Yoga & Ayurveda to Balance Your Dosha

Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences to create balance of mind, body and Spirit.  According to Ayurveda, we are all comprised of energy and a blending of the elements: earth, fire, water, and ether (air).  Specifically, when you have an ayurvedic assessment with us, you learn your particular dosha or make-up. It is good to know whether you have a propensity for strong fire (Pitta), earth/water (Kapha), or air (Vata). Once you understand your natural dosha, you then use the ancient Healing Practices of Yoga and ayurveda to create more balance for yourself.

Chart of Ayurvedic principles and Elements on Earth-Yoga Retreat

High Pitta usually means you have an athletic body type and likely have a driven/ambitious personality.  These are Type A personalities who are usually very successful in their work.

Balanced Pitta

-Eat a Pitta-balancing diet.
-Eat in a quiet tranquil environment.
-Avoid artificial stimulants.
-Engage in calming interests, such as time in nature.
-Meditate daily.
-Do yoga, tai chi, or walking.

Strong Kapha nature is commonly associated with a tendency to hold weight or retain water, maybe also a liking or inclination toward material possessions.  Often Kapha types own nice things; homes, cars, etc. This is a stable, steady personality, but sometimes has difficulty with, or resistance to, change.

Balanced Kapha

-Eat a Kapha-balancing diet.
-Simplify your lifestyle.
-Focus on non-attachment in daily life.
-Do emotional housekeeping regularly.
-Routine for meditation and writing.
-Go to bed early and rise early.

Conversely, the Vata persons are lighter body type that tends to be thin and constantly changing. They may be unable to stay in any one place/job/relationship for much duration.

Balanced Vata

-Eat a Vata-balancing diet.
-Eat in a peaceful environment.
-Spend time in nature).
-Regular daily routine.
-Go to bed early.
-Meditate daily.

These are high-level generalizations of the doshas, and most persons are some combination of the three doshas.  There are other aspects of each. A detailed ayurvedic analysis for yourself is most telling.

With an understanding of your dosha, you can apply ayurvedic and yogic practices to balance all three doshas within yourself. Creating perfect peace,  harmony, and health in life. Pitta persons will benefit much from cooling dietary habits and mellow yoga practices. Kapha persons need to increase their Vata (air) so more active yoga such as Ashtanga or Vinyasa  Flow is in order. As well, eating raw food like salads may be helpful. Those with Vata predominance need to ground more. Eat root vegetables and take up Hatha Yoga practice and Nadi Shodhana wherein poses are held longer and the mind is cleared with breath. SpiritQuest Sedona Retreats offers Yogic and Meditation Retreats that will teach you how to restore this calm balance through Yoga and Ayurveda.