Like diet, yoga should not have a “one size fits all” approach.

Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences. They come from the same ancient source and share a common history, language and cultural background.

Ayurveda prescribes yoga as a form of therapy to balance your unique constitution of inner elements or unique mind-body type (known as your Dosha-type.)

Ayurveda offers a therapeutic approach to yoga. It gives specific recommendations of yoga poses (asanas), guidelines on how to practice and seasonal adjustments based on your mind-body type to bring about a greater sense of balance, harmony, self-awareness and vitality!

Here we’ll explore the ideal type of yoga, tips on how to practice and best postures for you!

WHAT IS YOGA THERAPY?

The Ayurvedic approach to yoga is called Yoga Therapy.

Yoga Therapy offers a whole, complete and holistic approach to health and longevity for all physiological systems with health benefits for the whole body.

Yoga Therapy, also known as Yoga Chikitsa. Blends the wisdom of ayurveda and yoga in an intentional, healing and therapeutic way to balance the inner elements, or doshas to prevent and manage ailments and experience greater physical and mental vitality.

It improves the health and function of all body systems – from improved energy levels, cardiovascular health, to improved digestion, balanced hormones, better sleep, maintenance of a healthy body weight, healthy breathing, a thriving immunity, to psychological wellbeing.

Below outlines the best type of yoga for the individual Doshas. If you do not know your unique mind-body type, send us an email and we’ll get you sorted!

YOGA FOR VATA (AIR) TYPES

A yoga practice for Vata should encourage warmth, grounding and nourishment. It should invoke a sense of serenity, focus, inner strength and stability.

  • Begin with MEDITATION to ground and center.
  • Practice balancing BREATHWORK like Nadi Shodhana or Ujjayi Pranayama.
  • Practice in a WARM space or wear warm clothes. (Consider a blanket for Savasana!)
  • Focus on GROUNDING. Root down through your foundation. Yield into the EARTH.
  • Don’t overexert yourself. Your practice should be STRENGTHENING, not draining.
  • Prioritize SLOW, GENTLE and FLUID movements— imagine like your moving through warm water.
  • Focus on short holds, but multiple REPETITIONS of the poses.
  • Connect to your CORE and move from your SOLAR PLEXUS (Manipura Chakra,) between the rib cage and navel.
  • Continually return your attention to your BREATHING. Focus on the INHALATION.
  • Steady and still your GAZE to the floor, horizon or challenge yourself to close the eyes.
  • Move MINDFULLY. Stay aware of your body and breath— MEDITATE in every pose.
  • Balance strengthening with RESTORATIVE yoga for grounding and calming.
  • Close your practice with relaxing and LONG SAVASANA.
  • STAY PRESENT!

A Vata-balancing yoga practice should include poses that gently warm-up, strengthen and restore the body, mind and energy reserves. It should include fluid joint rotations, spinal undulations, grounding and strengthening standing poses, focus-enhancing balancing poses, warming backends, expansive hip openers and restorative poses.

BEST POSES TO BALANCE VATA

  • Ankle and wrist rotations
  • Hip and shoulder circles
  • Cat-Cow and Tiger Pose
  • Slow and steady Sun Salutations
  • Warrior I and II
  • Triangle Pose
  • Tree Pose
  • Cobra
  • Pigeon or Thread the Needle
  • Childs Pose
  • Legs Up the Wall
  • Long Savasana

YOGA FOR PITTA (FIRE) TYPES

A yoga practice for Pitta should encourage compassion, acceptance and surrender.

It should balance a sense of ease with self-effort, finding calm amidst challenge, bring softness into strength and focus on being more instead of always doing more.

