Creativity, spontaneity, ever ethereal energy... Vata

Each one of us has a unique combination of all three doshas within us.  What makes each of us different from each other is in what amounts these doshas compose our person.  The questionnaire in the last blog was only the first glance at identifying the layers of you.  Today I thought I would cover some information on a classic Vata personality and body type.  Please keep in mind that I will be speaking in generalities, and that this applies to the majority of predominantly Vata types.

A Vata dominant person is composed of the elements air and ether, or space.  This person typically has a smaller body frame.  They are most content "up in the clouds", blissfully content in their own world.  They are very creative and imaginative, and do best in lines of work in which they can utilize these traits.  They love spontaneity, unpredictability, and uninhibited freedom.  They are prone to being disorganized, mentally and in their environment.  So caught up in the next fun moment, they may forget to eat, or drink enough fluids.  Also, their mind is always active.  These are the personalities that have the most challenge with insomnia, surviving on very little sleep.  Their skin and body in general is likely to be on the drier side.  This could manifest in dry, itchy skin, even causing cracking at its worst.  This dryness could also manifest internally, as constipation.   Their physical activity level is usually high, enjoying aerobic and higher impact types of exercise.  The life of the party, the center of the room, they feed off of other people's energy.  

As you can imagine, this high, infectious energy can run out, or get chaotic.  A wind can be gentle and soothing, fresh and invigorating, or uncontrollably even destructive.   When they go too much, too long, without stopping to ground and center, they crash.  The "air" element cannot keep going incessantly.  It needs to ground and refuel in order to continue at that high pace.  The things that a Vata person needs the most are often the things she has no interest in doing. A slow, meditative, warm yoga class.   A calm and quiet walk through a forest, without their ipod, soaking in the sights and sounds of nature.  A dedicated time to rise in the morning and to bed at night.  Set times to eat throughout the day.  Choosing nourishing foods that are hydrating and warming.  These things are very unnatural for a Vata personality, but can help tremendously helpful in creating more balance.  If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask or share!!  Next post will be on the Pitta personality.  Look out y'all, they're FIRECRACKERS!!  :)   

The science of life recognizes how wonderfully unique you are. There is no generic prescription for balancing an individual...

I suppose I should start with an introduction.  My name is Melanie Jackson.   I started this blog because I have the privilege of teaching an Ayurvedic class at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.  I have been teaching this class about four years now, and have been amazed by the kind of changes that people make in the short time they are with me.  This wellness system is so effective because it is so individualized in the way that it treats different challenges.  Every one of us is different and unique.  There is no treatment, diet, or lifestyle plan that will work for everyone.  Ayurveda looks at the whole person as an individual, physically, mentally and emotionally.  It gets to the root of what the problem is, instead of merely temporarily treating the symptoms.  The way that treatments are chosen is by recognizing which elements are imbalanced.  Everything is composed of five fundamental elements: Ether, air, fire, water and earth.  The foods we eat, colors we wear, and everything we surround ourselves with has an impact on us.  We ourselves are also composed of these five elements, in varying amounts.  These elements are divided into three unique constitutions:

Vata - Ether and Air

Pitta - Fire and Water

Kapha - Water and Earth

Identifying what our personal constitution, or dosha is, is the first step to creating more balance within ourselves.  Following is a questionnaire that will help to determine this.  Total up each set of questions and see which is the highest number.

Index for Ayurvedic Body Typing

Yes=2                    Maybe/Undecided=1                    No=0

Vata Attributes

___ 1.  I am always thinking; my mind never slows down.

___ 2. My body is not proportionate (too long or short).

___3. I am always cold.

___ 4. I am a thin person and do not gain weight easily.

___ 5. I do tasks quickly but I need frequent breaks.

___ 6. I have one of these conditions: hemorrhoids, gas irritable bowel syndrome.

___ 7. I am a light sleeper and do not have solid, continuous sleep.

___ 8. I get constipated.

___ 9. During the last 10 years, my weight has fluctuated within 10 pounds.

___ 10. It is hard for me to make a decision.

___ 11. I want to do and learn so many things right now.

___ 12. I start many projects but seldom finish them.

___ 13. I have trouble staying in a long term relationship.

___ 14. I can not stay in the same job too long.

___ 15. I get bored doing repetitive tasks.

___ 16. I am creative but my creativity comes in spurts.

___ 17. I am the life of the party.

___ 18. I learn things quickly but I have difficulty remembering them later.

___ 19. I prefer working with my hands instead of reading a book.

___ 20. I worry often; even over the most insignificant things.

Vata Total ___

Pitta Attributes

___ 1. I can focus on jobs and tasks and complete them on time.

___ 2. I am well organized and plan things well.

___ 3. I have a strong will and seldom give up.

___ 4. I am an efficient person.

___ 5. I seldom get constipated.

___ 6. I usually feel hot.

___ 7. I have a healthy appetite and prefer large meals.

___ 8. I have skin disorders such as acne, rash, eczema, psoriasis.

___ 9. I am sometimes stubborn.

___ 10. I can lose my temper easily.

___ 11. I think I am always right.

___ 12. I need factual information before making decisions.

___ 13. I am not happy unless everything is done to perfection.

___ 14. I have a sensitive intestine.

___ 15. I can tolerate temperature changes.

___ 16. My body is average; I am not overweight or underweight.

___ 17. My weight moderately fluctuates.

___ 18. I lack patience.

___ 19. I am too hard on myself and others.

___ 20. I can work for long periods of time without breaks.

Pitta Total ___

Kapha Attributes

___ 1. I have a large body frame.

___ 2. I gain weight easily.

___ 3. I enjoy eating.

___ 4. I can do repetitive tasks.

___ 5. I don’t like change.

___ 6. I am caring, affectionate, and deep.

___ 7. Nothing bothers me; I take things in stride.

___ 8. Trust is very important to me.

___ 9. I love to sleep.

___ 10. My body is always warm.

___ 11. I take my time to complete tasks.

___ 12. I do not like to rush.

___ 13. I like the way I am; I don’t want to change.

___ 14. I have frequent sinus infections and congestion.

___ 15. It is hard for me to lose weight.

___ 16. It is hard for me to let things go.

___ 17. I am slow and steady but I keep going until I finish the job.

___ 18. I like systematic routine.

___ 19. I do not like damp weather.

___  20. I have a good memory; I am slow to learn but I retain information for a long time.

Kapha Total ___

Vata = ___                          Pitta = ___                          Kapha = ___

Whichever total is highest is the one that is your most dominant.  If there are two that are very close, you would be what is called dual-dosha.  If all three are evenly numbered, then you are what is called tridoshic.

Any of these is perfect.  One is not better than the other.  Our goal is not to be tridoshic, or singly dosha dominant.  Our goal is to be as balanced as possible, as whatever dosha we happen to be!  So what is a Vata person like?  Or a Pitta person?  Or a Kapha person?  In our next blog, we will take one dosha at a time, and give a generalized overview of some common characteristics of each.  We will also be identifying what types of imbalances are common with each dosha.  This is the next step on our journey of the balance of being...