According to Ayurveda, a balanced diet contains all six tastes at every meal: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent.  This can be challenging given our western influences.  And since we want to make sure that we are getting the right proportion of flavors for our own dominant dosha, we tend not to want to overdo it.  There’s a simple solution!  An herb and spice blend especially formulated for Vata, Pitta or Kapha balancing.  You can use this blend while cooking, or take the shaker with you to sprinkle on your food when you eat out.  You can add it to sauces, soups, vegetable or rice dishes, even just sprinkle it on salads, popcorn or snacks.  Very convenient, and really delicious.  The Vata blend is calming, and includes cardamom, ginger, and other spices.  The Pitta blend is cooling, and includes cumin, coriander and fennel along with other spices.  The Kapha blend is invigorating, with turmeric, mustard, cayenne and more.

Surya Spice Blends from chopra.com

When I found Ayurveda, I knew that my life would never be the same again.  I started seeing things differently, more profoundly.  And then Deepak Chopra introduced me to Vedanta, the ancient wisdom from which Ayurveda originated.  This beautiful philosophy has taught me a lot about life, and given me a lot to think about.  According to Vedanta, when we understand our true nature, we begin to live from the source of lasting happiness, true inner joy.  We can allow the universe to flow through us with ease, and our lives are infused with power, freedom, and grace.  In his new book, “Power, Freedom, and Grace,” Deepak Chopra draws upon both Vedanta, and modern science to help us understand and experience our true nature and get to this place of blissfulness.  If you want to take your study of The Science of Life to a deeper level, you’ll love this book.
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The six tastes in Ayurveda come from the five elements.  They are: Earth + Water = Sweet Earth + Fire = Sour Water + Fire = Salty Air + Space = Bitter Air + Fire = Pungent Air + Earth = Astringent

Because Vata is composed of Air and Space, Vatas stay in balance better when they favor foods that are sweet, sour and salty.

Pitta is composed of Fire and Water, so Pittas stay in balance when they favor foods that are sweet, bitter and astringent.

Kapha is made up of Water and Earth.  Kaphas are better balanced when they favor foods that have bitter, pungent and astringent tastes.

Our doshas have an influence on how we handle money.  If we are aware of these tendencies, we can work to become more diligent and responsible with our spending habits.

Vatas tend to spend too much money.  Vatas love to shop, and are often impulsive with their spending.  They are likely to have things in their closets that they have never worn.  One strategy for Vatas would be to have money automatically deposited from their paychecks into a savings account.

Pittas don’t like to spend money, but they do splurge on special items.  Whether it is a piece of jewelry, or a nice car, if they really want it, they will save for it and get it.  They are goal oriented, and will work hard to achieve their goals.  Pittas need to be careful not to be workaholics.  A good strategy for Pittas would be to allocate certain hours for rest and relaxation and not even think about work during that time.

Kaphas are really good savers.  They avoid shopping, but when they do have to go out, they look for bargains.  Kaphas also tend to hold on to items for longer than necessary.  They think that they are saving by doing this, but in most cases, it is causing some inertia.  A good strategy for Kaphas is to go through their closets and drawers every few months and donate unused items to charity.

According to Ayurveda, much overeating is actually caused by emotional factors.  When we overwork, or are stressed, prana vata stimulates the gastric fire in our stomach.  We then interpreted this feeling as hunger, and so we eat, although we may not necessarily need food at that particular time.  This leads to overeating, and weight gain.  When we feel “emotionally hungry” here are a few things we can do to overcome this problem.

-Deep Breathing exercises, or “Pranayama”
-Yoga: particularly Moon Salutation, and Camel pose.
-Take a walk.  Fresh air helps to reduce cravings.
-Herb tea: If it is emotional hunger, the warm tea will make you feel full.  If you are still hungry after the tea, then you need some food.

You may have noticed that I have changed my name a little bit.  My given name is Lisa Marie.  Marie is my middle name, after my grandmothers.  My married name is Coffey.  Legally I will still be Lisa Marie Coffey, but personally and professionally I am now going by Lissa Coffey.  Lissa still pronounced like Lisa, just spelled with two s’s instead of one.  Why, you ask?  I recently consulted with a Vedic Numerologist who did the numbers in my birthday and my name.  He came up with this slight change to bring more harmony to my numbers, and in turn more harmony to my life.  Since I have devoted myself to the study of Ayurveda, and am practicing it in every other way, I might as well try this, too!

Vedic numerology is a little bit different than western numerology.  There are different values for some of the letters, so the totals add up in the name differently.  If you’re interested in learning more, there is a wonderful book that explains all about it: “Numerology with Tantra, Ayurveda, and Astrology: A Key to Human Behavior, by Harish Johari.  I will  write more about Vedic numerology in upcoming issues.

amazon link to Numerology by Harish Johari

Vata is made up of air and space.  Vatas tend to have dreams where they are falling, or flying through the air.

Pitta is made up of fire and water.  Pittas spend a lot of energy thinking, and they dream of problem solving, and test-taking.

Kapha is made up of water and earth.  They often have dreams involving water, and romantic scenarios.

Vatas are creative.  They like to mix things up.  They are spontaneous.  Their dominant senses are touch and sound, so they love to give and get massages, and listening to exotic music gets them going.  Vatas like to have fun, and will always surprise you!  When romancing a Vata, it’s important to keep the room warm, as Vatas get cold easily.

Pittas are more practical.  They are very organized and planned-out in their romantic approach.  They don’t like to spend money generally, but they will splurge on luxuries, like a weekend-getaway or a beautiful diamond bracelet.  Their dominant sense is sight – so they like to look at beautiful things, a view, a sunset, or a sexy video, to get in the mood.  When romancing a Pitta, remember to create beautiful lighting, with candles or firelight.  Pittas run hot, so keep the room cool and they’ll be comfortable.  

Kaphas are loving and romantic, sentimental.  They remember things like the anniversary date of their first kiss!  Their dominant senses are taste and smell, so they are drawn to things like a romantic dinner for two, or scented candles, or fragrant flowers.  A wonderful bubble bath, with some bubbly champagne is just the ticket for the sensual Kapha.  Try feeding each other chocolate covered strawberries!

Prana in Sanskrit means “breath.”   We all need to breathe to survive.  Even plants breathe.  Although breathing appears to be a kind of mechanical process, one that we don’t really think about, Ayurveda explains that the process of inhaling and exhaling is full of life itself.  Notice how the breath changes when our emotions come into play.  When we are scared, we tense up and hold our breath.  When we are happy and laughing, we breathe deeply and our breathing is rhythmic.  Pranayama means “to control the breath.”   By doing so, we are helping to settle and control our busy minds. 

November through February is Vata season in the Northern Hemisphere.  Vata season is when the weather is cold and dry.  This weather causes an accumulation of Vata, which can lead to imbalance.  To keep Vata in check, there are a lot of things that we can do. -Eat warm, cooked foods.  For example, choose soup instead of salad. -Stay warm.  Wear warm socks, gloves, and a hat outdoors. -Sip a warm beverage, like herb tea, throughout the day. -Avoid caffeine. -Give yourself a warm, sesame oil massage (abhyanga) before your shower in the morning.

Vata tea on Chopra Center site