VATA DOSHA

EXPLORE GROUNDING DAILY HABITS + HOW TO CREATE BALANCE FOR VATA ENERGY + STRESS

vata dosha - balance stress + anxiety

BALANCING VATA DOSHA

ETHER + AIR

Signs of Imbalance: Dry, dehydrated skin + hair / fine lines + wrinkles / intolerance to cold / cold hands + feet / stiff joints / gas, bloating / constipation / anxiety + excess worry / insomnia / nervous system disorders / twitching / repressed grief + fear / moving pain / tension in legs, low back, hips + muscles

Like Increases Like + Creates More Imbalance: too many dry, raw, or rough foods / carbonation / exposure to cold, dry weather / chronic stress / stuck in fight or flight mode / fast-paced lifestyle / excess alcohol + caffeine / lack of sleep / lack of routines / excess travel

Season: fall + early winter

Elements: Ether + Air

Vata Qualities: cold, light, dry

To Bring Balance: warm, heavy, moist, oily, nourishing, grounding

Sense Organs: sound + touch

BALANCE YOUR VATA

MOVEMENT: restorative and grounding yoga asanas, morning or evening exercise, gentle exercise, stretching, qi gong, tai chi, walking, swimming

DAILY RITUALS: keep warm, calm the nervous system with diaphragmatic breathing / daily self-abhyanga massage with sesame oil to calm the nervous system, focusing on massage of the scalp, hands, arms, feet, ears / soothing music or sound baths, lubricating ears, regular sleep, regular meals, exercise, rest, relaxing digestion teas, slow + relaxing massage, chakra balancing massage, primordial sound meditation

SKINCARE:

AROMATHERAPY: jasmine, patchouli, lavender, rose, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, clary sage, frankincense, vetiver, tangerine

VATA PACIFYING DIET: warm, freshly cooked food with adequate healthy oils + fats, protein, and spices. Favor sweet, salty, and sour tastes and reduce pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes.

AVOID/REDUCE: dry + rough foods, salads + cold, raw foods, ice, carbonated + caffeinated beverages.

Eating According to Your Dosha

VEGETABLES

  • Artichokes

  • Asparagus

  • Beets

  • Bok Choy

  • Carrots, cooked

  • Garlic

  • Green Beans

  • Leeks, cooked

  • Okra

  • Onion, cooked

  • Parsley

  • Potatoes

  • Pumpkins

  • Rutabaga

  • Seaweed (arame, hijiki, kombu, wakame)

  • Squash, acorn

  • Squash, butternut

  • Sweet potatoes

  • Turnips

  • Watercress

  • Yellow Squash

  • Zucchini

FRUITS

  • Apricots

  • Avocado

  • Bananas

  • Blueberries

  • Cantaloupe

  • Cherries

  • Coconuts

  • Dates

  • Figs, fresh

  • Grapefruit

  • Grapes

  • Guava

  • Kiwi

  • Lemons

  • Limes

  • Mangoes

  • Melon (eaten on their own)

  • Nectarines

  • Oranges

  • Papayas

  • Peaches

  • Pineapples

  • Plum

  • Strawberries

  • Tamarind

  • Tangerines

LEGUMES + BEANS

  • Aduki beans

  • Lentils, red

  • Miso

  • Mung beans—split yellow

  • Tofu, cooked

NUTS + SEEDS

  • Almonds—raw, soaked

  • Brazil nuts

  • Cashews

  • Flax seeds

  • Hazelnuts

  • Macadamia

  • Peanut

  • Pecan

  • Pine nuts

  • Pistachio

  • Pumpkin seeds

  • Poppy seeds

  • Sunflower seeds, roasted

  • Walnuts

OILS

  • Almond oil

  • Avocado oil

  • Ghee

  • Peanut oil

  • Safflower oil

  • Sesame oil

  • Sunflower oil

DAIRY

  • Butter

  • Buttermilk

  • Cheese

  • Cottage cheese

  • Cow milk—not cold

  • Ghee

  • Goat milk

  • Rice milk

  • Soy milk

  • Yogurt

GRAINS

  • Amaranth

  • Basmati, brown or white

  • Brown rice

  • Oats, cooked

  • Quinoa

  • Wheat

MEATS + FISH

  • Chicken

  • Eggs—in moderation

  • Fish—freshwater & saltwater

SWEETENERS

  • Brown rice syrup

  • Brown sugar, unrefined

  • Dates

  • Honey, raw + uncooked

  • Maple syrup

  • Molasses

  • Sucanat

  • Sugarcane Juice

SPICES + HERBS

  • Anise

  • Basil

  • Bay leaf

  • Black pepper

  • Caraway

  • Cardamom

  • Chamomile

  • Cinnamon

  • Clove

  • Coriander

  • Cumin

  • Dill
    Fennel

  • Ginger

  • Marjoram

  • Mustard

  • Nutmeg

  • Oregano

  • Peppermint

  • Saffron

  • Sage

  • Spearmint

  • Thyme

  • Tumeric

Informational only. Not meant to diagnose or treat any condition or disease.