FEEL BETTER WITH AYURVEDA
BALANCE YOUR PITTA, VATA AND KAPHA ‘DOSHAS’ WITH THESE LIFESTYLE ADJUSTMENTS
According to Ayurveda – which means science of life – the basic elements of space, air, fire, water, and earth are the building blocks of all material existence, and keeping them in balance is the path to wellness. “Ayurveda explains nature as the best healer,” says Ayurvedic medicine doctor Ram Bhandari of Vibrant Ayurveda on the Gold Coast. “It treats the person as a whole and its
aim is to balance the integrity of a person’s physical body and life force.”
To create balance, you need to know your dosha – your body-mind constitution of energies – and this is best determined via a thorough examination by an Ayurvedic doctor. “An Ayurvedic doctor will not only examine your body, but will take an extensive personal and medical history, including questions about daily diet, profession and working conditions, exercise routines, relationships, and mental health,” says Bhandari. In short, Ayurveda looks at far more than your physical symptoms.
“A complete examination of your dosha includes pulse examination, tongue assessment, eye diagnosis and nail diagnosis,” he adds. “Based upon this assessment, a personalised body-mind-spirit healthenhancing prescription is formulated. This includes recommendations for diet, exercise,
emotional healing, nutritional and herbal supplements, and detox therapies.”
Paying attention to your daily natural rhythms and doing your best to manage your diet, sleep, work, exercise, family and social life is the key to living well and maintaining a healthy body.
If you don’t have time to visit an Ayurvedic practitioner, here are some basic characteristics of each dosha you can use to do a self-assessment.
WHAT IS YOUR DOSHA?
There are three doshas: Pitta, Vata and Kapha and it’s believed that each of us has a dominant and secondary dosha, but we each contain aspects of all three. When your dosha is out of balance you’ll feel unwell or generally out of sorts.
According to Bhandari, knowing your dosha and creating a daily and seasonal routine that supports it can increase your health and vitality. Agni (digestive fire) is at the heart of Ayurvedic wellbeing, so “regardless of your dosha we are supposed to live according to the season”, he says.
PITTA BODY TYPE: Moderate build, moderate muscles, can be stocky IN BALANCE: Motivated, dynamic, creative OUT OF BALANCE: Insatiable appetite, anger, IBS FOODS FOR BALANCING EXCESS PITTA: Yoghurt, coriander, sweet fruit, broth FEELS BETTER WHEN: Lunch is the biggest meal, in cooler climates BHANDARI SAYS: “Treat Pitta with cooling drinks, refreshing aromas, relaxing music, romantic talk and laughter. Refrain from overwork, learn to de-stress and avoid unnecessary time pressure for yourself by scheduling some leisure time.”
VATA BODY TYPE: Thin frame, low body fat percentage IN BALANCE: Creative and flexible, enthusiastic OUT OF BALANCE:
Tendency to be anxious and lose appetite when stressed
FOODS FOR BALANCING EXCESS VATA: Warm and soft foods, oily dressings, smoothies FEELS BETTER WITH: Routine, plenty of rest BHANDARI SAYS: “Since Vata is light, cool and dry in nature, oil is one of the best remedies for managing vata dosha. Use it both internally and externally.”
KAPHA BODY TYPE: Holds water, prone to heaviness IN BALANCE: Stable, steady, good stamina OUT OF BALANCE: Has a tendency to get stuck in a rut and eats more when stressed FOODS FOR BALANCING EXCESS KAPHA: Light meals, lots of fruit/veg, dry foods, spices FEELS BETTER WHEN: Being active, rising early, avoiding daytime naps BHANDARI SAYS: “What works best for Kapha is variety. Since Kaphas have a tendency to get addicted or stuck in a rut, find ways to include novelty and excitement. This can be as simple as trying a new route to work or as elaborate as planning a holiday to a new destination.
It’s tempting to oversimplify Ayurveda and box ourselves into one of the doshas, but the beauty of Ayurveda is we are a combination of all three. Without the input of a trained practitioner, it’s best to use your self-assessment as a guideline.