Rebalance your Doshas with Ayurveda

This summer I went to a couple of retreats in different parts of the world, one of them was in Sri Lanka, a beautiful island very close to India, known for its vast beaches and for its lush greenery. I was looking for very specific things and one of those was treatments based on the principles of Ayurveda.

At the base of Ayurveda there is the belief the 5 elements the world is made up of, such as water, fire, earth, air and space, combine into 3 different Doshas, a person’s disposition or their physical, emotional and mental health. Each one of us has a different ratio of the three, but one stands out over the others and that is known as the Ayurveda constitution. 

With the help of an Ayurveda practitioner we can find out which of the 3 doshas stands out more than the other. Are we more air and space, in other words Vata? Or Kapha, which is a combination of earth and water? Or Pitta which combines fire and water? 

Ayurveda works based on a combination of diet, exercise and meditation practices.

Vata are those who are more affected by the weather, they are generally more prone to poor circulation and feeling cold in their hands and feet, but they are also creative, energetic, they lose focus easily and usually have a skinny constitution. To achieve balance Vata needs routine and meditation, calm and steadiness. 

Kapha personalities are caring, stable and thick skinned, they are natural born leaders, but they also tend to gain weight more easily and have heart issues. To be at their best Kapha individuals need to follow a healthy diet and have a regular exercise routine. 

Pitta types are more persistent, they don’t give up easily, they are very competitive but not very compassionate and they tend to be very anxious and more sensitive to heat. Because they have fire in them, Pitta's need to avoid spicy foods and strive for a better work-life balance. 

Once we have established which Dosha we resemble more closely, we can work a diet, exercise and meditation combo that can help us achieve a harmonious state. 

For example Kapha should do more cardio and weight training with someone who can encourage them and help them achieve a routine, while Vata performs best by doing solo activities like running, yoga and slow movement practices like Qigong. Pitta on the other hand perform best in sport groups. Vata should eat more foods that are the opposite of their dosha, which is cold, and prefer warm food over cold even in summer. Kapha’s, who are sluggish, should add some heat by eating spicy food while avoiding fats. 

Traditional medicine has not conducted enough research to prove the validity of these claims so of course it is up to one's own personal beliefs to trust the process and see if, with patience and time, the Ayurveda methods have a positive and beneficial effect. 

I always look for more natural ways to restore balance, so I was naturally attracted to Ayurveda and it works for me. For example being predominantly a Vata, when I have insomnia I wake up and make myself a warm latte with adaptogens and practice some alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana), even if it’s the middle of the night, and it works like a charm.

Try it and let us know what you think!