How Do I Know If I Have Dosha Imbalance?

Some days you might feel unproductive, others you might feel too on edge, and others you might not be able to sit down - gotta keep moving! Whenever something feels “off”, it could be a clear sign a dosha (or multiple doshas!) are out of alignment!

Do you know what your dosha is? ⁠⁣⁠In Ayurveda, your dosha's are the life energies behind your body, spirit, and mind. There are three main dosha's, your Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and everyone has all three however, at least one or two doshas are predominant, and some have the rare tridoshic constitution. ⁠⁣🌟⁠

⁠So if you've been feeling off, it's possible one of your dosha's are out of alignment. Let’s dive into why you might be feeling off!

DISINTERESTED & UNMOTIVATED? YOUR KAPHA IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT

If you've been feeling disinterested or unmotivated in your business, that's a big sign your Kapha needs some grounding. If you've been holding on to things - jobs and relationships - long after they are no longer nourishing or necessary, yup your Kapha is out of whack. If you find you're fixating on things, overthinking, or unable to let go... you know it.

Excess Kapha in the mind manifests as resistance to change & stubbornness. In the face of stress, the typical Kapha response is, “I don’t want to deal with it.”

I know when my Kapha energy ends up out of balance I feel sluggish & lazy. I just don't want to do anything. I can't find the motivation to move forward in my business.

When that happens, I know I need to switch things up and shake up my Kapha energy up LITERALLY.

If you're feeling your Kapha needs some tuning, these tips are for you:

• Move your body! Kapha energy naturally is calm, steady and slower. As a Kapha myself, I know I need to move my body every day, but it's SO easy to sink into the couch and veg - or in my case stay behind this laptop and not see the outside for days. Schedule it in!

• Break the repetition. It's important to shake things up every so often. Step out of your comfort zone to break up the monotony. Stimulate and awaken that 🍑!

• Eat light, warm & fresh. A light warm meal that's made with fresh ingredients helps the body digest easier. Built up Kapha energy can manifest as a slower metabolism and digestive system. Eat your largest meal at lunchtime!

• Detox. I've been detoxing lately with my girl Sonya over at @counterbalance_london, which you may have seen in my stories & I am feeling SO GOOD right now. This might not work for everyone, but this Kapha defn needed a good detox in her life. Diet + eating rituals are important aspects of Ayurvedic healing.

In a nut shell, a warm + dry environment with LOTS of exercise, limited snacking, and a full self-care routine is encouraged for any Kapha Dosha who is feeling off.

OVERLY CRITICAL OR IMPATIENT? IT MIGHT BE YOUR PITTA DOSHA

Your Pitta energy is made up of fire + water. If you've been feeling agitated, impatient and hyper focused on tasks to the point of obsession, or overly critical of yourself and others lately, then it's a big sign you're dealing with a Pitta imbalance. ⁠

During high stress and demand, it's not uncommon for our Pitta energy to flare up. In fact, Pitta is most likely to show up during our heavy working years, the period of time you're in right now. So what can we do to balance our Pitta? We want to calm and ground the senses. We want to go from DOING to BEING. This is the intention. ⁠

So, let’s discuss some ways you can do this: ⁠⠀

• Go to bed earlier. I know this is hard for many of us. ⁠However, Pitta energy gets a spike around 10pm to 2am. So if you ever wondered where your 2nd wind comes from - head nod to Pitta. ⁠Do your best to not only be in bed but power down from stimulating consumption, like this app right here! ⁠⠀

• Avoid overly spicy and acidic foods as these will increase the intensity. Just imagine if you are inflamed, don’t stoke the fire more. The biggest recalibration of energies is to do the exact opposite of the energy you are feeling. Slow down and understand that life is not about winning.⁠⠀

• Be present, walk in nature and smell the flowers (even better roses), ground yourself in the grass and know that there is more than just ticking boxes and reaching goals. You are already a boss and show up tremendously. It is OKAY to take a break daily. ⁠⠀

• Release that guilt when you are “unproductive”, reframe that you are being productive in other areas of your life that are equally important.

I love rose water and heart-centered practices for grounding Pitta energy when out of balance. Whether it's rose tea (not hot) or spritzing rose water on your face and pitta eyes - get into it! And tap into meditation or yoga - the heart chakra encourages a healthy non attachment to your actions - to move from heart centered energy instead of from ego.

ANXIOUS AND UNABLE TO FOCUS? TIME TO LOOK AT OUR VATA DOSHA

Our Vata dosha guides out movement and creativity - two important spaces for business owners such as yourself. And when our Vata dosha dominates, this creative energy turns into more of an erratic behavior, one where we're unable to focus on anything (no matter how hard we try), and we can't stop moving. You know that feeling - always bouncing our leg or refusing to sit still.

Similar to our Pitta dosha, Vata dosha's can fall out of balance during period of extreme high stress, but they can also be triggered by strange schedules. If you have been working all hours of the day and don't have a normal sleep schedule, that's a sure fire way to agitate your Vata dosha, which will only trigger more anxiety, restlessness, and lack of focus.

So how can we bring out Vata dosha back into balance? 

• Get on a schedule. No more odd hours for going to sleep - establish consistency here, and aim to go to bed at the same time every night. And be sure to shut down electronics at least an hour before heading to bed.

• Opt for naturally sweet foods. Skip the processed sugar (which could irritate your dosha's), and instead opt for foods that are naturally sweet (think fruit). Vata dosha's crave sweet things.

• Grab a blanket and a warm beverage. When our Vata dosha is out of balance, you may find that you become cold more easily. For this reason, it's important to incorporate warmth into our routine. 

• Stay hydrated. Vata's tend to have dry skin, so it's even more important during seasons where dry skin is likely, to keep yourself hydrated (including your skin!). 

One of my favorite ways for grounding a Vata imbalance is to step out into nature and allow both feet to be firmly planted on pachamama. This rooting and grounding helps to slow down the agitated Vata.

IN CLOSING

It's so important we keep all of our doshas happy and in alignment, and also to recognize when one falls out of balance so we can quickly respond and allow ourselves patience and rest. It's said that when your doshas are in alignment, everything is in harmony. ⁠⁣⁠You feel more at peace and calm. ⁠⁣⁠There is so much wisdom within Ayurveda and a lot of it is rooted in psychology, our mindset. And we know mindset is everything for life AND business. ⁠⁣⁠Sometimes our doshas get out of alignment and one comes out stronger than the others. Have you been feeling your doshas out of balance? Which one resonated with you the most?