Vata has superpowers? Yes! When balanced and healthy, vata, like each dosha in Ayurveda, comes with its own set of unique gifts. Being predominantly composed of the elements of space and air, vata is responsible for all movement in the mind and body, both voluntary and involuntary. It represents the space in which existence is possible, and the flow of energy within it.
Unfortunately, we often focus on the challenges of vata instead of the joys. This tends to happen in all areas of life—we give more focus to the negative than to the positive. And as a result, we tend to get more of the same—“like attracts like,” as we say in Ayurveda.
So the first step in harnessing the power of vata is to focus on celebrating the positive aspects of this dosha, while also using Ayurvedic wisdom to stay balanced and healthy.
Being a pitta-vata myself, I can relate to these qualities. But they only work for me, and for the benefit of all, if I'm taking care of myself in a way that keeps me grounded, focused, and nurtured.
For instance, my vata nature loves to feel free, untethered, and boundless. But if I don't take appropriate measures with my diet and lifestyle, I may find myself bouncing around like a ping-pong ball or ridden with anxiousness, worry, and fear.
Before long, too many ideas and changes without structure can leave me feeling scattered, drained, and lost. When this happens, it's time to re-evaluate and recalibrate!
How to Recognize and Harness the Superpowers of Vata
The Creative Alchemist
Your creativity is infinite. You are never short on brilliant ideas (hint—focus and manifestation is the challenge). You are likely an artist in some form. You turn lemons into lemonade.
Ways to harness: Create some structure by maintaining a consistent daily routine, including regular times of waking, sleeping, and eating. Keep a list of all of your creative ideas as they come, but commit to staying focused on implementing only one at a time. Choose a realistic period of time in order to bring your idea to completion, and give it enough time for exploration before moving on to the next.
The Joyologist
Your joy is contagious. You are a bright light that uplifts others with your presence.
Ways to harness: Practice some form of meditation to develop your neutral mind so that your joy and energy is steady, rather than the kind that takes you to an extreme high, only to drop you to an extreme low. Nadi Shodhana, or Alternate Nostril Breathing, is great for balancing vata and returning you to your center.
The Visionary Prophet
Your imagination and vision are expansive and vast—you hold a vision of an ideal world, a utopia.
Ways to harness: Ground your visions into reality by connecting to the earth daily. This can be as simple as taking off your shoes and standing in the grass, planting a garden, or sitting with a tree. As you do so, breathe deeply and visualize a connection rooting all the way from your own body down to the core of the earth, anchoring the earth energy within you.
The Psychic Unicorn Faerie
You're sensitive to subtle energies and possess a strong intuition. You know things without being able to explain why. Others see you as magical.
Ways to harness: Balance your subtle awareness by eating foods that are grounding and dense—think baked root veggies, casseroles, warm grains, ghee and olive oil, and thick stews. Use a warm unrefined sesame oil or Vata Massage Oil to perform a daily self-massage (abhyanga) to keep you present in your physical body. Protect your auric field and activate your navel center by practicing Kapalabhati, or Skull Shining Breath.
The Flexible Wonder
You have flexible joints and master most yoga asanas easily. In addition to a flexible body, you have a flexible, open mind. Change comes easily to you.
Ways to harness: Because flexibility comes easily to you, focus more on developing strength and stability—both in yoga postures, in your life, and in your mind. Develop strength of mind by regularly going within to see if you are mirroring another person's viewpoints and feelings or if they really belong to you. Because you are empathic, it's important to check in with yourself daily, and honor your true feelings.
The Intrepid Nomad
You love to travel. You feel at home in many places, move often, and make friends easily.
Ways to harness: While you're on the road or in the air, take care to drink warm ginger tea, perform daily abhyanga, and eat warm, nourishing, cooked foods at regular times. Grounding practices like laying down on the ground (earthing), tai chi, and restorative yoga are ideal. Environments that are soft, warm, and nurturing, and climates that are warm and humid are ideal. Challenge yourself to stay in one place for a whole year.
Let your vata superpowers shine! Learn to love and honor the many gifts of vata while using these simple tips to stay grounded, focused, and nourished.
Remember the qualities of vata—cold, dry, light, rough, mobile, and subtle—which are responsible for your unique superpowers. Keep them balanced by incorporating opposite qualities of warm, moist, oily, heavy, smooth, soft, dense, and stable in your diet and lifestyle so you can lead the vibrant life you're meant to live.
