Remembering How to Regain Balance When Out of Your Normal Routine

Or Traveling through Space and Air, Irritating the Vata Dosha

I study Ayurveda, and have learned much from this ancient Indian science of life knowledge. Vata, one of three doshas, is made up of Space and Air elements. When we travel from one place to the next, literally moving through space and air, we increase the amount of vata in our bodies. For me when I have an abundance of vata I can feel it in my mind by having muddled thoughts, easily taking things personally, and having decision fatigue. I can see the abundance of vata in my body with hangnails around my cuticles, dry skin, slight ringing in my ears, sometimes a groove in the tip of my tongue, and irregular bowel movements, or constipation. I feel tired. I sometimes get headaches.

Because our life is full time travel, I have learned the following things that help me to get back in balance. I am sharing them here in case you too are traveling soon, or simply have a life event that has gotten you out of your normal routine. The holidays will do this, grief, big life changes, having a baby, seasonal transitions, all of these things increase the vata dosha.

*Remain Still
This can look like a 30 minute guided meditation, or power nap. Doing legs up the wall pose while practicing breathing into your belly or reading your favorite book.

*Practice Self Compassion
In the book Self Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by: Kristin Neff, she talks about the power of talking to yourself as if you were giving advice to a dear friend. Last week I was walking around Siena, Italy, trying to take in some of this beautiful walled city by searching for a Geocache. I accidentally stepped in some dog poop, the really mushy, smelly kind that stuck to a good portion of my shoe. I cursed under my breath, then found a stick and proceeded to do my best to clean it off. I also felt like I wanted to cry. I took a moment to mentally ask myself, “why am I feeling so bad?” Then I gave myself some self-compassion by thinking to myself, “it is OK Irene. You just arrived in a new city. You are hormonal because your menstrual cycle will start soon. You just stepped in dog shit. No one likes that.” I gave myself a small hug, literally just embraced my body, because the body responds to touch, even your own. Kristin Neff talks more about the power of these small actions in her book. Holding your own hand, or hugging yourself releases hormones which make you feel better.

*Practice Oil Massage (Abhyanga)
A video on how to do this is here:

One of the qualities of Vata dosha is that it is dry. To balance out the increase in Vata, Ayurveda recommends applying oil to the body. I love this practice, and will use it a few times a week when we are traveling. You can use a variety of oils, but my go-to is often organic sunflower oil mixed with organic sesame oil (plain, not toasted. You don’t want to smell like take-out!) Warm it in hot water first, then apply over the body. If you don’t like it in your hair, just apply to the arms, chest, belly, legs, buttocks, and feet. Rub it in again once the whole body is oiled. If you can, let it sit for a few minutes, then take a shower to rinse the oil off of you. No need to soap it off, just rub your body with your hands, and the excess oil will go away with the warm water. When you are through with your shower, take some dish soap and a rag to clean the bottom of the shower to prevent the next person from slipping when they step into the shower.
If you are menstruating or are ill, this practice is contraindicated.

*Eat Vata Pacifying Foods
In Ayurveda, Vata-pacifying foods help balance the dry, cold, light, and irregular qualities of Vata Dosha. These foods are typically warm, moist, oily, nourishing, and grounding. They emphasize sweet, salty, and sour tastes while avoiding excessively bitter, pungent, or astringent flavors. Below are examples of Vata-pacifying foods:

Grains: Warm, well-cooked, and moist grains are best. Rice (especially basmati), Oats (cooked, not dry or instant), Wheat, Quinoa, Barley (cooked with oil or ghee)
Vegetables: Favor cooked, soft, and warm vegetables. Avoid raw, cold, or dry vegetables. Good examples are: Sweet potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Asparagus, Squash (butternut, acorn, etc.), and Green beans
Fruits: Ripe, sweet, and moist fruits are ideal. Good examples are: Bananas (ripe), Mangos, Papayas, Berries (sweet varieties), Apples (stewed or baked), Oranges, Dates, Figs
Dairy: Warm, full-fat dairy is beneficial. Good examples are: Warm milk (preferably boiled with spices like cardamom or cinnamon), Ghee (clarified butter), Yogurt (in moderation, preferably diluted as buttermilk and not cold), Soft cheeses (in moderation)
Proteins: Easily digestible and grounding proteins are best. Good examples are: Lentils (yellow mung dal is especially good), Almonds (soaked and peeled), Cashews, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Organic, free-range chicken or turkey (if non-vegetarian)
Spices: Warm, aromatic spices that aid digestion and reduce dryness. Good examples are: Ginger (fresh), Cumin, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Fennel, Cardamom, Cloves
Oils and Fats: Healthy, warmin oils are key for reducing dryness. Good examples are: Ghee, Sesame oil, Olive oil, Coconut oil (in moderation)
Beverages: Warm, spiced, or lightly sweetened drinks. Good examples are: Herbal teas (ginger, chamomile, cinnamon, fennel), Warm water, Golden milk (milk with turmeric and spices)

*Yoga Poses to calm Vata
Think of slow yoga here, like restorative yoga poses that are held for minutes at a time. Forward folding and poses that stretch through the sides are also good to calm vata. There is much I could write about this. Perhaps I will expand on this in an upcoming newsletter.

*Call a friend
Arrange to have a regular video chat with a friend every week. Or try a spur of the moment call. Or create a voice memo and send it to a loved one. I have fond memories of listening to voice memos from a good friend while out on a walk in different countries in Europe. I also remember recording a voice memo for a friend while sitting and listening to a huge flock of black birds go by. They were so loud you could hear them on the recording. I also recorded a voice memo once after a blunder with timing, where I brought my daughter 10 minutes late to the start of a children’s cyclocross race, because I thought I knew where the start line was, but I realized I didn’t and we arrived late. Tears ensued and I felt like a terrible mother. Thankfully Andy was able to take Ani to meet up with friends at a food truck get together to salvage the night while I stayed back to race in the unicycle division. It felt good to get that blunder off of my chest by confessing it in a voice memo to a friend and sending it to her, for her to listen to when she had time.

*Create a routine - eat at the same time, go to bed and wake up at the same time
Ayurveda emphasizes routine as the best way to keep vata in check. It helps the body know when to do its functions and what to expect. If you eat your biggest meal at lunch time every day when the digestive fire is the strongest, the body will know to become hungry at that time. When traveling this can be a challenge because the body is confused if you take a plane to the other side of the world. The quicker I start up a routine in my new place, and follow some of the above suggestions, the quicker I start to adapt and feel more alive.

Thank you for reading as I start to use Substack as a way to share more of my writing and passions for Ayurveda, Travel, and Worldschooling.