As I said in this post, Ayurveda is meant to be contemplative. This is my contemplation on the wisdom of vata dosha.
Like any wind, vata dosha picks up whatever is not weighted down.
The drier a leaf, the easier it blows across a road. And where that leaf will end up — and what direction it will take to get there — is unclear.
This is the wisdom of vata dosha.
What is Vata Dosha…Really?
Vata is not often called wise. It is the most sneered at of all three doshas, the one who is to blame for most diseases. Vata is the hardest to manage, the most difficult to pin down. But shouldn’t all wild things be that way?
Vata is our creative force — the energy of newness and wonder and sparkly unicorn magic. To know vata is to see the world through a child’s eyes. Yet, just like a child, it needs wise guidance or it will turn feral and cruel.
The Container
Vata thrives when we let it loose in small doses — just like free time at school. But to truly allow freedom, our minds must know when the madness will end. This is why we conjure the spell of containers.
You’ve probably heard that vata needs routine — one type of useful container — to stay in balance. But you don’t have to know what will happen in each minute of your day — that’s only an ignorant attempt to control this wild beast. Instead of attempting to become its master, become its companion. Create a space that is big enough to wander, and contained enough to feel safe. Then leave it up to vata to decide what to do inside of the space.
Practical Care of Vata Dosha
Practically, this looks like knowing what times you generally do things, and then allowing the creativity to take over while the mind watches. It looks like setting themes, guideposts, time limits, and applying easy course corrections for when (not if) things get too windswept. It looks like asking your higher mind to be the gentle parent you always wanted. It looks like asking vata dosha to be the best friend you never had.
You will know when the container is set right. Just like you will know when to make it smaller or bigger. Let this be a daily practice — to know how much space you need to feel safe and feel wild. And then, wait for the magic of vata dosha to light up the skies.
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