Spirit Rising Yoga & Healing

 

Calendar

Weather and seasonal changes affect our balance. Everyone can benefit from adapting their routine to the season. November through February, when it is cold and dry, is Vata season. When wind, cold, and dry weather continues, Vata accumulates in the environment which can cause a Vata imbalance in the body. During this season, it is a good idea to adopt a more Vata diet and routine to keep Vata in balance. Stay warm, eat warm foods, and don’t wear yourself out.

Pitta season comes during the summer, July through October, when the weather is hot. To keep Pitta in balance during this time, eat cool foods, such as salads. Drink cool, not ice cold, liquids, and avoid too much sun.

March through June is Kapha season, when it is cold and wet. This is the time you are more likely to get a cold from a Kapha imbalance. Stay warm, eat light meals, and get enough regular exercise to help keep Kapha in balance.

 

	VATA	PITTA	KAPHA
Season:	November-February (Cold & Dry)	July-October (Hot)	March-June (Cold & Wet)

 

Clock

Just as the seasons have attributes of the doshas, so do the hours of the day. At sunrise, or about 6:00 A.M., the day’s cycle begins with Kapha. To take advantage of the Kapha cycle, it is best to awaken between 6:00 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. On awakening, you feel slow, relaxed, calm: all Kapha attributes. Kapha lasts until about 10:00 A.M. Even young children can reap the benefits of the Kapha hours by arising at sunrise.

From 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., it is Pitta time. You are at your most active and efficient during these hours. At noon, or lunchtime, your appetite is at its peak. Eat lunch between noon and 1:00 P.M. to use Pitta to your advantage. Lunch also should be your largest meal of the day. Parents should pack nutritious snacks and lunches for children that include the foods best for their particular mind/body type. This is the best time for children to take tests in school; and it is their most productive learning time.

From 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. is Vata time, when you are most alert and creative. A light dinner should be eaten before 6:00 P.M. if possible to take advantage of this energy.

The cycle repeats again in the evening hours. From 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. is Kapha time. Sunset brings the body rest and a slower pace. It is best to get to bed by 10:00 P.M. to take advantage of the natural Kapha rhythm of this time. For best digestion, eat dinner at least three hours before bedtime. Younger children who need more sleep should go to bed earlier so that they will still arise at sunrise.

Pitta time is 10:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M., when Pitta keeps the body warm; the body also uses the Pitta heat to digest food and rebuild body tissues.

Vata time occurs again at 2:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. Vata creativity is expressed as active dreams. At this time, brain impulses are at their most active for the night.

Every person is born with a unique balance of each of the three doshas. Generally one or two of the doshas will dominate, and this will determine the Ayurvedic routine for your mind/body type. Remember that we each have Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in our constitution, but in a different proportion. Here are some examples of things you can avoid to help keep your dosha in balance:

 

	VATA	PITTA	KAPHA
Aggravated by (Avoid):	Wind, Caffeine, Traveling, Irregular Routine, Irregular meals, Cold, dry weather, Excessive mental work	Heat, Alcohol, Smoking, Pressure, Stress, Excessive Spicy or salty foods, Excessive activity	Cold, Damp, Oversleeping, Overeating, Heavy foods, Too little variety in life

 

It might be helpful to think of the doshas as primary colors. Vata is yellow, Pitta is blue, and Kapha is red. Each of us is made up of all three colors, just in different proportions in different areas. The colors don't blend, so there are no orange, green or purple, but there are lighter and darker shades of the primary colors. You could almost, like a coloring book, or a map, draw a picture of someone and put in where the different colors show up, except we can't really illustrate things like personality traits. But if you can picture it in your mind, you can look at which colors show up the most, and most vividly, and you will know your dominant dosha.

The doshas express themselves in every aspect of our lives. They are even active when we are asleep! Here are some ways that our doshas are apparent in the intimacy area of our relationships. I have included money in here because while some people are free about sharing their bodies, it is difficult for them to share their checkbooks.

 

	VATA	PITTA	KAPHA
Dreams:	Flying, Falling	Problem solving, Test-Taking	Romantic, Involving water
Particularly Sensitive To:	Music Sounds, Touch	Mood lighting	Seductive scents, Good food and drink
Money Spending Tendencies:	Usually spends too much money, often on unnecessary things	Doesn't spend much money on day-to-day things, but splurges on luxuries	Doesn't like spending money, Has lots of money in savings

 

Before we were men and women, we were boys and girls, sons and daughters. In general, our constitution doesn’t change much. When we are in balance, we have the same proportion of Vata, Pitta and Kapha that we were born with.

