Vata dosha is one of the three main Ayurvedic mind-body types, comprised of the elements of air and ether. Responsible for movement and impulse, creativity and connection, everyone experiences the energy of vata to some degree.

When healthy, this dosha governs our capacity to experience flexibility, joy, and expansive consciousness. In excess, it can cause things like fear, anxiousness, dry skin, cracking joints, and difficulty sleeping.

This guide is intended to support those with a vata constitution or imbalance, as well as those with a combination of vata-pitta or vata-kapha.

Signs and Symptoms of Vata Imbalance

Is your vata out of balance? If so, you may be experiencing some of the following vata dosha symptoms and signs of imbalance:

• nervousness, anxiousness, panic, fear
• twitches, tics, tremors, spasms
• dry or chapped skin
• strained elimination, gas, bloating, dry, hard stools
• low body weight
• dislike of cold and wind
• difficulty tolerating loud noises
• light, interrupted sleep
• spacey, scattered feelings
• excess thinking or worrying

To decrease excess vata, Ayurveda has given us dietary and lifestyle treatment strategies, as well as herbs and products that balance vata. Here are a few underlying concepts that these tools and techniques are based on:

• Routine
• Warmth
• Serenity
• Nourishment

General Guidelines for a Vata-Balancing Diet

Eating a grounding and nourishing vata diet is one of the best ways to cultivate greater balance in your body and mind. The following recommendations offer general guidelines for how to choose healhty, vata-pacifying foods.

Enjoy:

• Foods that are naturally sweet, sour, and salty in taste.
• Warm foods, both energetically and in temperature.
• Whole, freshly cooked foods.
• A limited selection of legumes, including mung dal, tofu, or tempeh that is well-cooked and warm soy milk spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, and cumin, but not extremely hot spices like cayenne pepper. Make cooking easy with Turmeric Masala and CCF Spice Mix.
• Plenty of warm drinks and herbal teas.
• Dairy, as long as it is not very cold. Avoid drinking milk with your meals. It is best to have it warm and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, at least an hour before or after other food.
• A generous amount of high-quality oils or ghee in your daily diet.
• Eating your meals at consistent times each day.
• Taking a deep breath after swallowing your last bite and heading off to your next activity.
• Eating your meal in a peaceful environment.

Avoid:

• Foods that are bitter, astringent, and pungent.
• Foods that are cooling, both energetically and in temperature.
• Dry and light foods, such as popcorn and crackers.
• Too much raw food, especially in the mornings and evenings (e.g., salads, carrot sticks, raw fruit, fresh fruit and vegetable juices).
• Most beans, including cold soy products.
• Highly processed foods (like canned or frozen foods, "TV" dinners or pastries).
• Cold or carbonated drinks.
• Caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants.
• Overeating or eating very heavy meals.
• Eating fresh fruit or drinking fruit juice within 1/2 hour of any other food.
• Foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup.
• Deep-fried foods.
• Hard alcohol.

Herbs for Balancing Vata

Ayurvedic herbs are useful allies when it comes to balancing the doshas. Ayurveda has a long history detailing the use of herbs and herbal combinations to help bring warmth, stability, and nourishment to vata. Below are some herbs and formulations that are especially useful for balancing vata. 

• Balanced vata overall: Healthy Vata tablets and Vata Massage Oil bring overall balance to vata in the body and mind (you can use them separately, or bundle them for a discount!). Another option is Shakti Prana, a nourishing and energizing blend of superfoods that includes two key vata-balancing herbs, ashwagandha and shatavari.
• Healthy digestion: Vata Digest is a classical Ayurvedic formula of herbs and spices, including ajamoda, cumin, and ginger, and has been traditionally used to calm and balance vata while it warms and soothes digestion.
• Healthy elimination: Triphala is renowned for its ability to support healthy elimination in most everyone and can be taken as a powder, tablets, or liquid extract. Alternatively, Haritaki powder or tablets can be used instead when there is excess vata in the digestive tract.
• Healthy weight gain: Ashwagandha, a nourishing and building herb, can be taken as a powder or tablets.
• Sound, restful sleep: I Sleep Soundly blends calming and relaxing herbs that help ease mental restlessness and support the body’s natural sleep cycle, without causing drowsiness the next morning.
• Comfortable joints: Joint Support helps balance vata in the joints, nerves, and muscles.
• Soothe the mind and nervous system: Tranquil Mind has been clinically shown to ease anxiousness and calm the mind without causing drowsiness, while Ashwagandha Latte is a delectable way to take vata-balancing herbs.

General Guidelines for a Vata-Balancing Lifestyle

Enjoy:

• Live as you would imagine a master would: with calm awareness and a gentle pace.
• A regular, daily routine with regular times for eating, sleeping, and working.
• A daily abhyanga , or Ayurvedic self-massage with warm Vata Massage Oil, Dashamula Oil+, or Sesame Oil.
• A gentle exercise routine, such as a calm, grounding form of yoga , tai chi, qi gong, walking, or swimming.
• Keeping warm, no matter what the weather. Try warm baths, warm drinks, and warm sweaters!
• Sweet, soothing music, smells, scenes, and company.
• Taking time to slow down and turn inward with meditation or a good book.

Our lives, environments, and health naturally shift and change on a regular basis. We recommend taking our dosha quiz periodically to see where you're at and what you may need to focus on in order to regain balance.

It may be helpful to learn more about vata to understand why these simple guidelines are effective, or seek the guidance of a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner for further support. A practitioner can advise on specific health conditions arising from vata imbalances that might include age-related considerations, women's cycles, healthy weight management, and the effects of certain supplements on the body.