DISCOVERING MY DOSHA AND HOW TO BALANCE IT
|| DISCOVERING MY DOSHA AND HOW TO BALANCE IT ||
Tea India reached out to me to try their new teas and to discover more about my dosha in the Ayurvedic system. One I am obsessed with herbal teas so was interested to try their new range and two I wanted to learn more about my body through the Ayurvedic practice. I’ll be honest I am a bit of a novice when it comes to the Ayurvedic practice but I firmly believe through a better understanding of our system we can find greater balance for our bodies.
For a overview about Ayurveda, click here
I am Pitta-Vata type so have 2 doshas predominant. Tea India are working with, Geeta Vara, a British Born Practitioner and she suggests in her book ‘Ayurveda - A Practice Guide To Optimal Health, Healing and Vitality’, that if you have a dual dosha it is best to manage it according to the season. So in the winter I’d follow a vata-pacifying regimen and in the summer a pitta-pacifying regime. So what does this mean for me right now?
- Food
Pitta dominant people are advised to avoid hot foods during the summer. Pitta individuals are hot in nature so we’re to eat cooling foods such as leafy greens, fruit and veggies.
I suppose I automatically eat cooling foods in the summer and wouldn’t opt in for a hot veggie soup, especially with the weather we’ve been having! I’m not sure where that sits with having herbal teas?
2. Cool exercises
Exercising in a way that is too intense, sharp, and heating can aggravate pitta.
I am lucky enough to live near a park so am able to do my yoga practice in the shade. I would never choose to practice in the sun and I do struggle to practice abroad when it’s super hot. I usually end with some cooling yin poses and a long savasana for practice anyway, but definitely in winter I consciously want to create more heat to warm up my cold hands and feet. However, I have had days this summer when I really crave greater intensity so will decide to run, or do a boxing class.
I guess you have to listen to what your body wants and then give it what it craves. I guess if you’re a Pitta type you can always balance out a HIIT class with cooling foods.
3. Relax your lifestyle
If your lifestyle is very intense and on-the-go, with lots of stress and multiple responsibilities and not a lot of time for rest, this can also stoke the fire of pitta.
Who’s lives are not on the go? Especially if you live in a busy city. I will however gladly take this on board! I do consciously try to slow down and have managed this by not filling up my diary with tonnes of social engagements. I have also learnt to say no to classes that don’t fit with my schedule, as running round London can burn me out.
I have been trying Tea India’s new range of herbal tea’s inspired by the dosha’s and I am really impressed! The ‘Peace & Calm’ is designed for the pitta dosha with its blend of fennel, camomile, peppermint, coriander and rose petal, but the whole range is blended to perfection.
I am looking forward to finishing Geeta Vara’s book and to learn more about Ayurveda! If you want to find out which dosha you are click here.
