#18 The Reset

Grounding to Balance Vata

Welcome to the eighteenth edition of The Reset. This is a regular monthly offering from me along with A Peaceful Pause.

There’s now over year’s worth of classes in The Reset archive. Just a few previous practices include: 

A Pain in the Back (Part 2)

De-Stress Stretch

Tending to the Heart

Ground + Reconnect

Restorative Support 

Restorative Yoga for Anxiety 

You can find all editions of The Reset in one place here. 

If you’re currently a free subscriber, you can access all of these practices by upgrading your subscription here.  

In Ayurveda (yoga's sister science) it is believed that the three doshas - Vata, Kapha and Pitta - make up our natural constitution. You can be predominantly one dosha, but usually we are a combination of all three of these energies. 

Here in the northern hemisphere we've moved away from the longer, warmer days of Summer into the cooler, windier days of Autumn. It's this time that marks the start of Vata season (Autumn and early Winter) - the season which shares Vata's windy, cold, dry, rough qualities:

Some signs of Vata imbalance include:

• Feeling ungrounded, restlessness, agitation (mentally and physically)

• Anxiety

• Muscle twitching and spasms

• Impacts of cold (e.g. poor circulation, bodily aches and pains) 

• Dry and/or rough skin

Grounding, calming practices and taking time for rest and relaxation can be helpful ways to support yourself at this time of year. (It's worth noting that excessively exercising can be detrimental to Vata - more is not always better - so you might consider keeping physical workouts to no more than an hour per day.)

With this in mind, this month's edition of The Reset is a grounding Vata balancing practice.

In addition, Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) - which this class begins with - is a supportive practice for Vata that you can do on its own. I’ve recorded a guided Nadi Shodhana here.

The following practice is a combination of seated and supine postures, though if you’d prefer to do this entirely seated I share some options with you for that.

Suggested props:

• A blanket or cushion to sit on

• A bolster or alternative (e.g. a couple of pillows or some extra cushions)

Here is your Grounding to Balance Vata practice (32mins):