Ayurveda -The Sister Science of Yoga

​Ayurveda and Yoga: How to Practice Yoga and Balance your Dosha?
Yoga and Ayurveda are both key factors in improving our bodies physical and spiritual status. Ayurveda focuses on balancing our natural energies called doshas, by using herbal treatment, yogic breathing, and diet. Yoga awakens, and restores our physical balance, by using physical movement to create a flow of energy throughout. In combination, we can advance into a profound physical and spiritual journey.
Identifying and understanding one’s unique ratio of dosha’s is crucial in helping ensure they are balanced. Our three doshas constantly fluctuate and can be different for every individual, thus making every person’s path towards health different.
The Dosha’s are made up of five elements:
● Vata: Air and Space
● Pitta: Fire and Water
● Kapha: Water and Earth

Once a person can identify and focus on their unique combination, then they are able to pair this with a focused yoga practice. Studying and understanding Ayurveda and Yoga together will promise an empowered and enlightened physical and spiritual journey.

Vata: How to Practice Yoga
Vata represents the space and air elements, which governs our ability to walk, breathe, and
most importantly assist with how our bodies intake food (eliminating waste, distributing
nutrition …etc.). The home for Vata is in our colon. An imbalanced Vata will result in
constipation issues.
Using our yoga practice to focus on stimulating the colon and finding ease in our back and
pelvis area will ensure we are grounded, and relaxed.

• Standing Poses: Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
  
• Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
  
• Utkatasana (Chair Pose), will promote stability and trust.
• Forward-bending Poses like Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose)
  
• Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend Pose)
  
• Janu Sirshasana (Head-to-Knee Pose), calms our nervous system and restores stability in our vata dosha.
  

Pitta: How to Practice Yoga
Pitta represents the fire element but does have some water, as well. Pitta helps generate warmth, thus assisting with how our body digests food, encourages clarity, and reduces inflammation. The home for Pitta is in our small intestine. Introducing calming poses will help calm their intensity, and ensure they release tension.

• Seated poses, such as, Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
  
• Siddhasana (Accomplished Pose)
  
• Virasana (Hero’s Pose)
  
• Forward bends  and inversions such as, Halasana (Plow) Pose)
  

Kapha: How to Practice Yoga
Kapha represents the earth and water elements. The home for Kapha is in the stomach and chest. It is in the mucus lubricating our joints, and organs, providing us with sustainability and enlightenment. Balancing kapha promotes harmony and warmth, however, when imbalanced can produce a tendency to be close-minded, physically lazy which could result in excess weight gain. Steering our yoga practice to alignment-based is very beneficial to assist with balancing kapha. Making sure one builds their practice slowly and gradually to avoid sudden high-intensity workouts is key.

• Inversions such as Pincha Mayurasana (Headstand and Forearm Stand)
  
• Backbends, Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose)
  
• Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose

Knowing your Dosha type and understanding a few simple poses can have a lasting effect on your own personal wellness and really 'deepen' your personal experience in yoga. 

Learn more about your dosha type in our Ayruveda Workshops this year.
November25th, 2022
December 3rd, 2022
February5th, 2023
​Email us to inquire.