6 Tips to Calm Vata Dosha

/

Ayurveda is a way of healing and a way of life that always takes into consideration your whole being. According to the teachings of Ayurveda, every aspect of your life contributes to your overall health.

Are you suffering from any of the following?

  • Dry skin and hair

  • Gas and bloating

  • Constipation

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Low back pain

  • Neck pain

  • Joint pain

  • Anxiety

  • Difficulty sleeping at night

  • Mood swings

  • Panic attacks

  • Ringing in the ears

  • Hearing loss

  • Neuropathy

All of these imbalances are caused by Vata Dosha. Vata is considered a basic type of energy or functional principles that is present in everybody and everything. Since there is no single word in English to describe this principle, we use the Sanskrit word Vata.

Dosha literally means fault, impurity or mistake. However this definition is not adequate in this context. Think of dosha as organization: as long as the doshas are normal in quality and quantity, they maintain a harmonious psychophysiology. However the moment they go out of balance, they corrupt or pollute or vitiate the tissues in the body and then they become Dosha. Therefore Dosha is that which becomes vitiated and then affects the bodily tissues leading to disease. But in a healthy way, Dosha is the principle that controls the psychophysiological response in your body and mind and all pathological changes.

Vata gives the following properties to your body and mind:

  • light (versus heavy)

  • dry

  • cold

  • rough and hard

  • subtle

  • clear

  • mobile - Vata is the governing principle of movement and affects the nervous system, joints and bones; especially the pelvic girdle when aggravated.

Tips to Balance Your Vata Dosha

1) Like Increases Like so focus on the qualities opposite to Vata

When calming Vata Dosha, opposite properties are applied such as heavy, grounding, oily, moist, warm, smooth, creamy and soft. Therefore, include in your diet lots of warm cooked grounding vegetable and chicken soups and stews, creamy sauces, healthy oils such as ghee, sesame oil and avocados, warm cooked cereals with soaked moist nuts and seeds.

2) Eat enough

Three square meals and two substantial snacks are ideal.

3) Avoid

  • Cold foods and drinks

  • Raw vegetables

  • Rough dried toast, chips and popcorn.

  • Caffeine and refined white sugar as they are very stimulating to the nervous system and will immediately provoke the Vata in your body.

4) Digestive Spices

When Vata is disturbed, it is difficult to digest food, therefore, prepare your meals with several digestive spices such as ginger, black pepper, salt, cumin, turmeric, oregano, basil, thyme, tamarind and lemon juice.

11.jpg


5) Warm Milk Tonic

Before bed enjoy a warm milk tonic with cardamom, nutmeg, ghee and raw honey.


6) Abhyanga - traditional Ayurvedic oil application

ABHYANGA is very important when balancing Vata. If you are suffering from severe symptoms, then apply warm Vata oil or sesame oil to the whole body for 20 minutes before a hot shower every day. Massage the whole body so you stimulate your vital points (Marma points) to enhance circulation and blood flow as well as to open subtle channels.


Individual Needs

Each person has individual needs and while these recommendations may greatly help you, consider taking your health to a greater level by understanding YOUR Ayurvedic body-mind type, your current imbalances, and how to maintain your equilibrium and harmony when you are in balance.

Each season, your body and mind are affected by the changes in the environment and imbalances occur if you don't know how to prevent them by taking the necessary precautions.

If you are suffering from severe symptoms that are interfering with your life, diet and lifestyle changes are likely not enough. It will take the expertise of an Ayurvedic Practitioner to bring you back into balance; it will take Ayurvedic herbs, various herbal preparations and other Ayurvedic treatments.

This is your life. The longer you wait receiving the support you may need, the deeper the imbalance will go and more serious issues may develop.

Healing Your Body Is Your Choice - Make It Now!

Namaste ॐ

Heidi Nordlund

/ / 4 Comments
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

heidi nordlund

Heidi Nordlund is the founder of Namaskar Healing™, LLC. She is a  NAMA certified Ayurvedic Doctor, Yoga Therapist, Tibetan Cranial Practitioner, Postpartum Specialist and Spiritual Healer who is available for private consultations and healing sessions in person or via phone.

Heidi currently offers sessions in Longmont, Denver and Evergreen, Colorado, as well as in Sedona, Arizona.

Astral Healing - Long Distance Healing Sessions

Tibetan Cranial Sessions

Ayurvedic Consultations

Yoga, Meditation and Spiritual Guidance

Ayurvedic Postpartum Services

Call Heidi at 720-771-8534 to find out which healing protocol serves you best at this time.

Clients find inspiration in Heidi's practical skills and caring wisdom resulting from many years of specialized training and practice.

Heidi is a Professional Member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) recognized at the Ayurvedic Doctor level of membership.

Heidi is one of the most well trained Ayurvedic Practitioners in the USA. She has completed more than 4000 hours of Ayurvedic training and has more than 8000 hours of clinical practice. Most Ayurvedic health counselors and practitioners have 600-1500 hours of training.

In 2010, Heidi graduated as certified Ayurveda Vaidya from Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula, Boulder, CO. Her thirst for deepening her knowledge lead her to continue her advanced studies at Alandi, and in 2012, she received her Bhishakgwara certificate.

Heidi has also graduated as Ayurvedic practitioner, Pancha Karma Therapist, Yoga Therapist and Ayurvedic Postpartum Specialist from the Rocky Mountain Institute for Yoga and Ayurveda, Boulder, CO, and has completed several intensives at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM.

Heidi's Ayurvedic teachers include Alakananda Ma, Dr. Bharat Vaidya, Vasant Lad, Dr. Sarita Shrestha, Dr. Sarasvati Buhrman, and Ysha Martha Oakes.

In 2008, Heidi earned her Tibetan Cranial Practitioner Certification after graduating from a rigorous apprenticeship under the guidance of Master Teacher Shar Lee.

In Heidi's nine years of Tibetan Cranial practice, she has assisted people in attaining relief from various complaints and specializes in migraines and headaches, jaw and sinus issues, anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia, dizziness, trauma, depression, fatigue, suppressed emotions, and spiritual emergencies.

"Heidi, thank you for all the wonderful work you do. You have made a huge difference in my life, healing my headaches and teaching me, with patience. Your intuition combined with your education makes you a truly remarkable healer." Jaqui G., Longmont, CO

As a certified Yoga Teacher through Nepal's Sapta Yoga International (1998), and certified Yoga Therapist through the Rocky Mountain Institute for Yoga & Ayurveda (2006) and International Association of Yoga Therapists (2017), Heidi conducts private sessions, Yoga classes and workshops in Colorado, Arizona and Denmark.

Her teachings are enriched by formal academic training through Naropa University; her Bachelor of Arts Degree (2005) reflects her focus on Contemplative Psychology, Health and Healing, Sanskrit, and Hindu philosophies, practices and traditions.

Heidi continues to deepen and advance her spiritual connection through personal dedication to devotional practices as a Kriya Yoga initiate in the lineage of Paramahamsa Hariharananda and Paramahamsa Prajnanananda.

Heidi was born and raised in Denmark; she moved to the United States in 2002 to engage with enduring dedication in an ongoing deepening learning and application of spiritual healing disciplines. This led to her founding of Namaskar Healing in 2007.