A yoga practice for a vata individual should be one creating warmth, serenity and nourishment. Vatas can cultivate this by following some basic guidelines:
- Practice at a slow, smooth and steady pace.
- Explore fluidity in your poses. Use gentle movements such as spinal and pelvic undulation, rotation in the joints, counter-poses, and flexion and extension.
- Hold each posture for a short amount of time, but do multiple repetitions.
- Draw into and move from your power center or hara. The hara is the area below the navel and above the pubic bone.
- Focus on the foundation of the pose to create stability.
- Internally rotate the femurs and press into the outer edges of your legs.
- As you move, imagine you are moving through a substance like warm water or warm mud.
- Focus on lengthening your inhalation.
- Stay connected to the earth. Ground down through your big toes.
- Fix your gaze below or at the horizon.
- Engage your entire body by hugging your muscles to the bones.
- Do not over extend or deplete yourself. Your practice should be strengthening, not draining. Vatas easily exhaust themselves and when the vata imbalance becomes severe, a restorative practice is best.
- Be present in your practice.
- Stay warm.
- Conclude your practice with a long relaxation.