Vata Dosha Characteristics

Vata dosha consists of Air and Space elements.

When you think of the qualities of Air and Space, these are exactly the qualities that this dosha has.

Vata is:
Dry
Cold
Light
Moving
Changeable
Subtle
Rough
Quick

The main function of the Vata in the body is movement. Nothing moves without it.

People with a dominant Vata dosha tend to be slim, with small frame and prominent bones. They are fast, changeable and often love any kind of movement, change and travel. They get easily bored when they stay too long at one place, be it a job, apartment, hobby and sometimes even partner.

They often work on multiple projects at once, but often don't finish them, as another, even more interesting, idea inspires them.

Their skin and hair tend to be thin & dry. They often feel cold and prefer warmth - warm foods, drinks and climates.

On the other hand, they are quite flexible (physically as well as in their minds), creative (often with amazing artistic talents), and can easily adopt to change.

When out of balance, their moods change like the wind, they are unstable, fearful, worried, experience lack of energy, and feel exhausted. They can experience lower back pain, join pain or headaches. Gas, bloating, and constipation are also often present.

When you have Vata in your constitution or currently have Vata imbalance (too much Vata), you will be experiencing many of these characteristics, but probably not all.

To help you figure out what is your Ayurvedic Body Type, take the Ayurvedic Body Type Test

Do You Need to Balance Vata?

• Do you often feel worried, anxious and overwhelmed?

• Do you often question yourself and feel insecure?

• Is it difficult for you to fall asleep or you wake up often?

• Do you wake up exhausted?

• Do you often forget to eat and when you finally remember, you are starving?

• Is it difficult for you to sit still and relax?

• Are your skin & hair dry?

• Are you experincing gas, bloating, or belching?

• Do you have less than one bowel movement per day?

• Do you forget easily and often feel 'spaced out'?

• Is it hard for you to finish projects?

If you have answered yes to many of the questions above, then your Vata is high and you would greatly benefit from balancing it.

How to Balance Vata Dosha

Qualities of warm, oily, heavy, and stable are very important. If you have any Vata tendencies, try to memorize these qualities. They will help you to make better decisions in your daily life.

Since Vata is so changeable, Daily Routines are even more important for Vata than for any other of the Ayurveda Body Types.

Also daily self massage with sesame oil is very helpful.

Following a Vata pacifying diet is very important. From this list, focus mostly on foods that are in the Vata Favor column.

Return from Vata Dosha to Ayurveda Body Types

Return from Vata Dosha to Ayurveda Holistic Medicine HomePage