Vata Body Type: Ayurveda Diet Tips for Your Vata Dosha
Vata body type is characterized by Vata energy - the energy of movement, which is cooling, light, and drying.
Vata represents the ether/space & air elements and it is predominant during the life’s old age - as we get older, we naturally shrink and dry out.
With a Vata body type you are generally thin, have a smaller frame and a slim body shape with a a flat chest. Your skin, nose, hands, and feet tend to be cold and dry, even rough. You have lively dark brown or dark green small eyes.
Your movements and speech are quick, and mentally you are restless and have lots of ideas. Lively, creative and enthusiastic, you are often fearful, anxious and insecure. Because you tend to be shy, less bold and with less will-power, you need more stimulation to become more determined and practical.
In your body, Vata energy is responsible for all physiological processes involving motion: motor & sensory functions, nerve impulses, thought processes (including creative thinking and enthusiasm), circulation, respiration, and elimination. Obviously, any Vata imbalance impacts negatively these specific physiologies.
With a Vata body type your predominant senses are hearing & touch. You like sweet, sour, & salty tastes, and hot drinks. You love change and thrive having new experiences, meeting new people. Also, you like humid, warm - even hot - weather - and you don’t perspire much.
In plants, Vata energy is found in the flowers and the leaves that reach farthest into the air. Vata periods of the day are between 6-10 A.M. & 6-10 P.M., and Vata season is from October through February, when it’s cold, dry, and windy.
A Balanced Vata Body Type...
...causes you to have a fun, vibrant, lively, and expressive personality. You have a clear and quick mind, an active walk and a fast speech (but not always clear).
With an abundance of creative energy and imagination, you are a prolific, idealistic artist.
Quick to respond, you grasp things as easily as you forget them, and you’re not a good planner...
Like the wind, for you money usually goes as easily as it comes.
You tend to be restless, doing more than one thing at a time, and you generally have a light, easily interrupted sleep.
When balanced, you are flexible, joyful, thoughtful, talkative, alert, sensitive, easily aroused and easily fatigued.
However, you are less bold and will-powered, less confident and tolerant than the other doshas.
An Imbalanced Vata Body Type...
...usually causes neurological disorders, especially the motor functions. For example:
Too little Vata energy results in nerve loss, congestion, difficulty in breathing, constipation; also in mental confusion, forgetfulness, negligence, selfishness, lack of tact, and of concentration
Too much Vata energy results in headaches, dry coughs, sore throat, earaches, high blood pressure, muscle spasms, lower back pain, dry & wrinkled skin, aching joints, abdominal gas, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, premature ejaculation, and a hyper immune system; also in interrupted sleep, restlessness, tendency to be spaced out and to do too much, fatigue, anxiety, worrying, irresponsibility, inability to make decisions, and difficulty in losing weight.
Vata Body Type gets Aggravated by...
...dry weather and the cold, windy autumn & winter seasons.
Your dosha is also aggravated by irregular routine & meals, staying up late, frantic multi-tasking, loud noise, travel (especially by airplane), air conditioning, excessive mental work, and not taking time to relax.
A Vata Imbalance is Pacified by...
... warmth and a more humid weather, a calm daily routine including relaxation techniques (deep breathing, meditation, and walking in nature), as well as going to bed early (10 PM), and waking up early (6 AM).
As a Vata dosha, you are balanced by calm, focused, and determined people, constructive thinking, and a positive attitude.
Especially benefic for you are relaxed, moderate workouts like hatha yoga, t'ai-chi, swimming, and walking in nature. Surround yourself with warm, gentle colors (beige, brown, yellow, and warm green), and use moisturizers every morning.
Massage your whole body with sweet, "warming" aromas like jasmine, clove, rose, cinnamon, and orange essential oils blended in sesame or almond oil, as this will go a long way toward soothing your emotions and your entire nervous system.
Also, if you live in a dry climate, a humidifier is very useful to reduce your Vata imbalance.
As a Vata body type you are naturally slender. However, as you age, you might gain weight - here's the balancing Vata dosha diet >>
"Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting together such a wonderful site! Eye-opening info on the different body types... it really helped me understand how to adjust my meals to lose weight without craving sweets and being hungry all day... or crushing after lunch. I've already lost 12 pounds in the last three weeks and I'm thrilled!! Never ever thought it would be so easy!"
