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Ayurvedic leisure activities – the best hobbies for your Dosha

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Whoever is engaged in Ayurveda and integrates this ancient teaching into everyday life, usually starts with a Dosha test: How is my very personal constitution? We all carry all three Doshas in us, only in different weighting. Just as every color consists of the three basic colors, the ratio of the three doshas in us influences what physical and character traits we have. Knowing your own mixing ratio has numerous advantages – feel free to read more about it here and here.

Depending on one’s own constitution or possible imbalances (one dosha dominates excessively and thus causes discomfort), there are tips for every area of life to stay in balance and to prevent such imbalances from occurring in the first place: Exercise, sleep patterns, diet, and even hobbies. All, really all aspects of our life influence the doshas – so it is not surprising that leisure activities increase one dosha and reduce others.

Here is an overview of which hobbies are especially good for you based on your dosha dominance.

Kapha

The “cozy” Dosha stands for grounding, security, stability – all good qualities, which, however, can lead to lethargy, stagnation and melancholy when Kapha is in excess. To keep the energy flowing, mentally and physically stimulating activities are super. So, hobbies that are rather sluggish and lack exercise, such as fishing, for example, are not so good. Dancing is a great sport for people with dominant kapha dosha. Dancing gets you moving not only physically, but also mentally, as you have to remember choreography and movement patterns. But meditative exercise like hiking is also good for Kapha types, as you get to move in the fresh air and benefit from the endurance typical of Kapha.

Pitta

The “fiery” dosha can often use cooling down. If you have a dominant Pitta dosha, you often live out your ambition and competitive spirit on the job. On the one hand, this is great, because the qualities of Pitta are used optimally; on the other hand, an imbalance can arise here if there is also competition in private life. Everything that relaxes is well suited here: Swimming, yoga, painting, gardening, hiking. To balance the fire element, water activities are great. For outdoor hobbies, be sure not to spend too much time in direct sunlight and generally provide adequate sun protection so as not to further fuel Pitta heat.

Vata

The “airy” dosha is creative, enthusiastic and eager to move, but often needs stability and grounding so as not to fall into restlessness. Painting and drawing appeal to the creative streak of Vata people, hiking and running satisfy the need for movement and at the same time bring the mind to rest due to the regularity of movement and being in nature. Dancing is also great, as it combines movement and creativity – but debauched club nights should better be skipped by Vata people. Flashing lights and crowds make Vata shoot up extremely and can thus lead to an imbalance, which can result in restlessness, nervousness or even anxiety.

For all doshas and all constitution types, the general rule is that the leisure activity of your choice should be a balance to your job. So if you sit in front of the computer all day at work and then play chess in your free time, i.e. you practice a hobby without exercise, then there is no real balance.

Are you one of those people who don’t really have a hobby, but just sit in front of Netflix in the evening? Then think about whether there might be something you really enjoy doing – just looking for it can be a lot of fun!

Ayurvedic consultations

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You would like to…

  • make your everyday life healthier
  • boost your digestion
  • get nutritional tips for your type
  • optimize your sleep patterns and wake up more refreshed in the morning
  • strengthen your immune system
  • gain more mental balance
  • improve your health and well-being in general?

Then an Ayurvedic consultation could be ideal for you.

What makes Ayurveda so special?

  • Holistic: We look at your whole personality and your everyday life.
  • Basis: The concept of the three vital energies “Doshas”, which are present in nature and in ourselves.
  • Goal: Keeping these doshas balanced to stay healthy
  • Everyday Use: Ayurvedic tips include nutrition, yoga, meditation, body care, fragrances, and more. With a selection like this, there’s something for you too that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.

How does a consultation work?

  • In a first step, we determine your constitution, i.e. your very own mixture of the doshas – every person is born with his or her own mixture, just as every color is created from an individual mixture of the three basic colors.
  • You will get valuable tips about your constitution. What does it mean? What can you do and eat to feel healthy? How can you recognize imbalances?

