Ayurveda & Yoga: Adapting Your Practice To Your Energetic Constitution

Some of the natural aspects in life that influence Vikruti are:

• Seasons and weather
• Age
• Menstrual cycle
• Lifestyle
• Everything the person perceives through the senses.
• Everything a person receives through their ‘holes’ (mouth, nose, ears, eyes, skin pores, genitals). E.g. foods, aromas, skin lotions, and sexual intercourse.

How to Know Your Energetic Constitution

The best way to know your Prakriti is to consult with a specialist in Ayurvedic medicine. Through their various diagnostic means, and even with the help of astrology and numerology, they are able to discern both your constitution and the imbalances to be corrected.However, there are resources to make very good approximations to become aware of it and start acting according to your constitution.

If, before continuing with the rest of the article, you wish to know your Prakriti and Vikriti, we recommend you take this test, following all the instructions indicated in it.

Yoga Adapted To the Doshas

So, just as food and lifestyle are adapted to your Prakriti, the same can be done with the practice of Yoga. This ancient art has infinite resources and variants that can be adapted to the needs of each being.

The following is a practical explanation of the Doshas and the main yogic and meditative practices for each one of them.

Vata Dosha

This Dosha is related to the elements air and aether. It’s considered the primary Dosha, as the other two (Pitta and Kapha) cannot move or circulate without Vata. It’s related to most mental/reflexive processes, as well as to blood,  breathing, circulation, neuro-endocrine regulation, and elimination. Vata increases during autumn and early winter (meaning you should take care on them during that period).

Yoga For Vata

The ideal practices for this Dosha are those with standing positions to ease grounding against the potential excess of air and aether. Most Pranayamas are also very helpful. If you need to balance Vata, also consider any pose or very slow movement that helps alleviate lower back tension and beat constipation.

Asanas and Poses

• Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
• Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
• Qi Gong’s Zhang Zhuang (Tree Meditation)
• Balasana  (Child Pose)
• Most forward bends, especially those with legs stretched

Pranayamas For Vata Dosha

Most Pranayamas are very helpful for this Dosha, as it’s directly related to air and breathing. Yet, the most suggested ones are Nadi Sodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing), Box Breathing, and Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breath). You may also want to include the Taoist Inverse Breath. 

On the other hand, avoid those that stimulate heat (like Kapalabhati) or cold (Sitali and Sheetkari Pranayama).

Pitta Dosha

Its name can be translated as ‘the one that cooks’. It’s related to the fire element, and therefore to the metabolism and digestive system. It’s the willpower to go for more, and people with this Dosha as predominant tend to rush or be hot-headed. It increases during the spring and summer seasons.

Yoga For Pitta

When the fire is excessive, then you need water and cold to tame it and spread that heat in a balanced way. That’s why the ideal yogic practices for Pitta are those that cool down the body and mind and stretch your navel area, that is from the solar plexus to the hips.

Exercises and Yoga Styles

• Hatha Yoga
• Restorative Yoga (Yin Yoga)
• Ashtanga Yoga
• Backbends and stretching of solar plexus and hips

Asanas and Poses

• Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)
• Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
• Virabhadrasana (Warrior 2)
• Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
• Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
• Chandar Namaskar (Moon Salutation)

Pranayamas For Pitta Dosha

Cooling breathings such as Sitali Pranayama and Hissing Snake Breath (Sheetkari Pranayama). These techniques are also effective in controlling fiver.

Also, try inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth open to expel the excess heat.

Kapha Dosha

Its name can be translated as ‘the one that sticks’. It’s related to the water and earth elements, the immune system, and all that is oily. Kapha is predominant in those people who tend to gain weight easily or have a thick build. This Dosha makes people prone to a slow rhythm of life, so the stimulation of the inner fire and air is needed. Kapha increases during winter.

Yoga For Kapha

What’s needed the most in cases of predominant or excessive Kapha is exercises to heat up the body, and also those that help release accumulated toxins, a function that becomes harder to achieve due to the predominant dense elements of this Dosha.

Exercises and Yoga Styles:

• Bikram or ‘Hot’ Yoga
• Dynamic sets
• Twists movements
• Inverted poses
• Frogs

Asanas for Kapha Dosha

• Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
• Kundalini Yoga’s Stretching Pose
• Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog Pose)
• Sirsasana (Headstand) or at least stretching legs on a wall
• Note: inverted poses, including Downward Dog Pose, are contraindicated for pregnant women.

Pranayamas For Kapha Dosha

Always prefer those Pranayamas that stimulate detoxification and mobilization of heat in the body. The best reference for this is the Kapalabhati, also called Agnipran or Breath of Fire. Note it is contraindicated for pregnant women and may cause pain during menstruation.

What in case of having two predominant Doshas?

It’s normal and even healthy to have a secondary Dosha. That’s why the test you take will give you a score for each one of them. In this sense, working on your secondary Dosha is also a good idea, especially if you’re keeping a routine without attending regular classes. Also consider doing so if you feel that, despite your disciplined practice, your life is stagnant.

There are some people that have the 3 Doshas at a relatively equal level. For such cases, all practices will suit well. Yet, you should consider visiting an Ayurveda specialist to confirm and determine well both your Prakriti and Vikriti.

Tridosha Yoga That Works For Everyone

Ayurveda holds a category of foods and supplements called Tridosha. It refers to those resources that work for any constitution. There is also a constitutional type called Sama Prakriti, used when a person has no predominant Dosha. In the case of yoga, we can also find some yogic practices that suit everybody, including those with Sama Prakriti. 

Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)

The most popular yoga set is a perfect practice for anyone. It combines slow and continuous movements stretching up to the lower spine (for Vata), stretches the solar plexus and hips (for Pitta), and includes the Downward Dog Pose, as well as twists in some variations (for Kapha). There are some variations of the sequence in speed and poses to adapt it to different requirements.

Sat Kriya

This powerful meditation is the core of Kundalini Yoga practice. Yogi Bhajan said that, if he had the chance to teach only one Kriya (yoga set or exercise), he would have chosen Sat Kriya.

This practice, if done for at least 3 minutes, works on:

• Nervous system and hormone regulation (for Vata)
• Loose tensions in the lower back (for Vata)
• Extension of the navel area (for Pitta)
• Navel pumping (for Kapha)
• Stimulates the immune system and detoxification (for Kapha)
• Awakens your intuition

It’s so powerful and complete that it is indicated to rest in Corpse Pose for at least as long as the time you practiced the Kriya. It’s contraindicated for pregnant women and hard drug users.

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

This apparently simple pose is beneficial for all Doshas. It has a balancing and grounding effect (for Vata), expands and relaxes the navel (for Pitta), and helps the body rest and regulate the immune system (for Kapha).

Conclusion

As you see, the list above makes a whole set to work from a ‘wholistic’ perspective, whether you want to address all three Doshas simultaneously or have a Sama Prakriti. Sun Salutations (workout), Sat Kriya (meditation), and Savasana (relaxation) could be a great combination for everyone, every day.

For more specific effects, consider trying any of the exercises (for at least 3 minutes or 26 repetitions) and yoga types suggested for your predominant Dosha. Many people may want to build their own yoga sequence, but we suggest consulting a qualified Yoga teacher for personalized advice on how to perform and mix these practices.

If you’re interested in deepening your practice and gaining more expertise, you might explore the following yoga teacher training programs:

• 200-hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh
• 200-hour yoga teacher training India
• 300-hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh
• 300-hour yoga teacher training India
• 500-hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh
• 500-hour yoga teacher training India