Clear –This quality gives Vata their clairvoyant ability, as this is related to the element of space. They can understand easily but forget abruptly, and they often experience a deep sense of loneliness.
Astringent – They can suffer from a dry choking feeling in their throats, and they will often find themselves with hiccoughs or burping. They enjoy oily, sweet, sour and salty foods.
BALANCING VATA
Vatas need routine, warm fluids, rest, massage, steady nourishment, warmth, decreased stress, and they need to avoid skipping meals, eating on the run, fasting and alcohol.
Activities that will calm Vata
Gentle calming exercise such as yoga, quigung (qigong), dance, golf, walking, swimming, listening to calming music, gardening, pottery, cooking, massage, meditation and getting to bed early all help Vatas to settle.
Warming grounding remedies – walking barefoot on the grass, warm sesame oil massage, foot massage, gardening, warm milky drinks with cardamom and cinnamon, ghee added to food and drinks
Warming grounding lifestyle choices – gardening, yoga, guided meditation, creative pursuits, listening to calming music
Lifestyle factors to limit – constant change and movement, overexercise, excess meditation without proper supervision, too much time on devices such as computers, TV, phones
So-called healthy foods that may imbalance you – raw food diets, juices, chilled smoothies and smoothie bowls, sparkling mineral water
Emotions and diet
Vatas are often attracted to cold, dry, crisp foods but these are best avoided. They can easily become imbalanced if they eat too many of these foods. Too much bitter, pungent and astringent food can also have a negative impact on the digestive system of Vata. The skin and body can become very dry in the colder weather and so Vatas should introduce warming spices and increase the amount of protein they are eating.
Soups and slow cooked stews made with plenty of root vegetables are the perfect choice for Vata types in the cooler or more unsettled months, and they do really well to warm their meals with spices like cinnamon, clove, star anise, cardamom and ginger that will help stimulate their digestion. To calm themselves they need to increase the amount of naturally sweet, salty and sour foods they are consuming. A glass of sweet warm milk before bed is a perfect remedy for any Vata that has trouble sleeping.
Routine and exercise
Vatas need to allow plenty of time for stillness in their day. Moving is what comes naturally to Vatas so they will often want to exercise and be on the go when they are feeling fragile, anxious or emotional. This is not the healthiest option, especially at the Vata time of 2pm–6pm. Their fragile nature demands they don’t allow too much space between meals. For continued wellness, Vatas should eat their meals at the same time every day. Skipping meals is one way to quickly imbalance these people. The digestive system is where Vata types are most susceptible and they may have issues with gas, bloating and constipation. They have sensitive tummies that do best with nourishing home-cooked meals.
Eating on the run or snacking instead of eating a proper meal is not a good idea for these types. If they do want to move their body, they are best to try grounding practices like yoga, tai chi or even a gentle walk. More strenuous types of exercise should be done between 6am and 10am in the morning at Kapha time.
Quiet time, listening to music, reflecting, drawing or journaling will help to calm them. Before bed they are better to read than be on their phone or computer, as any device will aggravate the Vata energy in the body.
We enter the Vata stage of our lives at around 75 years of age so it is not uncommon for these types to become more dreamy, vague or fragile as they age. The best diet for Vatas includes warming and soothing foods that are stabilising for a light, airy constitution. (See charts at the back of the book, pages 240–5.)
PITTA
Pitta individuals are dominated by the element of fire. This creates heat in the body and is responsible for metabolising, transforming, digesting and processing all of our thoughts and all we eat. Pitta is also in charge of maintaining our digestive fire (agni); if our digestive fire is low, we will have problems with digestion and suffer from heartburn, reflux and indigestion.
Pittas have quick, sharp minds and tongues, a moderate body frame and tend to be able to maintain their weight better than the other two doshas.
Elements
Time of day
10am–2pm and 10pm–2am is the time of day when Pitta will be more obvious in the body and mind.
Time of year
In summer Pitta can be more aggravated in the body. It is the season when Pitta health issues such as eczema, heartburn, reflux, headaches, hay fever, insomnia or burnout can arise. Summer is known as Pitta time (bile). Energy and heat rise up in the body in summer so it is important to keep cool. We are naturally drawn to cooling summer fruits and higher carbohydrate grains like rice. We drink more juices made from seasonal fruits and fill up on salads with cooling herbs.
More fiery Pitta types need to eat with more awareness in this season, and so too does anyone who starts to show any signs of heat in the body, such as skin issues, headaches, reflux, indigestion or insomnia.
Time of life
18 to 50–55 years is the time that Pitta will be more prominent in the body.
Pitta is responsible for regulating body heat through the metabolism of food, appetite, energy production, vitality, ambition, confidence, courage, learning and understanding.
PITTA OUT OF BALANCE
The site of Pitta in the body is the eyes, skin, stomach, small intestine, sweat glands, blood, fat – where Pitta will present more strongly when it is out of balance.
Signs that Pitta is out of balance in the body
Irritability, impatience, anger and pushy, aggressive behaviour; skin irritations and rashes; heartburn, reflux and peptic ulcers; headaches, eye problems, falling hair, early greying, hot flushes; waking in the middle of the night and unable to get back to sleep; excess sweating, acne, blood shot eyes, heavy periods, large clots; extreme hunger before menstruation; yellow urine or loose unformed stools that fall apart in water, sink or float with a strong, pungent, offensive smell; a need to use the toilet 2–3 times a day, and may be urgent; tendency to diarrhoea and urinary tract infections.
Pitta types are more likely to go out of balance in summer.
Summer/Pitta health issues: Eczema, heartburn, reflux,