Holistic Wellness: Pacifying Protocols for the Doshas

Here at Bright Body, we feel passionately that natural, healthy, and toxin-free living encompasses not just the products you use on your body, but also what you eat and how you move through life. That’s why we have been writing this mini blog series on Ayurveda, the ancient sister science to Yoga. Its ancient teachings help us learn how to live in accordance with our own unique constitutions along with the changing seasons.

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Last week we went over the classic signs of imbalance in each of the doshas. In Ayurveda, you always want to start by “treating” or managing your imbalanced dosha, also known as your Vikruti.

Now that hopefully you’re a little closer to understanding which of your doshas needs is imbalanced, you’re probably wondering what exactly you do to balance your dosha.

The most important principle to remember when considering whether something will pacify or aggravate a dosha is: like increases like, opposites pacify.

Take a look at these guidelines on Vata, Pitta, and Kapha pacifying protocol to get ideas on where to start. And whenever you’re wondering whether something will aggravate or pacify your Vikruti, think back to the qualities of what you are evaluating. Is it heating? Cooling? Grounding? Energizing? Get to the root of it and remember that like increases like and opposites balance.

Have more questions? Need some more guidance?
LEARN ABOUT OUR PERSONAL AYURVEDA CONSULTS HERE

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 Vata Pacifying Protocol

Since Vata’s qualities are dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, and clear, those with a Vata Vikruti should emphasize foods and experiences that are wet, heavy, warm, smooth, gross, stable, and cloudy/sticky.

When it comes to experiences, that means:

• Practice abhyaga, the Ayurvedic self-massage, at least 5-6X weekly.
• Get on a daily routine and stick to it.
• Stay moisturized.
• Take warm baths and practice warm words of encouragement and positive self-talk.
• Get good sleep. When you can, give yourself the luxury of sleeping in as long as you want.
• Stay warm. Bundle up and keep your neck warm with a scarf in fall/early winter.
• Give yourself adequate time to rest and “be,” don’t let yourself overdo.
• Focus on slow & steady movement in your asana and workout routines.
• Get loving touch – from yourself (abhyanga), or a friend, lover, child, or body worker.
• Get out in nature – take long walks while properly bundled up.
• Reduce alcohol and caffeine (especially caffeine).

When it comes to food, that means:

• Eat warm, cooked foods. Reduce the amount of raw, light foods in your diet.
• Use warming spices like cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Eat warm, oil-rich foods in your diet like avocadoes, sweet potatoes, and other soft and starchy vegetables.
• Oil your internal body by cooking with healthy fats like sesame oil and ghee.
• Emphasize whole, natural foods that are heavy & warming and sweet, sour, and/or salty. Reference the table below for a few examples (you’ll notice some foods are in multiple categories – that’s on purpose!)

The most important things to help pacify Vata are: routine, rest, warmth, and oilation!

Have more questions? Need some more guidance?
LEARN ABOUT OUR PERSONAL AYURVEDA CONSULTS HERE

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Pitta Pacifying Protocol

Since’s Pitta’s qualities are oily, sharp (penetrating), hot, light, mobile, and liquid, those with a Pitta Vikruti should focus on foods and experiences that are dry, dull, cool, heavy, stable, and dense.

When it comes to experiences, that means:

• Focus on cooling by taking a swim or getting out in crisp, fresh morning air.
• Take a walk in the moonlight when the temperature is cooler and the pace is slower.
• Avoid hot tubs, saunas, and hot weather.
• Use cooling substances topically on your skin (e.g. rose water).
• Reduce alcohol and caffeine.
• Slow down and take time to relax and even be spontaneous. Schedule your “fun time” and/or “me time” FIRST as non-negotiable and stick to it.
• Engage in a moderate exercise routine that challenges you but does not leave you “burnt out” or tired after. Avoid exercising in the heat of the day.
• Practice abhyanga with cooling oils like coconut or sunflower.
• Get in a routine and never skip meals (especially lunch).

When it comes to food, that means:

• Add cooling spices like cumin, coriander, mint, cardamom, and cilantro.
• Drink fennel tea.
• Drink cool (NOT iced) water with cucumber and/or watermelon for an added cooling effect.
• Eat cooling fruits like watermelon, pineapple, and grapes. Minimize sour fruits like citrus.
• Eat foods that are cool in temperature (e.g. summer potato salad).
• Eat a balance of cooked and raw foods.
• Emphasize whole, natural foods that are also sweet, bitter, and astringent. Reference the table below for a few examples (you’ll notice some foods are in multiple categories – that’s on purpose!)

The most important things to help pacify Pitta are: surrender, slowing down, cooling, and sweetness.

Have more questions? Need some more guidance?
LEARN ABOUT OUR PERSONAL AYURVEDA CONSULTS HERE

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Kapha Pacifying Protocol

Since Kapha’s qualities are heavy, slow, cold, oily, smooth, dense, stable, and cloudy/sticky, those with a Kapha Vikruti should focus on foods and experiences that are light, fast, warm, dry, rough, liquid, mobile, and clear.

When it comes to experiences, that means:

• Don’t nap during the day! It will make you feel more sluggish.
• Wake up with the sunrise.
• Get more exercise, especially kinds that require endurance and cardiovascular effort.
• Dry brush your skin to stimulate lymphatic circulation and drainage.
• Use light warming oils for abhyanga like almond or sunflower. Sesame, although thicker, is also suitable for its warming properties.
• Stay warm. Bundle up during the winter time.
• Try to be more spontaneous and break out of your “comfort zone.”

When it comes to foods, that means:

• Add warming spices like ground ginger, garlic, cinnamon, onion, and cayenne. Warming & drying spices are ideal.
• Eat your biggest meal at lunchtime when your metabolism is most efficient. Eat a light dinner at night time.
• Drink only room temperature, warm, or hot beverages. Cold water will slow down Kapha’s digestion even more.
• Eat more broiled and roasted foods because they remove the water from foods.
• Cooked foods are preferable for easier digestion, but light foods like salads can be eaten when seasonally appropriate in late spring and summer time.
• Minimize hard cheeses, puddings, nuts, cakes, pies, wheat, most flours, breads, pastas, red meat, and deep-fried foods,which are excessively oily and heavy for Kapha.
• Don’t overeat – the Ayurvedic rule of thumb after a meal is that your stomach is 1/3 full of food, 1/3 full of water, and 1/3 empty to allow for proper churning and digestion.
• Emphasize whole, natural foods that are also pungent, bitter, and astringent. Reference the table below for a few examples (you’ll notice some foods are in multiple categories – that’s on purpose!)

The most important things to help pacify Kapha are: energizing, warming, light, and mobile.

Have more questions? Need some more guidance?
LEARN ABOUT OUR PERSONAL AYURVEDA CONSULTS HERE 

Until next time,

Gabi