Vata

Air – Space 

Vata is light and moves fast like the wind

Air is also windy which makes vata people easily dry and cold.

Qualities = Light, Dry, Cold, Mobile

Active in age = 45+

Vata season = Autumn – Early winter

Vata time on a day = 2 – 6 am (Fresh awaking, rising activity – meditate)

  2 – 6 pm (Focused, productive, energy – meditation)

Vata Characteristics:

– Thin – Good communicator  

– Tall – Positive spirit

–  Dry hair / dry skin – Creative

– Cold hands and feet – Resist routine

– Energy – Enthusiastic

  • Easily adapt to change – Loves new things / difficulty finish things

When out of balance:

– Anxious – hyperactive

–  Restless – overly talkative

– Overwhelmed – superficial

– indecisive – fearful

  • unreliable – dishonest

Problems when out of balance: coldness, constipation, dizziness, confusion, depression, pain, insomnia, hyperactivity

Balanced by: Heavy, Moist, Oily, Warm, Stable qualities

Balancing tastes: Sweet, Sour, Salty

**Eat regular times each day, no more than 4hrs between meals. Eat with calmness and no distractions

FOOD FOR VATA:

Sweet = fruits, grains, natural sugars, milk

Sour = Sour fruits, yoghurt, fermented foods

Salty = Natural salts, sea vegetables

Foods for optimum nourishment:

Coconut, papaya, bananas, cooked vegetables, garlic, onion, sweet potato, oats, rice, ghee, most oils, yoghurt, milk, butter, eggs

Examples:

Fruits: Avocado, apples(cooked), bananas, papaya, fresh figs, fresh dates, mangoes,

Grains: Amaranth, cooked oats, quinoa, rice, wheat

Natural sugars: Honey, fruit juice concentrates

Milk: Buttermilk, Cow milk, Cheese, Ghee, Goat cheese & milk, unsweetened almond milk, yoghurt(diluted & spiced), tofu, soy milk

Vegetables: Beets, carrots, sweet potato, beens, pumpkin, zucchini, lentils, mung beans, fennel

Animal products: beef, buffalo, chicken (dark), duck, egg, fish(freshwater or sea), salmon, sardines

Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews

Seeds: Chia, flax, sesame

Oils: Ghee, coconut oil, olive oil

Beverage: White wine, beer, almond milk, aloe vera juice, carrot juice, apple juice, herbal tea, rice milk hot, soy milk, chai spiced milk, papaya juice

Spices: black pepper, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, mint, ginger, rosemary, saffron, turmeric, thyme, salt, mustard seeds

Oils external use for body massage/lotion: hot sesam oil, hot almond oil

Funny example celebrities: Uma Thursman

TIP: if you can’t sleep – drink a golden milk in the evening or hot unsweetened almond milk – can make this sweet with a date

Practice: Focused, grounding, centering, calming

Meditation:

  • Single point focus
  • Groundness / earth 
  • Routine 
  • Consistance
  • Focus on candle good meditation