Package 1

Constitution determination with valuable tips for everyday life, as described above.

75 min – 50 €

Package 2

Package 2 is for you if you would like to go deeper into the subject. In addition to the general consultation from package 1, you will receive a yoga session tailored to your individual needs. I will take into account your constitution, possible ailments and your current life circumstances.

75 min counselling + 60 min Yoga – 95 €

Package 3

If you really want to do something good for yourself and let me accompany you for a longer time, then package 3 is perfect for you. The basis here is also the general consultation. This is followed by three follow-up appointments with yoga and meditation sessions tailored to you and your needs. In addition, you will receive appropriate journal prompts for your individual reflection.

75 min Beratung + 3x 60 min – 185 €

Relaxation and energy to go: Yoga at the office

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Advantages of a little break at the desk and useful tips for your own practice

Who of you works at a desk all day? Those of you who do might know this: You are totally immersed in a task and it is only afterwards that you realize you’ve been sitting in a weird position. At the end of a long day at work, you’re cramped and exhausted, your eyes are burning from staring at a screen for so long… does that sound familiar to you? “Office ailments” like back pain are pretty common nowadays. And the mental challenges of office life shouldn’t be underestimated either. Time and performance pressure, multi-tasking, possible frictions with colleagues – all of this makes it important to keep your balance. It’s nothing new that yoga can help with that. Rolling out your mat after a long day behind the desk and unwinding with pleasurable stretching and gentle movement can work miracles. But why wait until the evening?

You can squeeze in a little yoga session right here in your (home)office. At the desk, wearing your suit – you don’t need a mat or leggings.

The perks will convince you.

Why you should squeeze in a little yoga break

Movement is often neglected when you’re working all day: The mornings are too hectic, in the evenings you’re too tired. Due to the long hours of sitting, your metabolism works at reduced level. This makes it easy to gain extra pounds and the risk of suffering from a heart attack or a stroke is increasing. Working against that is worth it, right?

Stimulating your cardiovascular system with a dynamic walk after work is great, but you can also contribute to your health without leaving your desk: Your muscles will be grateful if you show them some love. If you spend the majority of your day sitting, you’re likely to have shortened hamstrings and calf muscles, as well as a hardened hip muscles.

Our screens can also turn out as culprits when it comes to our eye health. By now there are glasses available which have special blue light filters, but it’s still exhausting for our eyes to be looking at a monitor the whole day. Another issue that yoga can help with.

Yoga without a connection to mind and soul, however, is just gymnastics. So, there is also something for those of you who tend to get nervous in the face of presentations, deadlines & Co. – like me 😊 Just give yourself five minutes in between to calm your nerves or give your confidence a little boost. Just like it’s possible to “trick” yourself into feeling cheerful just by smiling, even if you don’t feel like it, you can feel better by doing postures that express self-esteem.

The 7 best office yoga exercises

Shiny Shoulders

Take a deep breath in and lift both arms. Now extend your arms forward, bringing the right arm under the left one.

Now try to bring your right hand as close to your left shoulder blade as possible and your left hand to the right shoulder blade, so that you’re giving yourself a big hug.

Then, extend the arms forward again, the right one is still under the left one, the elbows on top of each other. Bend your arms and try to bring the palms of your hands together.

Hold for 3-5 deep breaths, then release and change sides.

Luscious Legs

Sit on the front edge of your chair. Extend the right leg in front of you, your heel on the floor, your toes pointing towards you.

Breathing in, lift your arms and straighten up. Imagine getting smooth while breathing out and fold forward, just so much so that you can feel a stretch in the back of your right leg. This stretch shouldn’t feel uncomfortable or hurt. Bend your knee if that feels better for you. You can put your hands on the top of your left thigh. Make sure to fold from your hip, not from your upper back.

Reach up, lengthen your spine
Fold forward so that you feel a nice stretch in the back of your leg
You don’t need to come all the way down if that feels better

Hold for 3-5 deep breaths, then straighten up with uplifted arms on your inhale. Pull the right leg in and repeat the position on the other side.

