My name is Honor and this is my story about how Ayureda changed my life and I found Vata balance.
I have flashbacks of lying on my bed, in immense pain, holding a red hot water bottle to my stomach, and wondering, “What the heck is wrong with me?”
I couldn’t eat – it was like my gut had completely stopped working. When I tried eating, the pain was unbearable. It lasted for 5 days then magically disappeared. Over a 12month period I’d been told I was experiencing early menopause, depression, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, possible ulcers, my skin was incredibly dry, my scalp was flakey and my hair seemed to be falling out – honestly the list was crazy! I felt overwhelmed and totally confused.
I was given different medications for each of my ‘problems’. I’d seen doctors, specialists, nutritionists and you name it – I’d probably tried it. Some medications worked for a while, others made things worse, and no-one could give me a straight answer.
No-one seemed to know what was wrong with me. I’d explained to the doctor that I noticed some strange coincidences. The stomach aches came when I should be getting my period – but I wouldn’t get my period, just pain. And my knee would swell up at the same time.
But no, they said, it wasn’t connected at all – must be just a coincidence. A little tug of intuition inside of me knew it wasn’t.
I was booked in to have a colonoscopy, but just didn’t feel confident with the road I was taking and knew a little about Ayurveda – it couldn’t hurt to give it a go.
The Ayurvedic doctor took one look at me and said, “Honor, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just eating the wrong food!” (To be honest I didn’t believe him, but was so desperate for answers I went along with his recommendations.)
Within a couple weeks I felt like a completely different person! Energized, calm, light, able to eat again! It was SUCH a relief.
And so Ayurveda became my passion! I really was fine.
My Experience with Vata Imbalance
I was experiencing what I now know to be a Vata imbalance. So I’d been eating more and more ‘healthy’ – raw plant-based food, salads, smoothies and superfoods. I was busy so I ate on the run – snacking and juggling my life. In fact all these things weakened my digestion so much that my gut was unable to function properly.
In Ayurveda anxiety or nervous tension is a sign that Vata dosha is out of balance. I like to think of Vata as the wind… when it’s imbalanced you get too much wind in your system. Physically you might experience bloating or pain, dryness, coolness and maybe constipation. This leads to more serious health problems – like some of the ones I was experiencing.
It’s a sign that the digestive fire or agni is weak, and you’re not digesting your food properly.
When this happens you really can’t digest life. Literally. It affects you on a deep emotional and spiritual level. The energy centre of the belly is your Pitta, your fire, your ability to digest your food, and your ability to digest your life. It’s your powerhouse, your determination and action centre. Too much Vata dims your fire, and if it’s weak, then your whole being becomes weak and your emotions become frazzled. There’s literally too much air in your system – and this is deeply unsettling. Like a tornado of thoughts swirling round in your head.
One of the things I love about Ayurveda, (and there are lots hehe…!), is that it’s holistic. It sees us as a whole organism, a spiritual being learning to live in a physical body. If your doshas are out of balance you feel disconnected and ‘stuck’. It’s way harder to love life or deal with the curve balls that come your way.
Choose Balance
It’s honestly not difficult to come back into balance. It’s all about choices.
- What food and lifestyle choices are going to have you feeing Ahhh-mazing?
- How can you tap into that lightness of being and deep sense of joy?
- How do you want to show-up?
- Who do you want to become?
And if you know you want the best in life, Ayurveda allows you to unlock the rest of your life in a totally different way. It allows you to focus on nourishing yourself so deeply, so you do more of what you love, and experience JOY, and truly be of service to yourself and those around you.
My name’s Honor. I’m an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Yoga teacher. And I’m super exited to be sharing some of this wisdom with you here at Youveda. If I can help in any way, please reach out. I’m passionate about spreading the healing power of this science, and dedicated to your success.
How to recognize a Vata imbalance?
You feel scattered or anxious, juggling a million things on your to-do list (with you coming last!) You find it hard to sit still and often eat on the run. Maybe your digestion isn’t quite right and you’re bloated or gassy, even constipated. You have dry skin, possible hormone imbalances and a sore lower back. These are all signs that Vata may be imbalanced and your kidneys, adrenals and nervous system are under stress.
5 Steps To Rebalance Vata, Starting Today
- Stop. Pause. Slow down. Take 10 deep breaths 3x a day. You’re moving too fast and have literally too much cool wind in your system.
- Eat at regular times (snacking weakens agni and creates a stomach mess!)
- East warm, cooked nourishing food and drinks, like Grandma’s soup or healing kitchari.
- Avoid cold and dry food. (Don’t even look at a salad, smoothie, chips or crackers).
- Try Youveda’s My Healthy Mood and/or My Healthy Digestion blend. These amazing blends will work to strengthen your agni, and calm your mind.
Author: Honor Stratton (YouVeda wellness Contributor)
Honor is an NZQA recognized Ayurvedic Practitioner and yoga teacher. She’s helped hundreds of women globally to step into next level wellness, with her Align4Life program. Connect with Honor either here at Youveda or through her free Facebook group, ‘THRIVE with Ayurveda and Yoga’, where she gives daily support and connection to others walking this path. Checkout her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/2009171869388225
