Articles

Yoga - A Balancing Act

Carol Tomlinson

Is it hard for you to be still in savasana?
Do you consider a gentle or restorative yoga class a waste of your time?
Is it difficult to be motivated enough to get out the door to a yoga class?

Each of these questions may indicate what in Ayurveda are called doshic imbalances.
Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India, a powerful natural healing system for the body, mind and spirit. Ayurvedic methods cover a wide range of health practices including diet, herbs, detoxification programs, life-style management, and, of course, yoga, each tailored to the individual according to his or her constitution. But for right now, let's consider yoga.

Each of us is conceived with a particular constitution (our prakruti or "nature"), a balance of the doshas - vata, pitta and kapha. From that same moment of conception we are influenced or affected by both how we live our lives and by circumstances around us outside of our control, and these cause us to move away from our prakruti into imbalance (called vikruti or "out of nature"). So, you ask, what does this have to do with yoga? Well, if you are in balance with your prakruti, you are drawn to those practices that keep you in balance. But if you are out of balance you are drawn to those practices that take you more out of balance. So, your asana practice, or the one to which you are most drawn, may or may not be the best one for you to attain balance.

Let's go back to those questions up above. If you love to move and being still in any pose is difficult for you, you might have a vata imbalance. To reduce that excess vata, the best poses for you are those that stabilize, ground and strengthen, done in a controlled and focused manner. If you see your yoga class as a waste of time if it not physically challenging and a workout, then you may have an excess of pitta, and for you a calming, centering, relaxing practice done at 75% effort would bring more balance. And, finally, if it just seems like too much trouble to go to yoga class, kapha might be out of balance. A more dynamic class that is energizing, focusing on strengthening and flexibility would perk you up. Of course, if you are out of balance, these suggestions probably sound like just the opposite of what you want to do! So, this doesn't have to be your everyday practice at first. Just start with one day a week exploring other practices and let your body, mind and spirit be your guide. The effects might be quickly evident or may take some time, but the end result will be a feeling of greater health and well-being.