How to Balance Dual Pitta-Vata Dosha with Yoga

A Pitta-Vata yoga balancing practice

Author: Heidi Harrabi

There are three doshas – Vata (air and ether), Kapha (water and earth), and Pitta (fire and water). Some people have one dominant dosha, some have two, and some have three in balance. Balancing your doshas is the only way to achieve health, wellness, and happiness.

Many things influence your doshas – the season, the foods you eat, the exercise you do, and so on. Different yoga poses can increase or decrease certain doshas, so you can use yoga to achieve a balance.

In this post, we’ll outline a yoga practice you can use if you have a Pitta-Vata dosha.

How to Balance a Pitta-Vata Dosha Using Yoga

Choose the Right Environment

Vata is cool and Pitta is heated, so you should practice yoga in a room with a moderate temperature.

Vata and Pitta both need a calming environment, so choose a space with subtle or natural light. You could also play some meditative music or use some calming mantras.

Set Your Intention

Before starting, set the intention that you will be fully present for your yoga practice.

Long exhalation cools Pitta and long inhalation calms Vata, so focus on your breath. Try to make your breaths in and breaths out the same length.

Then do some meditation and Pranayama in an easy seat or Lotus pose.

Focus on Presence

Practice the asanas slowly, focusing on stability, grounding, short holds, and fluidity.

Stay in your body, not in your mind. Don’t worry about perfection; just be present and aware of your breath.

Use This Sequence of Asanas

To balance a Pitta-Vata dosha, the asanas you practice should include forward folds, twists, and other grounding and stabilizing balancing poses. Try this sequence:

1. Surya Namaskar A
2. Warrior I
3. Warrior II
4. Extended Side Angle
5. Triangle
6. Revolved Extended Side Angle
7. Half Moon
8. Tree Pose
9. Eagle
10. Locust
11. Bow Pose
12. Child’s Pose
13. Bridge Pose
14. Wheel
15. Shoulderstand
16. Fish Pose
17. Savasana
18. Yogi Mudra

Other Ways to Balance Dual Pitta-Vata Dosha

Of course, yoga is just one approach you can use to balance your Pitta-Vasha dosha. You can also incorporate relaxed forms of exercise such as walking and swimming into your life, and change both when and what you eat.