Vata Revealed

OK, I admit it, I’m pretty much a poster child for vata derangement, although when I got my pulses read years ago, even the ayurvedic doctor was surprised when they indicated a constitution with vata and pitta equally represented. Does that mean I’m rarely in balance? Oh dear. Must work on that.

I suppose I’m in the right profession—I’m an editor of a monthly magazine so I have to think quickly, make decisions on the fly, and work on more than one issue at a time. In some odd way, I think it’s a good balance. I’d go crazy if I worked on a daily or weekly publication. I’ve written a few books, too, but what kind of deadline is 18 months?! Seriously. Maybe for some people, it’d work perfectly, but my problem? Instead of using the 18 months to research, interview, and write, I kept taking on more supposedly short-term projects, convinced that I have scads of time later to devote to the book. As a consequence, my first book took me almost 3 years to finish!

You should take the quiz to find out what your dosha is, if you don’t already know. Even though ayurvedic physicians use pulse and tongue diagnosis to get a more accurate reading, the quizzes like this one will give you a good idea of how you react emotionally and physically to your surroundings. The ayurveda piece in the March 2008 issue of Natural Solutions taught me thus:

1.    Stop eating raw foods in the winter—eating this way only makes me more high strung and my digestion iffy.

2.    Not only should I start eating warmer, thicker foods (think oatmeal in the morning), which I have. I actually need to sit down and make a ritual around mealtime. Imagine that.

3.    The biggest change, for me, is to try to go to bed before 11 (although ayurveda physicians will say 10), AND not to work right up to the moment I fall into bed. I’m still working on this one, so to speak, but I’ll keep you posted.