Consistent Ways for The Inconsistent Vata

Consistent is the balance needed for a Vata whose middle name is “irregular” and “variety.” The balancing remedy is routine.

Today I share some better ways to get consistent so you’re in mind-body alignment. And if you’re in a season where you’re not in alignment (or have never been), you’ll have a hard time with the “A” word because you’re not there yet. But you can make that a mantra to get aligned!

And being in balance helps us get there …This time I’m focusing on Vatas, where every month looks different, like moon periods…

And every day of the month is inconsistent in some way… on top of the world around us is changing. The good news for all of us is, like plants, we’re growing just a bit daily. 🌱

And Vata patterns change more often than Pittas and Kaphas, even though those could be secondary dials that can ratcheted up.

For a Vata looking closely at her life, you’ll see how this affects your sleep, food, and play minute-by-minute… even what you reviewed in your productive time last time looks different.

And even though nothing about the work has changed. Because your last name is “change.”

Like the wind, Vatas by nature is changing all-the-time. Vata bodies don’t withstand temperature swings well… more like orchids than enduring palm trees.

So to balance and restore, doing the opposite helps. You want to be consistent and stay on task instead of letting the mind run you by sending a list of things you need to do this minute that aren’t urgent.

If you look at a tipping scale, the way to balance it is to add some weight to the opposite side. …makes sense, right? ⚖️

And if you’re feeling like you can’t sit still, or are going from task to task more than usual, you could be heavy on the Vata. And some daily tweaks could help you restore back to your usual ways pretty quickly.

For any of us, it doesn’t take much to get off balance in our Vata, Pitta, or Kapha.

For Vata, these are the balancing tricks you can help to tip the scales back to equilibrium:

1.Consistent sleep – just like you’ve been told is a good idea, keep the same schedule as much as possible. Even if you go to bed late, try to get up at the same AM time you normally do. You want to take advantage of circadian rhythms.

If you sleep in because your body has been tired for a season, you’ll be even more tired once your body gets a sleep dose. It’s part of the process of our bodies trying to restore balance.

Our one-and-only bodies send obvious signs and blaring warnings that we can still miss in our busy modern lives full of external noise. Alarms and coffee only go so far to help us awaken.

And while 8 hours of sleep is healthy and on average what most of us need, if you’ve had enough sleep, that’s all you need.

Worrying the Vata head is worse than not getting enough sleep in the mind-body connection, because then you add silent stress to your body. With a lack of sleep, your body will let you know by your tiredness, and other new symptoms over time.

Your body knows what it needs to reset and we’re not in charge of that. And if it’s running efficiently and you’ve been good to it by not overdoing yourself, then you may only need a few hours of sleep one night to be recharged.

The recommended 8 hours is just an average and works neatly for 1/3 of our 24-hour day.

But even if you have a perfect sleep record streak from measuring your sleep… at the end of the day, that just says you’re off to a good start with your daily health. It doesn’t indicate much else.

It’s more what you don’t do in sleep that shouldn’t be ignored. Any daily health telltale signs show up on the body and should be attended to quickly so they don’t become a new normal.

And getting the right dosage of sleep amount is individual as we all have different symptoms and bodies.

So… In short balance, the goal for each of us in sleep is getting enough. 💤

2.Consistent eating –  and having regular eating patterns is good. I shared how time-restricted eating (or Intermittent Fasting) could help set a discipline, like it does with me for snacking and late-night eating.

And one thing I would steer more into the Vata ways is variety and diversity in healthy foods. Pittas and Kaphas tend to stick more to the same foods.

Different healthy foods offer different nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and amounts. It’s also good to have macros: lean protein, healthy carbs, and healthy fats in the diet.

Muscle gradually declines as we age so we need more protein. Healthy carbs give us bursts of energy and keep us full enough while junk carbs rob us. And healthy fats help the body absorb foods and fat-soluble vitamins better this way.

3.Consistent Practices and Activities – keep you calm as you do your daily routines you enjoy.

That can include exercise, your craft, quiet time, reading, etc.

When you’re tired, try to plow through those moods and do at least a little bit of your routine or practice. This will teach you to keep at it, which helps with balancing inconsistency. And you’ll be working on a skill you can use the rest of your life.

And if you need ideas, you can find outlets like this one here that gives life advice on pillows:

LIFE IS GOOD…

And keeping it good is part of the balance. Because we all run into situations we’d rather not at some point. It can’t be all sunshine and roses (as part of the balance). 🥀

4.Consistent Behaviors with Other Influences 

It’s important to stay consistent even when we don’t live in a bubble. We interact with people and society.

And you do this in work and life where you can get tested.

I’ve had many experiences starting something new with new people involved that can be a bit stressful… and sometimes throw the balance off. I’m sure you can relate.

And to make those times easier, what I do is I stick to my gut thoughts, feelings, and boundaries. It’s smart not to react as the air shifts around you and in you.

I know not everyone has offenders in their lives (living in a bubble, haha!)…

But kidding aside, in daily life, some people have no idea how they come across to others (in lack of self-awareness). And sadly, others knowing better let their bad sides run, trying to work (play) the systems. You just happen to be someone muddled in their system.

That’s just how it is in this imperfect life where we only control and manage ourselves.

…And that should be enough to keep us all busy!

We all come from different backgrounds. Sticking to our own values and not compromising is going to do you and the world a world of good (say that 10 tongue twister 10 times 😊).

You teach people how to treat you and how to behave toward others.

I know it’s not easy.

But always remember: your life is not a dress rehearsal. You will never get this year or today back.

And you don’t want to live in your own regrets if you need a motivator.

Usually, the people who want to test your buttons are the ones who aren’t doing the right things to begin with… and they’re not the ones that you want to follow anyway.

So with the troublemakers who aren’t considerate and are annoyingly kicking up your Pitta, initially it could seem like a good idea to follow along their ways or at least not create waves. But wise not to fall into this temptation.

…But the innocent often fall and don’t follow the good rules. They cave into the squeaky grease and play along on their blind path game that leads to nowhere.

And innocently that’s ’cause they don’t want to cause friction with themselves or other people. But you teach people how to treat you today and in the future.

If you let others step on you, then expect more of that when you allow it once. That’s how it is with children, and some adults haven’t grown up yet or figured out their ego sides.

And last tip on that note: never, never ever reward bad behavior unless you want more of the same behavior.

To be a productive leader, you want to create and forge your own path. Be considerate but stop caring so much. And think for yourself. You’ll be glad you did at the end of whatever you’re facing.

And be consistent where you tell your heavy anxious Vata mind to stop worrying about what will or won’t happen.

Because what will happen is you’ll get respected by the people you respect, and get to do more of what you want (and work with the people you want to work with).

And you’ll get to build the consistent, work-life balance that you really want!

Next time I’ll follow up with the 2^nd part of the self-awareness series I started a few weeks ago that you won’t want to miss! 🧡