Hindi Ayurvedic Yoga & the Pulse

Ayurveda is the ancient medicinal system in India and one of the sister sciences to yoga. Ayurveda has roots, much like yoga, in the Hindu traditions of ancient India. In Ayurveda, nature and all beings are made of up characteristics that pertain to the elements in nature. These are known as a person's constitution or dosha. The three main dosha types are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. When a person is not in tune with their dosha, it can cause illness in the body. The doshas are determined by reading the pulse, and from there, foods, herbs or activities such as yoga can be prescribed.

Pulse System

• The pulse is used in Ayurveda to determine which yoga practice fits your dosha.

  In Ayurveda, as in many eastern medicinal systems, the pulse is your guide to the ailments, well-being and overall health of your body. In Ayurveda, the pulse can be taken at different levels to tell you what main dosha you are, which one is dominant at that moment, and what organs or tissues are strong or weak in your body. The pulse is used as a tool for a practitioner to decide which treatments to give you and what styles of yoga you should practice to bring you back to your natural, balanced dosha state.

Vata

• Vata doshas use grounding yoga practices to balance their dosha.

  The Vata dosha is primarily run by the air element. Vata people tend to have racing thoughts and dry skin and can easily suffer from anxiety. They tend to have a pulse that is hard to find and feels erratic or jumpy. Vata yoga practices focus on grounding and building heat to counterbalance the flighty, airy quality of Vata's thoughts and skin. Practices such as Hatha yoga, with little flow, are good grounding in the Vata dosha. Poses such as Warrior 1, Warrior 2 and Triangle are especially grounding because they focus on pushing and rooting down into the hips, legs and feet.

Pitta

• Cooling yoga practices help calm fiery Pitta.

  Pitta doshas tend to be fiery in nature and overheat easily in a hot, vigorous practice. In Pitta people, the pulse is strong, steady and easy to find. When they overheat, Pittas can suffer from burning indigestion, anger and hot skin rashes. Yoga can be used to balance excessive Pitta. Yoga practices that are cooling, such as gentle stretches and Yin yoga, work well to cool the body and calm the fiery Pitta. Forward folds, supported backbends and gentle, restorative inversions balance excessive Pitta.

Kapha

• Vigorous yoga practices balance Kapha.

  Kapha dosha tends to be very mellow and can become unmotivated when in excess. The Kapha quality is moist, damp and oily. The Kaphic pulse is mellow and watery, and it moves very slowly and steadily. Kapha people tend to store and reserve their energy and water and need a vigorous practice to heat the body, release water through sweat and lift energy levels. Vinyasa yoga practices work well to motivate and move the excess Kapha. Poses such as the Sun Salutation series invigorate the body to balance the excess Kapha.