Happy Hips

Sit on the front edge of your chair, your feet are next to each other on the floor, your legs bent at about 90 degrees.

Now place your right ankle above your left knee, the right knee can relax and drop outwards. Maybe you already feel a good stretch like this, otherwise fold forward until you feel a stretch that’s comfortable for you.

Hold for 3-5 deep breaths, straighten back up and shake out the right leg if you like. Then do the position on the other side.

Eager eyes

Close your eyes for a moment and just notice how they are feeling now. Maybe they burn a little, maybe they’re a bit tired?

Do every exercise below 6-8 times per direction, close your eyes after each exercise, rub your hands until they get warm and place them on your closed eyelids before doing the next exercise.

  1. Without moving your head, look alternately up and down
  2. Look alternately left and right
  3. Look alternately from top right to left bottom
  4. Look alternately from the tip of your nose to a point a little further away, maybe on a wall.

Nifty neck

Sit upright and straight. On your exhale, let your head sink to the right, so that your right ear comes close to your right shoulder. Hold for a few deep breaths, then slowly lift your head on your inhale and repeat to the other side.

Afterwards, let your head circle over one side, to your chest and back up over the other side. Change the direction, then shake and nod your head a few times.

Spunky spine

Sit upright and relaxed on the front edge of your chair, your feet are next to each other on the floor.

Lift your arms up when you inhale and when you exhale, turn your upper body to the right side. Put your left hand on your right knee and the right back of your hand on your lower back.

Hold for 3-5 deep breaths, then lift both arms up when you inhale, turn back to center and repeat on the other side.

Boost your confidence

Sit on the front right edge of your chair. Place your left foot as far to the left side as comfortable for you.

Breathing in, lift both arms up and lower them breathing out – the right one to the front, the left one to the back, parallel to the floor, palms of the hands facing down. Look forward over the right hand. Keep your hands at shoulder level and stay upright.

On your inhale, lift both arms and pull the left foot back in. Lower your arms on your exhale.

Slide over to the left front edge of your chair and do the pose on the other side.

Whether you’re working from home or at the office – take a quick yoga break right now! Your mind and body will be thankful.

You and your ayurvedic constitution – friends for life

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It’s time to find out how you can benefit from the concept of the ayurvedic constitution! Now that you know the basics of the Doshas, let’s take a look at how to implement them into your everyday life. Again, the qualities and energies of the Doshas play an important role.

Develop a sense of the energies

Learn how to notice certain energies in your daily routine as Vata, Pitta or Kapha energy and how to sense if they might have gotten out of balance.
How? By observing! Let’s remember:
Vata has the qualities airy, light, dry, rough, cold.
Pitta has the qualities hot, passionate, transformative, sharp.
Kapha has the qualities heavy, stable, nourishing, calm, steady.

Vata types are full of ideas, creative, flighty and often freezing. In case of a Vata imbalance, they tend to be constipated. On the mental level, they overthink and worry a lot when imbalanced.
Pitta types are organized, determined and passionate. When they’re imbalanced, they get aggressive and get inflammations easily.
Kapha types are solid, down-to-earth and loving. When there is a Kapha excess, they tend to put on weight too quickly and to get lethargic.

All that is only a rough overview and not a detailed characterization of the Doshas. Nonetheless, it gives you a great starting point to pay more attention to the qualities of the three bio energies – in your body, your mind, your interactions, the weather… it doesn’t matter where, you can find them anywhere!

Windy, unstable weather? Vata energy!
Dry, cracked skin? Vata excess!
Highly concentrated work? Pitta energy!
Grimness? Pitta excess!
An intimate conversation among friends, where both pour out their hearts? Kapha energy!
Lethargy and weariness? Kapha excess!

