Yoga for your Ayurvedic dosha

Ayurveda is yoga’s sister science, a natural health and wellbeing system dating from over 5,000 years ago, but just how can these two practices complement each other?

Yoga is nothing new and according to the International Yoga Federation, 300 million people practise it. With the current climate of national lockdown, this number has most likely increased even more as the well-known benefits of yoga are being drawn upon.

The beauty of yoga is that it really can be practised anywhere. Whether you alternate location each day from your bedroom to your living room to your kitchen, the feeling of mental clarity and physical strength can certainly be achieved during this isolation period in the comforts of our own home.

Whilst yoga is known and has been practised globally for many decades, the link between Ayurveda and yoga is perhaps less commonly known. Ayurveda is one of the oldest natural health and wellbeing systems in the world, originating in India over 5,000 years ago. This wonderful science draws on the powerful properties of Mother Nature and the five elements of Ether, Air, Water, Earth and Fire.

Its 360 degree approach to health and wellbeing revolves around the maintenance of balance, incorporating mental, physical and internal health, of which yoga is recommended. Ayurveda teaches to gain balance of our mind through meditation; balance of our body through yoga and balance of our internal health through natural Ayurvedic herbs and spices.

Within Ayurveda there are the three dosha types: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The doshas determine an individual’s temperament, their physical constitution, even the way in which they deal with stress or the quality of their sleep. Knowing which dominant dosha you are will identify which recommendations you need to follow in order to enjoy a balanced life.

Discover your dosha with Urban Veda here

VATA

This dosha is ruled by the cold Ether and Air elements. The quick wind makes these individuals lead very fast paced lives, be very sociable souls and extremely creative. The combination of the two dry, quick and chaotic Air elements does means that when out of balance, the Vata mind often struggles to switch off, It is constantly on the go, also being prone to anxiety and constant worry.

Vata Yoga Recommendation: Let go and breathe deeply through Hatha yoga. As all yoga practices focus on the breathing, Hatha yoga especially focuses on the breathing technique to feel more grounded. This breathing helps to quiet the anxiety to a stable state of mind, like the wild winds have calmed. Vata’s also feel the cold and tend to have cold hands and cold feet so any warm environment will rebalance them – give Hot or power yoga a try.

Vata Skin & Recommendations: In line with the dry and cold properties of Ether and Air, Vatas typically have dry and dehydrated skin which can appear dull and lacklustre. Urban Veda’s Radiance skincare range contains skin brightening Ayurvedic Turmeric and a host of different fruit enzymes to give the skin a burst of hydration.

PITTA

Dominated by Fire and Water, Pitta individuals are exactly the former. Fiery in nature, they are born leaders with their driven and ambitious nature, not stopping until their goals have been achieved. However, if the fire within them grows too much they can become irritable and hot headed.

Pitta Yoga Recommendation: Pacify excess Pitta and calm a competitive nature with Yin yoga. This practice encourages Pittas to focus on themselves rather than those around them, using breath work to move deeper into the postures. The slow, deep and controlled breathing encourages any sense of irritability or anger to simply float away.

Pitta Skin & Recommendations: The hot fire element translates to skin sensitivity and any kind of skin aggravation or rash such as eczema, rosacea or prickly heat. The Urban Veda Soothing range has been formulated for Pittas and uses Ayurvedic Sandalwood to calm down inflamed skin as well as relax a hot-headed mind. Think all things tranquil with this range: Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Rosemary and Clove – the ultimate blend of spa-inducing ingredients.

KAPHA

Earth and Water are the two elements that rule the Kapha dosha. These two grounding elements make Kapha individuals that way inclined. Stable, loving and calm, this dosha’s grounding nature can become too much when out of balance, manifesting itself as lethargy, lack of motivation and even laziness.

Kapha Yoga Recommendations: Kapha’s benefit from anything to get them moving and feel a release of endorphins. Hot yoga or a power Vinyasa flow will get their heart racing and blow the cobwebs away for that overall uplifted, lightweight feeling.

Kapha Skin & Recommendations: Imagine the shoreline of a lake where water combines with the soily ground – this is Kapha skin. Oily and prone to congestion, their skin craves lightweight, antibacterial skincare products. The Urban Veda Purifying range offers exactly this. Ayurvedic Neem has antiseptic and antibacterial properties whilst Mint, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Witch Hazel and Eucalyptus are blended together to create uplifting scent to pull a Kapha out of their lazy lull.