However, just as each season has it’s own dosha, each age has its own dosha, and we are more susceptible to the dosha’s influence at that time in our lives.

 

 

Childhood has all the qualities of Kapha. This "season" of our lives lasts from when we are born until about age 20 or so. As children, we are more Kapha-like. We may have a little bit of baby fat, we’re more calm and carefree. We place an emphasis on friendship and love to be cuddled.

Children go through a stage where they are very possessive. They identify things as "mine!" They don’t want to share. They hoard their toys and start collections. These are Kapha traits. As parents, and teachers, we understand that this is a part of their growth process, and gently teach them how to get along with others, how to relate better with other people. We need to remember these lessons as adults in the world!

When we are children, it might take longer for us to learn things, but once we learn them, we never forget. It might have taken quite a while to learn the alphabet, to get all 26 letters in the right order. But I think we’ve all got it down now, even though we don’t practice every day!

When we’re very young, we take a lot of naps, and sleep long hours at a time. Then we go through another stage as teenagers where we sleep a lot, too. This is all very Kapha-like behavior.

Kids also tend to get a lot of colds, especially during the pre-school years. Colds and congestion are Kapha imbalances. Like increases like, and kids share their germs freely when they gather together on a regular basis. Kapha associated with Kapha produces more Kapha, and too much Kapha leads to imbalance. Getting kids on a Kapha routine during these times helps to balance them out.

 

Pitta

Sometime around age 20 our Pitta nature starts taking over. We might be in college, or just entering the working world, and our ambition becomes important to us. We become more competitive, we want to get ahead. We start thinking about money, and wanting those luxury items like fast cars.

At this age we are very busy building our careers, we are super work-oriented. We’re in the thinking and planning phase of our lives. We’ve got this fire burning inside us, so we’re a little more aggressive in going after what we want. We can be impatient.

This is the time when we use our intellect more than any other. Whether we’re studying for exams or learning about our chosen field, we are constantly thinking. We’re also strategizing and positioning ourselves. We look at where we are and where we’re going. We like being in control.

As a part of this planning stage, we’re also looking for our lifetime partner. We’re discerning in this process, sorting out our priorities. We have lots of choices to make, but we know what we want – or at least we think we do! Our sexual desire is at its peak.

 

Vata

Then at about age 40 Vata comes strongly into play, and we become more Vata-like as we grow older. We start noticing that we don’t remember things as well. There’s a joke that circulated around the internet about "Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder." Attention Deficit Disorder is actually a Vata imbalance, so there is a lot of truth in the humor there. At this age, our attention is also divided between work, family, community and other responsibilities, so we naturally have more on our minds. I don’t know who started it, but it goes something this:

It looks like there is finally a diagnosis for my condition: A.A.A.D.D.: Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. The symptoms? Let’s look at a typical day. First I decide to go to the market. Where did I put that grocery list? Oh, over here by the mail. I put down my car keys and as I’m throwing out the junk mail I notice the garbage can needs to be emptied. So, I put the bills on the table and then I’ll empty the can. But since I’m going out, I’ll get a few bills into the mailbox on my way.

But first I’ve got to find my checkbook, which is in my purse which is... got it! Except I’m out of checks. Back to the desk, and on my way I’ll put those dirty dishes in the dishwasher – which needs to be unloaded first. So, I’ll stack them in the sink for now. What is the cat doing in the sink? Now she’s all wet, I’ve got to dry her off. No towel on the rack? I’ll use the potholder, then throw it in the laundry room. As I head back to the kitchen I’m thinking – now what was it I was going to do?

At the end of the day, I haven’t gotten the groceries, the bills haven’t been paid, there is cat hair in the sink, I’m out of checks and I can’t find my car keys! But I can’t figure out how nothing got done today, because I know I was busy all day long! Yes, this is a serious condition, and I will seek help. But first I think I’ll check my e-mail.

As we get older, more of Vata’s physical ailments present themselves, too. Our fertility decreases. We may begin to have digestive problems, and our hearing may get a little worse. All these things are the effects of more Vata present in our system. This is the time for us to adapt our diet and exercise programs to include more Vata foods and activities.

Sometime after age 60 we may become more Kapha-like again. We slow down and want to surround ourselves with family. We’re more concerned with comfort. It may be more difficult to stimulate ourselves physically to keep in balance, but we can certainly stimulate ourselves mentally, by taking classes and learning new things. We can continue to do things that we enjoy and engage in conversations with people we respect.

	VATA	PITTA	KAPHA
Learns best by:	Listening	Reading, Visuals	Association
Memory:	Learns quickly, Forgets quickly	Good, sharp memory	Learns slowly, but then doesn't forget

 

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