Balancing
Kapha • Pitta • Vata
To simplify the ancient teachings of Ayuveda, the body is comprised of three basic types, or doshas – Kapha, Pitta and Vata.
A students body that is predominantly Kapha (lethargic, sluggish, overweight, loyal, stable, loving) must generally practice more vigorously to balance his or her dosha. The Kapha body is like that of an elephant - it doesn't move quickly, but it can work all day. People with a predominantly kapha condition tend to have low blood pressure. Their practice should include backbends, inversions and arm balancings. Generally speaking, they should move throughposes more quickly, and de-emphasize long holds in poses except for restoratives and shavasana.
A student who is primarily Pitta (hot, angry, fiery, goel oriented, focused, high achiever) is like a cheetah that can run extremely fast but can't sustain the pace for long. Such a person generally needs a more calming practice. Students with Pitta will benefit from vigorous brief postures that will release the pent-up Pitta energy, then they can work on longer psoes that they hold. A more internal practice with less jumping around inclding gentle backbands and short headstand with a long shoulderstand would be beneficial. A Pitta student may tend towards high blood pressure so forward bends and restorative postures.
A students body that is overly Vata condition (airy, unfocused, fickle, creative, exuberant,charismatic) is like a butterfly, always flitting from one thought to another, from one yoga system to the next. Such students need a grounding practice, a practice that brings them down to earth (as with Elaine). Standing poses are ideal when the bones of the legs and feet are rooted into the earth. Focus on rooting in all poses, especially in standing poses and inversions. Since a Vata student loves to jump from pose to pose, work to balance this condition with a practice that has less dynamic movement. Vata students should hold poses for a long time. Vatas tend to get dizzy doing backbends, so place an extra emphasis on grounding.
Front bends are useful to soothe the flighty Vata nature, especially when the forehead is supported.
