I have been fortunate enough to spend the last year with Soline. He is an old finicky man living in an 6 inch tall Dachshund body in the middle of Mexico. If he is not laying in the hot desert sun, he is adamantly at my heels nervous of my preemptive absence.
This little guy stole my heart with his sweet soul and desire to cuddle… all the time. As adorable as Soline is, I can’t help but examine his attributes and imbalances.
Soline is cold ALL the time. It will be 90 degrees Fahrenheit and Soline will be huddled under three blankets with no oxygen in sight. When he sees me pack up a bag to leave for the day, Soline becomes a nervous wreck. Poor guy becomes a finicky eater, having an irregular appetite. At night Soline needs to burrow tunnels under the mound of blankets to get as close as he can to me. If he can’t sleep he makes sure I can’t. He sniffs my face, walks back and forth on my pillow and hair, and then finally gloriously stands on my chest and stare at me for hours. Good thing I love this guy.
Unfortunately, all these attributes have accumulated over the years and caused dis-ease for Soline. He now battles with asthma, terrible dry skin and very weak teeth (the 4 he has left). How do his attributes correlate with his dis-ease? In Ayurveda we call it Samprapti, the pathology. How things came to be and unravelling the story to the root cause.
Soline is a great example of Vata Dosha.
Let me give you more context around the Sanskrit words, ‘Dosha’ and ‘Vata’.
The Doshas
Ayurveda sees the world through the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether). These are the fundamental energies that create the universe. Everything, from your neighbor to your computer, to the trees outside are made up of these elements. Nothing could exist without them.
Ayurveda takes these elements and categorizes them into 3 Doshas: Vata, Pitta, Kapha:
• Vata is made up of Air and Ether element
•Pitta made up of Fire and Water element
•Kapha made up of Water and Earth element
Together, these three Doshas are the physiological energies of the body that are responsible for all biological and psychological functions. It is the interplay between these Doshas that is responsible for our body type, functionality, and personality.
Vata Dosha
Created by the elements of Air and Ether, Vata is noted as the wind in your body and mind. Think movement and subtlety. Nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, elimination, rapid thought process are all examples of what Vata governs. Anything that is in motion.
The elements of Vata are Air (the idea of motion) and Ether (the idea of space). Together, Air and Ether have the qualities of cold, light, dry, subtle and mobile. When Vata is balanced these qualities are balanced in the mind and body.
Vata Physical Characteristics
• Smaller body frame- slender
• Naturally more flexible and may be double jointed
• longer fingers and toes
• Bones are prominent and easily seen
• Irregularities in the teeth
• Skin tends to be dry and rough
• Complexion is ashen
• Hair is sparse, thin and dry
• Face shape is oval
• Facial features are subtle- eyes and nose are small, lips are thin • Prefer warmer climates
Vata Emotional Characteristics
• Loves new experiences
• Enthusiastic
• Creative
• Energetic
• lively conversationalists
• Speech pattern is fast and bubbly
• Imaginative
Signs of Vata Imbalance
When Vata qualities have increased in the body and mind symptoms occur but may not yet be a diagnosed disease:
• Skin becomes drier and rougher
• Weightloss/ cannot keep weight on
• Irregular bowel movement or constipation
• Pain in bones and joints
• Flatulence
• Acute stress, overwhelm, worry
• Fear and restlessness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Abnormal pulse rate
• Heart palpitations
• Cramps in muscles (charlie horses)
• Ticks and tremors
• Headaches
Diseases Caused by Vata Imbalance
When the Vata symptoms are not addressed at an earlier stage it can lead to Vata type diagnosed diseases. Here are some examples:
• Insomnia
• Acute migraines
• Tinnitus
• Facial Paralysis
• Severe constipation
• Earache and hearing disorders
• Asthma
• Sciatica pain
• Amenorrhea
• Arthritis
• Weak teeth
• Severe anxiety attacks
Home practices for Balancing Vata
Ayurveda teaches us that the opposite qualities bring the dosha back into balance. These remedies are bringing in warm, heavy, moist, dense, and stable qualities to balance Vata.
• Maintain a daily routine with regular times for eating, sleeping, and working (dinacharya)
• Be in bed before 10pm and rise by 6am
• Regulate elimination
• Drink all warm liquids- start the day with warm lemon water
• Eat warm, cooked foods
• Eat foods that are naturally sweet, sour, and salty in taste
• Use generous amounts of high-quality oils or ghee
• Use warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and cumin in your daily diet
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol
• Incorporate meditation into daily routine
• Wear gold and warming colors
• Avoid cold climates (or bundle up!)
• Listen to calming music
Back to Soline.
Can you see how his cold body temperature, anxiety, irregular eating habits, and difficulties with sleeping are Vata characteristics? We can witness the cold, light, dry, subtle and mobile qualities very clearly in his behaviors and functions. Soline (note, has been called Dr. Soline), knows exactly how to bring himself back into balance: routine and glorious napping under the Mexican hot sun. When this happens his nervous system calms, his asthma recedes and he can eat again.
Remember, we are made up of ALL the elements. It’s a universal rule. Everything and everyone is made up of air, ether, fire, water and earth. Therefore, even if you are experiencing a predominance of Vata dosha (air and ether), you still have Pitta dosha (fire and water) and Kapha dosha (water and earth).
Ayurveda is the art of balancing your doshas by addressing the root cause, ultimately decreasing the symptoms, and bringing you more harmony and health into your life.
Thank you Soline, forever my teacher and best friend.
If you are interested in Ayurveda for your pets check out: samadog.com
May these words, in some way, support you on your healing journey.