Of course, there can be more than one energy present. If, for example, you are working totally focused and all of a sudden so many new ideas spring to your mind that you don’t even know which one to pursue first, then Vata energy has joined Pitta. Make a habit of seeing yourself and your surroundings through an “ayurvedic lens” and try to notice the Doshas in your daily life.

Find out what your constitution is

You can do that either by doing a consultation with an ayurvedic counselor or by taking a Dosha test by yourself. When you have the result, spend some time engaging in your constitution. Start with the predominant Dosha. Which of your physical and mental traits fit to it? Note the attributes that correspond to your main Dosha and check which ones may relate to the other two Doshas. Maybe two Doshas are present in almost the same amount – that’s not unusual, it’s the case with most people.

Observe yourself

Your mood, your emotions, your ailments, your digestion – all of that is related to the Doshas or possible imbalances. Several times a day, ask yourself which energies you can notice in and on you. Also, see if you can notice imbalances. Maybe you’re unusually irritable, which might point to increased Pitta, or you feel listless, which might be due to a Kapha excess.

Pay attention to your current state

You were born with a unique constitution, a unique mixture of the Doshas. If you have a predominant Pitta, for example, it can still happen that you feel tired and lazy due to outer circumstances, unfavorable nutrition, or the situation at home or at work. On the other hand, Kapha-persons, who are usually very patient and tough to trigger, might be influenced by those factors in a way that makes them irritable and likely to snap. Even though we are more prone to imbalances of our predominant Dosha, the two others might get out of control as well.

Opposites balance

This principle helps when one of the Doshas has gotten out of control. In Ayurveda, we always assume that there’s an excess, not a lack. Therefore, we wouldn’t say „I’m not active enough“, or „I have too little Pitta in me”, but rather “I am too lazy” or “I have too much Kapha in me”. Again, the qualities are important. When there is one that is especially high, its counterpart will balance it. As mentioned in the introduction, there are 10 pairs of counterparts, and three of them are important for daily use. Here’s a reminder:

Heavy – light
Hot – cold
Oily/moist – dry

“Heavy” enhances Kapha and reduces Vata, “light” enhances Vata and reduces Kapha.
“Hot” enhances Pitta and reduces Kapha, “cold” enhances Vata and Kapha and reduces Pitta.
“Oily” enhances Kapha and Pitta and reduces Vata, “dry” enhances Vata and reduces Kapha and Pitta.

Let’s imagine it’s a cool, windy fall season. You’re working for an advertising agency and have come up with numerous creative ideas for a new campaign. Due to the heating in your office, the air is very dry. Your significant other at home is in the middle of exam preparations, which is why he or she is very excited and nervous. If you notice that you’re not exactly sure which one of your ideas you should work on first and then discard some of them, or if you have cracked skin or constipations, you can assume that your Vata Dosha is higher than usual. Therefore, the qualities cold/dry should be reduced and heavy/oily should be increased. We can achieve that with a grounding yoga practice, yummy oil massages and warm, easily digestible food.

Give it a try!

Experiment with the opposites and find out what suits you. Observe how you feel after a meal and how food influences your digestion and your energy level. Come to your own conclusions about which foods to eliminate from your plate and which you would like to add. Do the same with relationships, activities and habits. Ask yourself: What’s good for me, what makes me sluggish, what makes me nervous, what gives me energy, what nourishes me?

How you will benefit from this friendship

You will get more mindful. When was the last time you observed how food and certain interactions or situations influence your body? Being more mindful about this will help you see what makes you feel good and what you should stay away from.

You will understand yourself better. When you react to a situation in a certain way, you might be less strict with yourself or more likely to accept that as a Kapha-type you will never lose weight as fast as friends with a predominant Vata-Dosha.

You can live healthier. When you know your constitution and the corresponding needs, you can walk through life with more energy and better health.

You can help yourself. When you realize that there is something wrong, you can try to feel better by implementing little changes. If you get sick, though, it is better to see a doctor.

Have fun establishing this special friendship! I’d love to hear your experiences with it.