Ayurvedic Wisdom Applied to Yoga
Do you want to hibernate, stay at home wrapped up in a warm blanket reading a romance novel or binge-watching Netflix? Do you feel like you are moving through mud? Are you craving heavy foods—sweet and creamy? Then you may be a Kapha out of balance in Kapha season—winter.
There are three primary Doshas
The Kapha dosha is one of three doshas or dispositions according to Yoga sister science Ayureda. The other two are Pitta and Vata. Pitta imbalances show up as anger, frustration, skin problems, impatience and when completely out of control –heart attacks and strokes. The third dosha is Vata and it controls wind and air. When out of balance, it shows up in their bodies as anxiety, brain fog, digestive issues and creaky joints, or worse yet—autoimmune diseases, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Figuring out your dosha can be fun and healing
Once you figure out what your primary Dosha is and what is out of balance currently, there are things you can do to get back into balance and feel better. This is where Yoga comes in. There are ways to practice yoga that will help balance your Dosha.
Below find a brief overview to practicing for Dosha Balancing. If you are interested in learning the entire practice, you can reach out to me for private instruction or attend one of my local classes.
Yoga Practice Guidelines for Dosha Balance
Kapha Balancing— Kapha’s need energy.
- Look up when practicing, don’t close your eyes.
- Deep inhales and exhales
- Precise movements
- Vigorous pace of practice
Pitta Balancing—Pittas need to have more fun
- Practice at 80 percent effort
- Deep exhales to release stress and heat
- Changes things up. Don’t do the pose perfectly
- Moderate pace of practice
Vata Balancing-Vatas need to get grounded
- Look down or close your eyes when practicing
- Deep inhales, short exhales
- Practice smooth, don’t hold poses
- Slow pace of practice
Not only do I teach yoga for your Ayurvedic Dosha, I also incorporate Ayurvedic principals in my health coaching practice. If you want to learn more about how I use Ayurveda to help you eat better, sleep better, and feel better through lifestyle changes, please reach out.
Interested in Knowing Your Primary Dosha?
Here is a link to a Dosha quiz on Banyan Botanicals website. They are an Ayurvedic herbal company that specializes in the Doshas. You may be surprised at what you learn.
