Bring yourself into balance

Vata

 

If you are primarily a lean, cool, creative person, or if you have vatic symptoms that arise from stress (anxiety), do the following to get yourself back into balance:

Establish a routine: sleep, meals, exercise, social time and relaxation. Vata's irregular nature is balanced by structure (but not rigidly).   Relax more often. Take a yoga class and learn how to breathe diaphragmatically. Vata's sensitive nervous system needs to be calmed and soothed.  

 

Eliminate all sugar and caffeine from your diet. These chemicals only make vata more anxious and restless.

 

Massage your dry skin with cold-pressed sesame, almond, or olive oil daily. Oil is moist and warming - an excellent antidote for vata's dry, cold nature. 

 

Pitta   

 

If you are primarily a hot-blooded, intensely productive person, or if your lifestyle makes you that way, follow these suggestions to rebalance:

Take walks in nature as often as possible. The greenery of nature cools pittic fire; and exercise dissipates pittic intensity and tension.

 

Avoid alcohol, deep-fried and hot, spicy food. More heat and oil in the system can aggravate pitta.

 

Eat your green vegetables. Bitter greens and most other vegetables are cooling and calming for pitta's heat. Relax and laugh daily. Pittas tend to take life much too seriously; slow down and smell the roses! 

 

Kapha  

 

If you are primarily a strong, dependable, nurturing person, who may tend to get stuck in ruts (or on the couch), try these suggestions:

Take a class in something you have an interest in. Kaphas need to create challenges for themselves.

 

Cut down on dairy and wheat products that contribute to excess mucus and weight gain. Eat warming spicy food, lots of vegetables and salads, and puffed grains (rice cakes, popcorn).

 

Exercise vigorously 5-7 times a week (and sweat!). Kaphas tend to gain weight, and need to move to keep it off.