Ayurveda: Vata Types, How to Prepare for Healthy Winter

I’m primarily a vata type myself, actually a dual dosha (vata-pitta.) Most people are two types:  find your Ayurvedic type here-with the best test I’ve found, then come back for more info!  The site Banyan Botanical is also highly respected for herbs, and various massage oils by type.

You will notice some recommendations here are very general-for this reason:  there are very few pure vata types.  You are most likely a mix of either vata/pitta, vata/kapha, pitta/vata, kapha/vata.  So you want to also learn about your sub-dosha (or secondary type) to really get specific on what is best for you.  I RECOMMEND purchasing (or using library) a good book, and there are many now.  I recommend some excellent ones below, most of which I own myself.  So if you think you are primarily a Vata type, then you would use these recommendations.

Vata Preparations for Healthy Winter

Remember Ayurveda, is a holistic science, it works but more slowly than a just taking a pill.  The big benefit is these are lifestyle changes that you can do your self, they are low cost and they will help maintain and build your health rather than just masking or overriding the body’s alarms (symptoms.)  I”ll give  quick example:  say you have dry skin. You could just slather on chemically laden products that do make your skin softer.  So that problem is solved.  But why is your skin chronically dry?  It’s a symptom (not the worst in the world) but a symptom of something out of balance.  Perhaps you also tend to be constipated.  You could just take a laxative.  But interestingly in holistic approaches, like Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine-they would be seen as related.   The “dryness” that manifests in your skin, it’s the same underlying dryness that is showing up as your constipation.  So rather than the Western approach of treating two unrelated symptoms and not getting to the root cause, you might be able to with simple changes affect both symptoms as they are in fact Vata type issues!

Ayurveda is best if you are a bit right brained-it uses metaphor and relationships to the natural world, it’s is fluid as in life we are always in a state of flux and change-so it’s not going to remain fixed “prescription” for you at all times.

VATA TYPE QUALITIES:

this is according to Maya Tiwari (a former fashion designer now monastic, who healed herself from cancer) in her book [amazon_link id=”089281490X” target=”_blank” ]A Life of Balance.[/amazon_link]

Vata is:Like Wind            Vata Opposites/Provide Balance

• Dry-                                           Moist
• Cold-                                   Warm/Hot
• Light-                                     Heavy
• Mobile-                                     Still
• Erratic-                                 Regular
• Rough-                                   Smooth
• Bitter-                                     Sweet
• Astringent-                             Salty
• Pungent-                                  Sour

You may say “uggh?” but with that general understanding of what wind is like you than then easily think of opposites which I listed on the right.  So the left brained approach is to try and memorize right and wrong-foods, which can make you crazy!  The more holistic approach is to– really get this concept of vata once that is really understood, you yourself can easily see “oh that would create balance” without needing to run to a book.

An Example of Ayurvedic understanding: 

For example, if we just take the first quality of vata on the list-which is “dry(ness)” and apply it to food-we can see that granola-a dry, baked food (which is usually served cold) would be less beneficial than cooked oatmeal (which is by nature moist, and warm.)  The principal is: do not increase the qualities of the dosha or type, but rather bring the opposite (balancing) quality to bear. Further we can see on list “rough” is vata trait, so again granola in quality is a bit rough, when oats are cooked they are? “smoother.”  You can see how if we can think poetically but practically, anything-can be see from a perspective of balancing ones dosha or potentially aggravating it.

Vata Lifestyle:

Lets apply list above to lifestyle. I really want you to feel that you are gaining understanding and not just memorizing stale do’s and dont’s.  The words in italics are balancing to vata traits.   Fall is Vata season and when most difficulties happen.

• Stable routines help to ground vata.  A consistent daily schedule:  Breakfast at 7 am, lunch at 12 noon, a snack around 4pm and dinner at 6 pm. Ideal bedtime is by 10:00 pm.  As the early morning ours are bit restless for vatas and are not providing good quality sleep.
• Rest:  time for reflection, napping daily to maintain ideal balance
• Staying warm in cold/windy weather

Ayurvedic CookBooks:

[amazon_link id=”0914955144″ target=”_blank” ]Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners: Familiar Western Food Prepared with Ayurvedic Principles[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”1883725054″ target=”_blank” ]Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”0452282780″ target=”_blank” ]Ayurvedic cooking[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”0976917009″ target=”_blank” ]Eat-Taste-Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living[/amazon_link]

Vata Diet:

• moist, cooked foods
• heavy, naturally sweet-like yams, carrots etc.
• Healthy amount of high quality oils
• Specific grains-see texts for specifics (as mentioned you are most likely a dual type, and need that secondary info)

Overall Ayurveda:  LIfestyle and Spritual Aspects:

David Frawley [amazon_link id=”0914955977″ target=”_blank” ]Ayurvedic Healing: A Comprehensive Guide[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”091026130X” target=”_blank” ]Yoga for your Type: An Ayurvedic Approach to Your Asana Practice[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”0941524248″ target=”_blank” ]The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine[/amazon_link]A helpful book that I own.

Maya Tiwari [amazon_link id=”089281490X” target=”_blank” ]Ayurveda: A Life of Balance: The Complete Guide to Ayurvedic Nutrition & Body Types with Recipes[/amazon_link] A wonderful book that I own, mostly aimed at women in it’s writing style and references, but applicable to all.

[amazon_link id=”0345430301″ target=”_blank” ]The Path of Practice: A Woman’s Book of Healing with Food, Breath, and Sound[/amazon_link]

Robert Svoboda [amazon_link id=”0965620832″ target=”_blank” ]Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”1450570682″ target=”_blank” ]Ayurvedic Nutrition[/amazon_link]