Yoga Poses for Balancing the Pitta Dosha

How much do you know about Ayurveda – Yoga’s sister science? Did you know that it can help you find balance, optimal health, and even help you become your highest self? And did you know that when combined with Yoga, this powerful system for healing becomes even stronger? That’s why Kino and Sahara Rose decided to team up for the #EatLikeAYogi Challenge – to teach us how to bring yoga and Ayurveda back together, as they were meant to be practiced.

Yoga and Ayurveda are great tools for helping us find balance, optimal health and wellbeing, and not to mention, accessing our highest selves; but only if we incorporate practices that cater to our needs as individuals – more specifically, our imbalances. That’s where the Doshas come in.

If you already know your primary dosha and where your imbalances are coming from, then you’re in a good place to start working back toward balance. If not, the #EatLikeAYogi Challenge is designed to help you learn. Throughout the challenge, Sahara Rose teaches us how to identify our primary doshas, and which doshas may be out of balance. She offers practices that we can use to come back to a place of equanimity, including specifications based on which dosha needs to be addressed.

Ayurveda is only one piece of the equation, however. Our yoga practices can also help us find balance, and for this challenge, Kino has chosen 14 yoga poses to compliment the practices from Ayurveda. Today, we’re taking an in depth look at the Pitta balancing poses featured in the challenge.

Pitta imbalance tends to be associated with the following signs and symptoms:

  • Sensitive skin that burns easy in the sun
  • Heartburn
  • Diarrhea
  • Quick to anger / Strong anger
  • Agitation as a stress response
  • Excess sweat
  • Acne and or skin rashes
  • Nose bleeds or excessive bleeding with cuts
  • Self-critical thoughts/feelings
  • Obsessive or compulsive thinking
  • Hatred
  • Revenge seeking tendencies
  • Inflammation
  • Burnout
  • And more

Does this sound like you? Participating in the October Challenge with Kino and Sahara Rose is a great place to start for finding your way back to a more balanced state. Plus, be sure to put more emphasis on the following Pitta balancing yoga poses that Kino has recommended for the challenge:

Prasarita Padottanasana A – This deep forward fold helps to cool the fires of pitta imbalance. Mid-day – the pitta time of day – is a good time to take a brake and give this pose a try. But remember, in order to balance pitta, we need to be soft in our efforts, so try not to over-stretch or push yourself too much. Just allow your body to fold forward softly, and let gravity do the work.

Baddha Konasana – Those of us who are pitta dominant or who may be struggling with a pitta imbalance tend to be overactive and on-the-go, all the time. We find it difficult to sit down for rest or to do anything we feel is not productive. That’s one of the reasons why yoga is great for balancing pitta aggravation. But we have to approach our practices gently, with an intention to slow down. Seated postures like Baddha Konasana are great for giving us the opportunity to do just that. Give this pose a try with Kino on The Encyclopedia of Yoga to learn how to practice this pose properly and in a way that will help you balance your pitta dosha.

Meditation/Padmasana – Meditation and breath work are great for bringing balance to an overactive pitta dosha. Simply taking a breath in, can bring cooling energy to the body, while a breath out will release excess heat. When sitting down for meditation as a means of calming your pitta imbalance, choose a simple, easy and comfortable seat that doesn’t cause any unnecessary discomfort in your body. This will give you the best results. If Padmasana is easily accessible for you, then great – if not, Sukasana is a better option. As for the kind of meditation you want to engage in, pittas can benefit greatly by meditating on images of water or the cooling sensation of the breath in.

Sarvangasana/Viparita Karani – All inversions are cooling in nature, which makes them great postures for managing a pitta imbalance. Kino recommends legs up the wall in particular simply because it allows for the greatest amount of ease. This pose gives you the opportunity to soften and relax the entire body while maintaining enough elevation in the hips to still be considered an inversion. If you’re feeling overheated, irritated, angry, or any other sort of pitta aggravation, give this pose a try.

Ready to start incorporating these poses into your daily life and practice? Combined with the recipes and self-care routines recommended by Sahara Rose, these poses will help you find your way back to optimal health and balance in no time.

by Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson is a writer, yoga teacher, Ayurveda Yoga Specialist, and the content manager here at OMstars.com

Alex Wilson, Anxious yogi

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