• Home
• Shop
• Getting Started
• Products
• Publications
• About Us
• Health Advice
• Search

Ageing and the Vata Stage of Life

More bliss for the over 50s - Maharishi Ayurvedas holistic anti-ageing programme

Notes from a talk by Dr Donn Brennan

When biological changes like menopause, skin wrinkles and noticeable ageing effects in the nervous and muscular systems occur, its good to know its not downhill all the way!

Maharishi Ayurveda offers a comprehensive and holistic anti-ageing programme, much of which you can do at home as part of a daily routine. According to Ayurveda, sixty onwards can be the most blissful years of your life a time for enjoyment and inner development.

Three stages of life

Ayurveda describes three stages of development:

1. Kapha phase (age 0-20)
2. Pitta phase (age 20-60)
3. Vata phase (60-120)

During Kapha stage you are growing, the body is becoming a fully formed structure and your mental faculties are developing. It is a time for education.

During Pitta stage you are doing and achieving building a career, raising a family, paying the mortgage. It is a time for discriminating and deciding, and the intellect is more predominant.

Vata stage is a time for being, awakening within, a time of intuition and finer feelings.

Balance during Vata time and blissful ageing

Balance during Vata time brings a feeling of joy, of youthfulness and of health. Vata time is a time to be especially aware of what your body tells you. Vata is sensitive to change, and can quickly go out of balance, and come back to balance quickly.

During the Vata stage of life, vata is more likely to become unbalanced , especially the tissues that are governed by vata bone, bone marrow, reproductive fluid.

Cracking nails, dry fragile hair and bone problems can show up. Recommended are foods nourishing for the bones and which keep Vata settled: hot milk and Ghee, cooked dates, nuts and sesame seeds.

About thirty minutes walk as a regular exercise is very important: Vata types should do this three times a week; Pitta types five times a week and Kapha types seven times a week.

After 50, if life is anything less than bubbling bliss, something needs to be done to bring more balance. During Vata time of life Rasayanas (Ayurvedic herbal preparations to strengthen the system and support rejuvenation) become more important, especially after 70 (when Panchakarma residential rejuvenation treatment is less important).

Transition times and imbalances

In the same way that imbalances can accumulate and surface during transition periods between the seasons, for example in Dec/Jan when Vata season is turning into Kapha season, they do so at the transition times between stages of life. In the case of the transition to the Vata stage this can start as early as 50.
During any transition, accumulated imbalances can manifest as health problems. For example, in December/January during the transition from Vata to Kapha season the body tends to be more prone to coughs and colds and flu. Similarly so, during transition from Pitta to Vata time of life it is advisable to pay attention to accumulated Vata imbalances to ensure the establishment of a balanced physiology for the coming period.

How to balance Vata do the opposite

The qualities of Vata are dry, cold, rough and irregular, and Vata imbalances can result in restlessness, an unsettled feeling, light interrupted sleep, a tendency to over-exert, fatigue, constipation, anxiety, worry, being underweight. To balance do the opposite:

• take rest, be settled (meditation, meals in a settled atmosphere)
• better sleep (regular early bedtime and waking time)
• take it easy (no rushing, or being caught up in deadlines)
• be regular in daily routine (meals on time, sitting after lunch, time to properly digest before eating again)
• take Vata-balancing food (warm, moist, heavy, with Vata Balancing Spices Turmeric, Cumin, Fenugreek, Asafoetida)

Five subdoshas of Vata

The five subdoshas of Vata Prana, Udana, Samana, Apana, Vyana - operate in specific areas of the body.

Prana Vata governs the head and its imbalance may result in respiratory disorders, cognitive problems, tension headaches, worry, anxiety, insomnia.

Udana Vata governs the tongue and throat. Imbalance may lead to disorders of speech and throat, and fatigue. Too much talking, or strain, or overwork, exacerbate Udana Vata. To bring balance have an occasional quiet time.

Samana Vata governs absorption and metabolism. Imbalance may result in weak or irregular digestion, anorexia, and bloating. Protect the digestive fire by being sensitive to when food is taken and stoke the fire with spices, such as ginger with lemon and salt before the meal.

Apana Vata governs elimination. If out of balance you may experience constipation, diarrhoea, gas, lower back pain, PMS, or prostate problems. To keep the elimination moving well, use Triphala regularly, take stewed fruit with a little ghee and get a short walk or light exercise.

Vyana Vata regulates circulation, so symptoms of imbalance can be high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, as well as nervous disorders. Recommendations to balance Vyana vata include regular oil massage, travelling comfortably (with your Vata Tea) and no rushing.

Products and advice for balancing Vata

Maharishi Ayurvedas herbal preparations include antioxidant supplements for scavenging free radicals, anti ageing products for the body, anti ageing skin care solutions, herbal preparations for bones and joints.

Our Self Care topics include arthritis prevention, holistic herbal menopause and perimenopause, effects of the ageing process on the skin, and many Ayurvedic health care advice articles relating to the biological changes with ageing.

Finally

During the Vata time of life you have more time to take good care of your health and to improve your quality of life using the health-supporting principles of Ayurveda.

For a summary of what Maharishi Ayurveda has to offer, we can recommend our brochure Ayurveda in a Nutshell and can send you our free 68-page catalogue, full of useful advice and products. These can be requested by phone at 01695 51015, or online. Request Free Catalogue

We also email a monthly Ayurveda newsletter and special offer supplement, to which you may subscribe.

Request Newsletter