During winter, in The Northern part of America, we experience bitter and windy cold, soft and dreamy snow, and a beautiful, yet sometimes eerie, quiet that hushes over the land. Our relationship with the night sky and view into Outer Space become more prolonged. We become submersed in Vata Season. The cold, the space and openness, the dryness and increased wind, are all indicative of Vata Dosha.
Vata Dosha is a combination of two elements: Air and Space (or Ether). This constitution is cold, changeable, moves freely, light and dry. It’s the most powerful of all the doshas and when imbalanced can cause some major problem. (It is considered most powerful because it governs most of the body and planetary functions).
In the North America, Vata season can cause many problems for us collectively and individually. We can become agitated easily, feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, develop extreme fluctuations in our moods, and get too much into our abstract and ethereal minds. This all can cause us to become isolated, anxious, depressed and defensive. Feelings of being “trapped” or “cabin fever” are also signs that Vata is overwhelming us.
Physically, too much Vata causes constipation, excess gas, joint and arthritis issues, and general dehydration problems. It causes skin dryness, cracked hands and feet, dry mouth and cracks around the mouth. It causes hair to fall out and to go gray prematurely. This dosha, out of whack, can cause us to become living mummies.
When bringing balance to areas where Excess Vata is appearing, we must remember to keep our mindset right. The process should be mindful of what good the Vata dosha brings to our lives. It brings agility, inspiration, creativity, spontaneity, and excellent communication and dialogue. It can get things moving and brings focus. Vata is welcomed for oily, acne prone skin, allergy suffers, and people with problems loosing weight and low energy. This dosha brings balance to the other 2 doshas when they are experiencing an excess. The person who desires to bring this dosha into balance needs to be conscious of what purpose Vata serves for our wellbeing.
Over compensation through bringing in Kapha or Pitta qualities can cause more or new problems that could’ve been avoided. Start small and tweak the areas in measure. It could all be a matter of removing something that places you out of whack instead of needing to add something more. Your whole imbalance could be as simple as cutting out carbonated beverages or reducing the heat in the shower.
I, personally, am an over-thinker. I notice that I can halve my anxiety when I’m listening to the perfect background music. The music is my way of removing Vata’s sometimes overwhelming silence that can make my thoughts too loud.
When adding Kapha, and sometimes Pitta, elements into the act of trying to achieve balance, we must remember to start small and safe. Incorporating warm water though out the day (instead of cold or room temperature) is one way. The answer to balance isn’t a one-size-fits-all. When Vata needs to be balanced by bringing in more of another dosha’s element, it needs to be done with clear understanding of what the desired result is. An issue like dry skin can be solved by bringing in kapha in the form of moisturizer/lotion, healthy fats, and water. This shouldn’t be at the at the expense of a healthy amount of calories nor clogged pores.
When Vata comes into balance, it can create the best moments of introspection and freedom. Our movements feel relaxed and fluid, our minds aren’t racing around in circles, and we feel motivated but not run ragged.
If you have any questions about The Vata Dosha, or the other 2 Doshas (Pitta and Kapha) feel free to reach out and shoot me an email.
Check in next month 🧘🏻♀️
SUNYATA YOGA 