  • Begin with MEDITATION to calm and soothe your mind.
  • Practice a few minutes of balancing and cooling BREATHWORK like Nadi Shodhana, Sheetali or Sheetkari Pranayama.
  • Prioritize having FUN overdoing it all perfectly. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
  • Practice in a moderately COOL space. You don’t want to be cold, but avoid overheating or doing hot yoga.
  • Be mindful to not be JUDGEMENT or CRITICISM of yourself (or the practice, the teacher, or others in the room!) Embrace a curious, positive and grateful outlook.
  • Don’t push yourself to your maximum, PRACTICE AT 80% effort.
  • Remember— yoga is not a COMPETITION! (Not even against yourself…)
  • Keep coming back to your BREATHING. Focus on your EXHALATION.
  • Prioritize loving and ACCEPTING yourself more than trying to perfect the pose.
  • If you want to challenge yourself, go deeper into your BREATHING and sense of PRESENCE.
  • Incorporate RESTORATIVE yoga to calm and soothe the body and mind.
  • Remember with Pitta, LESS IS MORE!

A Pitta-balancing yoga practice should include poses that challenge and warm up the body to release heat without overexerting or overheating the body and mind. It should include strengthening poses such as backbends, side bends and twists which warm the body to release heat, with intermittent cooling and restorative poses aimed to cool down and re-center.

BEST POSES TO BALANCE PITTA

  • Moon Salutations
  • Cobra, Locust and Bow Pose
  • Warrior II and Exalted Warrior
  • Extended Side Angle and Triangle Pose
  • Lunge Twist
  • Eagle Pose
  • Standing Wide-Legged Forward Bend
  • Childs Pose
  • Bridge Pose
  • Shoulderstand and Plough
  • Reclined Bound Angle and Reclined Hero Pose
  • Supine Spinal Twist
  • Savasana

YOGA FOR KAPHA (EARTH) TYPES

A yoga practice for Kapha should create spaciousness, stimulation, warmth and lightness. It should feel inspiring, invigorating and uplifting through energizing breathwork, expansive postures and dynamic movement.

  • Begin with MEDITATION to inspire and uplift your mind.
  • Practice a few minutes of invigorating BREATHWORK like Khapalabhati or Ujjayi Pranayama.
  • Practice at a VIGOROUS pace and intensity to energize the body and mind.
  • Practice in a moderately WARM space. You don’t want to be hot, but avoid feeling cold and drafts.
  • When you are ready to release the pose, TAKE ONE MORE BREATH!
  • Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and HOLD THE POSE a little longer.
  • Keep your chest and shoulders OPEN AND LIFTED as you practice. Embrace a curious and positive attitude.
  • Be PRECISE in your poses. Pay attention to your posture and ALIGNMENT.
  • Cultivate a sense of LIGHTNESS in your poses.
  • Keep coming back to your BREATHING. Focus on the space between the breaths.
  • KEEP MOVING and have short resting periods between poses.
  • Remember with Kapha, keep on going and DON’T GIVE UP!

A Kapha-balancing yoga practice should warm and energize the body and mind, to release lethargy and heaviness. This kind of practice should include a good flow of movement between poses and dynamic practices like sun salutations or additional vinyasas in between poses, heart openers, backbends and twists.

BEST POSES TO BALANCE KAPHA

  • Vigorous Sun Salutations
  • Vinyasas
  • Chair Pose and Chair Pose Twist
  • High Lunge and High Lunge Twist
  • Warrior I, Warrior 2, Warrior 3, Exalted Warrior
  • Extended Side Angle and Triangle Pose
  • Dancers Pose
  • Planks or Side Planks
  • Cobra, Upward Facing Dog
  • Dolphin or Headstand
  • Bridge Pose, Shoulderstand or Plough
  • Fish Pose
  • Boat Pose and Leg Lifts
  • Camel and Bow Pose
  • Cow Face Pose
  • Close with Savasana or Seated Meditation

JOIN US FOR AN ONLINE AYURVEDIC CONSULTATION

Discover your mind-body type and receive therapeutic insights on diet, yoga, daily routine and more to support your health and wellbeing with our online Ayurvedic Consultations.

Yoga promises the great gift of better health and vitality in all bodily systems. When practiced therapeutically for your unique mind-body type, the benefits are endless!