Ayurvedic Imbalance: When Vata Looks Like Kapha
Identifying Ayurvedic imbalances can be tricky, especially when it comes to the issue of weight gain. When we think of weight gain, we think of kapha dosha: heavy and cohesive. But when the underlying cause of weight gain is anxiety, we must look to pacify vata dosha. Listen in to this short conversation as Cate and Grace unravel the subtleties of vata masquerading as kapha by discussing Grace’s recent experience with a vata imbalance.
What you’ll get out of tuning in:
- How to determine whether weight gain is caused by a kapha imbalance or a vata imbalance.
- Why you should always suspect vata if stress is involved.
- Why normal weight-reducing practices don’t work if the cause of weight gain is a vata imbalance.
Links Mentioned in Episode:
Show Highlights:
- While warmth is pacifying to both kapha and vata, the dryness of many kapha-reducing foods and herbs can exacerbate an underlying vata imbalance.
- Distinguishing vata from kapha comes down to an underlying feeling of being “alright.” Kapha is contentment, while vata is stress, anxiety and nervousness.
- When it comes to weight gain, kapha weight gain comes from lethargy while vata weight gain comes from a need to be grounded and insulated.
Favorite Quotes:
- “It’s very, very common for the body to put on weight, and to put on weight quickly, like a security blanket, when vata is out of balance.” — Cate Stillman
- “As the practitioner, instead of trying to get her to exercise more and do all these fat-stripping things, instead I just want to soothe her. — Cate Stillman
- “If we can start to analyze ourselves when we’re looking at is this a vata imbalance or is this a kapha imbalance and know that one of the cool things about vata is that it’s so mobile, it’s so adaptive, it can look like the other doshas. . . . If you’re ever wondering, assume vata is involved. In the modern age, because of stress, if stress is involved, I KNOW vata is involved.” — Cate Stillman
Guest BIO:
Grace Edison lives in British Columbia, Canada. She’s a mom of twin 8 year olds, a Yoga teacher, studio owner, and Yoga Health Coach — and she also works for Cate Stillman in Admissions at Yogahealer! More than anything, she loves to make people laugh and has a not-so-secret dream of doing stand-up comedy. Grace has a strong passion for empowering others to take their health and wellness into their own hands. She loves building authentic relationships, making people laugh, and creating supportive communities. After a long-standing relationship with severe depression, Grace has found deep relief through the habits of Ayurveda — and much credit is due to Cate and her Body Thrive program. After taking Body Thrive several times and jumping into Yoga Health Coaching, Grace came aboard the Yogahealer team.
