What’s A Dosha?
You are a unique blend of elemental energies and that makes you special! According to Ayurveda, this is a result of the synthesis of the five natural elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth), which influences every aspect of your being, right from your physique, strength of digestion, habits and all the way to your love language. These aspects of our constitution define our natural unchanging nature or prakriti.
Your dosha is how these elemental energies express themselves in you. The 3 Ayurvedic doshas are Vata (ether + air), Pitta (fire + water) and Kapha (water + earth). Each one of us is a balance of these doshas where one or more dosha is predominant in our prakriti. Knowing and working with your individual dosha can be an incredibly powerful way to achieve holistic mind-body-spirit harmony.
This is because situational factors such as time of day, age and the seasons which have a strong influence over the doshas, causing their ever-changing flow over time.
Knowing the Vata Dosha
Are you one of the lucky ones who can eat anything and get away with it? Do you often feel “spaced out” or that sound sleep can be elusive? Maybe you are one to chatter away with a speed that matches your racing thoughts? If you’ve answered in the affirmative to one or more questions, you might be a Vata dosha type.
Think of Vata’s airy-spacey qualities made manifest. Light, dry, cool, irregular and quick are qualities of Vata Dosha that will be noticeably expressed in your body and mind. Dry, cold extremities and light, restless sleep are a small trade off for this etheric dosha that’s always on the move (after all, this dosha personifies movement!).
Governed by the energy principle of active movement, there’s never a dull day for these folks who always seem to be rushing ahead. Vata-dominant individuals are enthusiastic, creative and dynamic, but sustained energy may be your only hurdle to jump over. Vivacious Vatas are notorious for their adventuresome, infectious spirit, and sharp wit. But being ever the erratic dosha, they might start projects and move on without seeing them to completion. Dancing plays on this light-on-its-feet dosha’s love of rhythm and movement.
Always teachers’ favorites as you grasp concepts quickly. Brimming with new ideas, this is almost always the dosha of visionaries and artists. Excitement is the name of the game for you, dear Vata-dominant folks. But take care that over-excitement does not snowball into over-exertion and end in exhaustion. Slow and steady wins the race. You are prone to nervous and cracking joint disorders, allergies, constipation and anxiety.
Physical Characteristics of Vata Dosha
Think Kate Moss or Adrien Brody and you’ll know what we’re talking about when speaking of the classical Vata body type. Bordering on extremes, Vatas tend to be very petite or very tall with long, slender frames, pixie-like delicate facial features and modelesque cheekbones.
Vata Hair: Dry hair that may be curly or frizzy and have a life of its own (that movement once again!). Oiling is the star component of a solid Vata protocol. Using a nourishing hair oil at least once a week has the dual benefit of improving your hair texture and helps soothe Vata’s frazzled nerves.
Vata Skin: Thin skinned Vatas – literally and figuratively – have ‘porcelain skin’ that is delicate, dry with small pores. It is ever so slightly cool to the touch. In Vata season, typically fall-winter, Vata skin can become extremely dehydrated to the point of becoming irritated and uncomfortable. Windy weather means a lack of hydration that’ll present as premature lines and wrinkles with eczema and psoriasis flare-ups.
Gentle massage with a lightweight face oil packed with the skin-loving goodness of deeply rejuvenative oils like rose, frankincense and juniper berry that revive and calm Vata skin. These Vata-pacifying botanicals leave the skin to feel soft, smooth, and supple with a sensuous scent. Make this ritual even more wholesome by pairing the anti-aging face oil with a kansa wand. Detoxify and revitalize with a marma point massage using your kansa wand. Claim that glow!
Body balms and butters are a treat to Vata skin, especially if they contain soothing and grounding botanicals like sandalwood, cardamom and cedarwood. These oils kindle digestive fire, flush out toxins and boost circulation. Antioxidant citrus oils in a balm-like formula is a burst of vitamin C to add radiance and reverse aging signs.
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