The force of Vata or The Wind in your Mind

The elemental forces or "doshas" are the tension created between the elements to keep the elements playing nicely. You are some unique combination of the 5 great elements. Because you may have a predominance of certain elements, you exhibit certain characteristics in your body and mind.

The force of the Wind is the tension created when the elements Space and Air combine. This force in Ayurveda is known as “Vata”. If you have a predominance of the Wind (Vata), you still do have the other forces of Fire (Pitta) and Earth (Kapha) in your mind; however, their expression is not your first response.

To understand how your mind behaves, you only have to think of the elements that combine to make the force of the Wind; Space and Air. Space and Air are dry, rough, cool, light, penetrating, moving, broad, unlimited and unbounded. Envision a dry leaf blowing erratically on a cool autumn breeze. The leaf goes every which way and suddenly stops. It is unpredictable and may just as suddenly start moving again. There is no rythmn or routine to the movement. The breeze brings with it a sense of excitement and change. The leaf is dry and fragile and if the breeze blows too hard, it begins to fray.

You probably exhibit the following characteristics in your personality.

The Wind in all minds is the activity of thinking. Combine that with a predominance of Wind (Vata) and you have a person who does a lot of thinking. Even in a balanced state, your mind tends to go and go and jump from thing to thing. This can be wonderful because the Wind mind is very enthusiastic, lively, energetic and creative. This can be troublesome as you may find that your sleep is interrupted even when you are totally living in balance. You dream a lot of vivid dreams. You are intuitive.

Because of your active mental state, you are prone to anxiety and worry. You may find that you worry about absolutely everyone and everything including much that is completely out of your control. The lesson for the Wind is to surrender to outcome and stay in the present moment.

You probably love all things new. You are familiar with the top 10 on the bestseller list, you know the latest headline news and you are signed up for a class in the latest trending fad. You know a lot of people and have a large circle of friends. You have excellent short-term memory. You love to shop and spend and pick up lots of small little treats for self and friends. You have a hard time saving money.

You can be easily distracted. In fact, you may be reading all 10 books on the bestseller list at the same time. You may find it hard to finish any one of them and you may not retain the story very well. While you are familiar with the latest headline news, you may not exactly understand the history or geography of the world’s events. You are very big picture. You tend to jump from thing to thing, so while you are a “jack of all trades”, you may not be a “master” of any one. Your circle of friends is wide, but you may have few close friends. You can appear aloof and you may struggle to listen to others.

Your imagination and creativity make you a very entertaining person. In fact, the Wind is usually the life of the party. Quick witted and able to outthink most others, you generate laughter and excitement. You are the person that picks other’s up. In fact, your strong intuition knows when others are a bit down and you are always quick to lend a smile, hug or laugh to shift the energies of others.

You are fabulous at finding creative solutions to problems. In fact, you should be working in a job where you initiate creative solutions. You don’t necessarily want to be in charge of others, but you do like to have freedom of movement and freedom in how you spend your time. You lack follow through and finishing projects may be very hard for you. Surround yourself with people who can take your fabulous ideas and see them to fruition.

You are very sensitive. Others may not realize how deep your feelings truly run and you may find that you are easily hurt. You hate making mistakes and worry that what you do is never good enough. Sometimes you feel scattered. You will find that you need long periods of rest and silence each day to soothe your nerves and nourish your sensitive heart.

The following are some examples of situations that you may be prone to due to your Windy nature. Don’t worry that you are doomed to experience these. Living in a balanced state will allow you to manage these conditions:

Insomnia

Worry

Anxiety

Tremors

Palpitations

Headaches

Backaches

Constipation

Stomach Sensitivity

Shanti, Pamela

Get that Kapha moving....

Each person is comprised of all the great elements; space, air, fire, water and earth in some unique proportion. If you have more earth and water than other elements, you are a Kapha. This doesn't mean that you don't have space, air and fire in you. It just means that you have a larger proportion of earth and water. If you have put on an extra few or more pounds, then you are probably suffering from an imbalance in the Earth. Additionally, if you feel sluggish, are having difficulty waking, feel a sense of boredom or loneliness or are simply feeling dull, then the Earth may be out of balance as well.

If you suffer for an extended period of time from an Earth imbalance you may develop obesity, heart disease and even depression. The good news is that you simply need to get the Earth element in your body and mind to begin to shift. When you think of the Earth element, think of a large boulder sitting firmly in the ground. It is heavy, dense and doesn't want to move. You can push and push and it wants to stay firmly in place. Once you push hard enough though, the boulder begins to move. It moves slowly at first and then builds up a lot of energy and it will just go and go because it has a lot of momentum.

The Earth in your body and mind works the same way. The first step in shifting this imbalance is to simply make up your mind to do it. Once the Earth commits to something, it will follow through. The next step is to simply force, and I mean force, yourself to begin. Turn the TV off, go for a walk and try lots and lots of new things. Listen to vibrant and uplifting music. Go shopping and surround your body and home with vivid reds, oranges and yellows. Choose spicy aromas like peppermint, orange and rosemary to scent your home. Cook all of your food and really spice it up. The Earth needs heat and spice to move.

Many people have a workout routine that they enjoy and so they have stuck to it for an extended period of time. They suffer because, although they are working out, they are not receiving benefits. This is an amazing example of how the Earth can settle on your body even when you are working out. Your body adjusts to anything that doesn't change and it gets dull. You need to change up your routine. If you only do yoga, try Zumba, bellydancing, hiking, biking or swimming. If you only run and lift weights, add yoga. Your body will love the diversity and shift.

The Kapha person must choose food wisely. They make the best vegetarians of all the doshas. Earth in your body IS your muscle, fat and bones. When you eat meat, you are eating earth. Adding Earth to Earth creates more imbalance. When choosing food, always go for the item that is less heavy and dense. Remember, heavy and dense means it has a lot of earth in it already and again, you are adding earth to earth. For example, a banana is much heavier and dense than an apple. An apple would be a better choice. Choose whole grains, leafy greens, fruits and tons of spice. Only drink when you are thirsty. The Earth already has a lot of water in it. Avoid salt, but spice up your food. Always cook your food and eat it warm. The Earth element is cold, so you must add heat to shift it. Choose baking, broiling and grilling. These are dry cooking methods.

For more information, visit our website at www.elementalom.com. The Elemental Immersion is the perfect way to begin your shift to balance. Namaste