Are you anxious, restless and excessively hungry?
15 ways to tell if you are a vata Ayurvedic body type
The vata dosha is the energy that powers our bodily functions such as circulation, breathing, blinking and our heartbeat.
Balanced vata body types are creative and have an overall sense of vitality. Want to know if you are a vata body type? Check out these common characteristics.
- Slender/light frame
- Creative, mental quickness and highly imaginative
- Grasp new knowledge easily and quick learners, but just as quick to forget
- Excitable, lively, fun and are great conversationalists
- Talk and walk quickly. Excellent agility
- Don’t like cold climates and often have cold hands and feet
- Changeable moods, quick to anger, but forgive just as quickly
- Irregular daily routine
- Variable appetite and sensitive digestive system, and often forgets to eat
- High energy in short bursts but tend to suffer bouts of fatigue – best not to be a marathon runner!
- Respond to stress with fear, worry and anxiety, and find it hard to be grounded
- Act on impulse and can have racing, disjointed thoughts
- Excitable sexually and quickly satiated
- Dry skin and hair, and don’t perspire much
- Light sleepers
VATA HEALTH ISSUES
Vata body types are excitable and fun, but when you are out of balance, usually from stress, you will feel out of control. Vatas commonly suffer from anxiety and insomnia.
Typical health problems for the vata body type when it is out of balance include:
- Headaches and hypertension
- Dry cough, sore throat and earache
- Anxiety and irregular heart rhythms
- Muscle spasms and lower back pain
- Constipation, abdominal gas, diarrhoea and a nervous stomach
- Menstrual cramps in women and premature ejaculation in men
- Arthritis, cracking joints and stiffness in the muscles
- Weakness and a feeling of restlessness
DID YOU KNOW? Most nervous disorders are related to a vata imbalance.
How to balance your vata Ayurvedic body type
If you are feeling stressed and anxious, it’s time to calm down and chill out, vata. As a vata body type when you get into this state, you may skip meals, which will mean weight loss and your digestion may become poor too.
To balance this Ayurvedic dosha, you will need to look at your lifestyle. Simply, it will be a case of slowing down, eating regular meals, meditating, gentle exercise and getting plenty of sleep.
Balancing your vata dosha
ACTIVITIES AND EXERCISE: Go for exercises and activities that promote flexibility such as qi gong, tai chi, walking, tennis, riding a bike, yoga and dancing.
FOOD: Eat your meals around the same time each day. Eat small meals regularly and eat foods that are warm (in temperature and spices). Maximise sweet, salty and sour foods.
RELAXATION: It’s important to get enough sleep so make sure you are in bed by 10pm and get up before 6am. Start to get into a routine. Listen to soothing music and meditate.
DAILY REMEDY: Give yourself a daily massage using warm and heavy oils such as sesame and almond, and have regular massage treatments. Drink fresh ginger tea.
WARDROBE: Stay warm to avoid becoming chilled at all times of the year. Keep your head covered in winter. Wear warmer earthy colours like browns and yellow.
Balance your vata body type and get your healthy mojo back. Your body will thank you for it.