne pepper.
• Plenty of room temperature or warm drinks.
• Dairy, as long as it is not very cold. Avoid drinking milk with your meals. It is best to have it 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.
• Routine times for your meals.
• Taking a deep breath after swallowing your last bite and heading off for your next activity.
• Eating your meal in a peaceful environment.

Avoid:

• Foods that are bitter, astringent, and pungent.
• Foods that are cooling, both energetically and in temperature.
• Dry and light foods (e.g. popcorn and crackers).
• Too much raw food, especially in the mornings and evenings (salads, carrot sticks, raw fruit, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, etc.)
• Most beans, including cold soy products.
• Highly processed foods (like canned or frozen foods, "TV" 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 ½ hour of any other food.
• Foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup.
• Deep fried foods.
• Hard alcohol.

Vata-Pacifying Herbal Remedies

Herbs are useful allies when it comes to balancing the doshas. Ayurveda has a long history detailing the use of herbs and herbal combinations. Some Ayurvedic practitioners will customize herbal formulas to suit the unique constitutions of their clients. General formulas based on traditional combinations of herbs are also used. Below are some formulations that are especially useful for balancing vata. Some Ayurvedic practitioners will customize herbal formulas to suit the unique constitutions of their clients. General formulas based on traditional combinations of herbs are also used. Below are some formulations that are especially useful for balancing vata.

• For a broad spectrum vata pacifying herbal formula consider Healthy Vata
• To support mental calmness and well-being consider Tranquil Mind
• To balance vata in the joints, nerves and muscles consider Joint Support
• For dry or chapped skin consider Vata Massage Oil
• To support healthy elimination consider Triphala
• To support healthy weight gain consider Ashwagandha
• For dislike of cold and wind consider Healthy Vata
• For difficulty tolerating loud noises consider Healthy Vata
• To Support a sound, restful sleep consider I Sleep Soundly
• To Support stability and grounded awareness consider Mental Clarity
• To support healthy, comfortable digestion consider Vata Digest

General Guidelines for a Vata-Pacifying 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, working, etc.
• A daily 10–20 minute self-massage with ½ cup warm sesame oil. Click here for more information on abhyanga.
• A gentle exercise routine that includes a calm, stretch-focused form of yoga, Tai qi (tai chi), qi gong (chi gong), walking, swimming (but don’t get chilled) about five times per week.
• Keeping warm, no matter what the weather.
• Sweet, soothing music, smells, scenes and company.
• Vata-reducing oils.
• Vata-reducing herbs and remedies.

Our lives, environments and health change regularly. We recommend that you take this Vikriti test again in about month. Then you can see how things have changed and decide which remedies would be the most beneficial to regain balance. It may be helpful to learn more about vata so that you can understand why following these simple guidelines really can help.

SOURCE: Banyan Boanicals
https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/learning-ayurveda/balancing-vata/

Managing Vata Dosha in the Information Technology Era ~ David Frawley

Introduction

In this article Dr. Frawley gives us concrete guidelines on how to mantain our Vata grounded, on both psysical & psychological level. Our modern high-tech life is mainly a Vata aggravated environment and so care has to be taken on daily basis to keep our Vata calm and balanced. Especially the Vata types, that tend to suffer more.

Managing Vata Dosha in the Information Technology Era  ~ David Frawley

Vata dosha is the most disease-causing of the three Doshas or biological humors of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. It represents the air element that tends to disturb us, unground us and remove us from the heavier elements that sustain our physical existence. Pitta dosha as fire and Kapha dosha as water are more stabilizing forces, though each has its own disease tendencies.

Vata dosha is connected to many disease conditions, including conditions born of aging, weak immunity, debility, nervous and psychological disorders of all types. It pushes the other two doshas that cannot move without its motivating power. High Vata results in pain, debility, agitation, disequilibrium and dysfunction of various types. Most chronic and degenerative diseases  are owing to it.
In our fasting moving information technology era we have many new Vata disorders as well as an exacerbation of the old. We are constantly bombarded with disturbing electrical stimulation from our media devices, from cell phones to computers, to the constant media barrage even in public places that increase the agitated qualities of Vata. We are taking more pharmaceutical and recreational drugs that can also be very taxing on our nervous systems, drying and depleting them and upsetting our organic equilibrium. In addition we are frequently on the go, moving, changing residences or even partners. We have irregular diets with fast food and artificial foods, seldom true natural nourishment. On top of this, our artificial life-styles often involve excess travel, overwork or even over indulgence that also take their tolls. All of these create a perfect situation for Vata dosha to increase on both physical and psychological levels.

At physical levels, we suffer from irregular digestion, poor elimination, dry skin, allergies, arthritis, low immune function, exhaustion and debility, which all relate to Vata dosha. At nervous and psychological levels, we suffer from insomnia, bad dreams, fear, worry, anxiety, stress, loneliness, debility and hypersensitivity, complications of Vata as well. Such Vata problems increase with age, the Vata stage of life.

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Treating Vata Dosha Today

At a physical level, to counter high Vata dosha requires first a rich and nutritive diet with regular cooked meals and mild spices to aid in digestion, with whole grains, beans and dals, root vegetables, seeds, nuts and dairy products, particularly of Vata-reducing properties. Relative to our physical life-style going outdoors into nature, with fresh air, light exercise and sleeping early are essential, with proper rest and relaxation, extending to vacations and yoga retreats.

There are many Ayurvedic tonic herbs for lowering Vata dosha including ashwagandha, shatavari, jatamamsi, calamus and shankha pushpi. These are best taken in Ayurvedic preparations like ashwagandha arishta, ashwagandha lehyam, chyavan prash or shatavari ghee, and brahmi ghee. The Ayurvedic laxative formula triphala is important for reducing Vata in the large intestine in main site of accumulation in the body that sets in motion its disease causing energies. Vata types need to increase their Ojas or primary vital energy with such strengthening herbs.

For the mind, nervous system and bones, herbs like ashwagandha, calamus and brahmi are also good, but are better used as medicated oils like brahmi ghee, balashwagandha tailam, mahanarayan or dhanvantaram talisman, abundantly applied warm to the body, including to the head, neck, ears, spine and joints. A simple shirodhara or warm sesame oil drip to the head can be very good. The use of special Ayurvedic enemas or bastis, whether cleansing or nutritive may be required as well. Vata dosha types need their daily oil massage, particularly before sleep.

Yoga asanas of a gentle and calming nature are great for Vata dosha, slow and deep pranayama with no effort at retention, devotional chanting, while concentration and ground forms of meditation are very helpful. Pratyahara, yogic relaxation and Yoga Nidra are very helpful, letting go of the mind. But better nutrition and oil massage are a must to keep Vata dosha grounded as well.

Most Vata dosha problems begin with agitation and indecisiveness in the mind, inability to cope and loss of composure. Vata types must cultivate stillness, calmness, detachment and peace of mind. We must never let the world become greater than our own inner nature.

We don’t have to react to everything that is happening in the world. We need both a good sense of humor and a receptivity to the benefic powers of higher consciousness. Our world may seem too much for us to handle, with too many things for us to do, too much responsibility, complications and expenses. But we can always turn within and move beyond it. Vata types must give up their worrying minds and let the bliss of consciousness guide them from within. This is possible as Vata gives us a sense that reality is beyond the material world.

SOURCE:  AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF VEDIC STUDIES / VEDANET.COM https://www.vedanet.com/managing-vata-dosha-in-the-information-technology-era/