Balancing Vata

Vata is the energy of air and ether, movement and impulse, creativity and connection. 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.

Signs and Symptoms of Vata Imbalance

Is your vata out of balance? If so, you may be experiencing some of the following signs or symptoms:

• nervousness, anxiousness, 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 tools and techniques are based on:

• Routine
• Warmth
• Serenity
• Nourishment

General Guidelines for a Vata-Balancing 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 dal, 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 warm drinks and herbal teas.
• 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.
• 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.

Avoid:

• Foods that are bitter, astringent, and pungent.
• 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 (e.g., salads, carrot sticks, raw fruit, fresh fruit and vegetable juices).
• 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 1/2 hour of any other food.
• Foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup.
• Deep-fried foods.
• Hard alcohol.

Vata-Balancing Herbs

Ayurvedic herbs are useful allies when it comes to balancing the doshas. Ayurveda has a long history detailing the use of herbs and herbal combinations to help bring warmth, stability, and nourishment to vata. Below are some herbs and formulations that are especially useful for balancing vata. 

• Healthy Vata is a great choice for balancing vata throughout the body and mind, including signs of excess vata like difficulty tolerating loud noises or dislike of wind and cold.
• Tranquil Mind supports a sense of mental calmness, ease, and grounded awareness.
• Joint Support helps balance vata in the joints, nerves, and muscles.
• Vata Massage Oil offers moisture and lubrication for dry skin.
• Triphala powder, tablets, or liquid extract supports healthy elimination.
• Haritaki powder or tablets can be used instead of triphala when there is excess vata in the digestive tract.
• Ashwagandha powder, tablets, or liquid extract can support healthy weight gain.
• I Sleep Soundly promotes sound and restful sleep.
• Vata Digest helps ignite strong, healthy digestion.
• Lavender Soap is a wonderful way to soothe the mind and nervous system.
• Ashwagandha Latte Mix is a warm, tasty way to enjoy a vata-balancing drink ritual.

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 abhyanga, or Ayurvedic self-massage with warm Sesame Oil or Vata Massage Oil.
• A gentle exercise routine, such as a calm, grounding form of yoga, tai chi, qi gong, walking, or swimming.
• Keeping warm, no matter what the weather. Try warm baths, warm drinks, and warm sweaters!
• Sweet, soothing music, smells, scenes, and company.
• Taking time to slow down and turn inward with meditation or a good book.

Our lives, environments, and health naturally shift and change on a regular basis. We recommend taking our dosha quiz 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 learn more about vata so that you can understand why following these simple guidelines really can help.