Ayurvedic Doshas in Pregnancy: The Vata Edition

Three practical ways to ground yourself during pregnancy.

What is Ayurveda and the three doshas?

Ayurveda is the science of life. This ancient, holistic medical science offers guidance and study to the life within us and our relationship to the life around us. This South Asian system is thousands of years old and is rooted in understanding your own constitution and how to live in harmony with your environments and yourself.

Note: While everyone is born with a unique constitution (or make up) of Vata or Pitta and Kapha, remember that your dominant dosha is not your “identity”. Each person has all the doshas and elements of nature within them, and they can increase and decrease throughout each season, phases of our lives, and even at different times of the day!

What is vata dosha, and how can it show up in pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a season of profound transformation for the mind, body and soul. Thus, vata, the dosha that rules change, movement, and irregularity, naturally increases during pregnancy because it embodies the qualities that pregnancy brings.

Vata dosha consists of two elements: air and space. Consider the qualities of air, and how its nature is to move, be light, and shift. Think of the qualities of space, how it allows for things to flow through it and how it can provide freedom - like being able to take a deep, relieving breath.

The key is to remember that the qualities of vata are just that - qualities. They are neither good nor bad, and the way they manifest in each person is different. For example, one person’s vata imbalance may show up as anxiety, while another person’s may show up as hip pain.

Properties of Vata

Reflect on all the functions that are located in your lower belly - bowel movements, urination, labor, reproductive fluids, menstrual blood, etc., and how they are all functions of elimination!

Physical:

Excess Vata has a myriad of ways of manifesting in the physical body during pregnancy.

You may notice increased stiffness, and creakiness in your joints. You may also experience pain in areas like your back or knees, all of which can be signs that excess vata is present.

Constipation during pregnancy is common, as digestion can slow down and excess vata can create more internal dryness, as well as tension in the lower back and pelvic floor.

Mild shortness of breath can also occur as your pregnancy evolves, especially as your baby grows and there is increased pressure on the diaphragm (the muscle that moves up and down to help you breathe deeply!).

Mental and Emotional:

Because one of the locations of vata is the mind & nervous system, the “quickness” quality of vata can also relate to the excessive movement of the mind. Anxiety and ruminating thoughts are common symptoms during pregnancy (of course heightened by the fact that your life is already going through immense change!).

The planning, organization, and continuous to-do lists that evolve throughout each trimester is natural and understandable, though dwelling on it in excess can impact your ability to be present and focus.

Pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting in today’s world can bring up fears and worries about the future, and as vata increases, excessive worrying can be a factor of nervous system dysregulation.

Our 3 recommended ways to pacify vata during pregnancy:

In mainstream Western wellness culture, Ayurveda is typically presented as a food based wellness system in which you’re given a list of foods to eat and avoid. While food can play an important part in balancing your doshas, integrating the above qualities can offer a more expansive and fulfilling experience.

Bring in the opposite qualities of vata dosha into your daily life:

Consider including qualities like Heaviness, Slowness, Grounding & Stability to counteract excess vata.

A few ways to bring in the opposite qualities of vata are:

Organize your living or workspace to have less clutter, warm lighting, and less stimulating noise.
Create pockets of time throughout the day for a few minutes of quiet and less distractions.
Start and/or end your day with a warm cup of water or herbal tea
Spend a few minutes journaling before bed to release anything - from your day or worries on your mind.
Eat warm, cooked foods and drink warm beverages to support digestion

Connect with your pelvic floor:

The pelvic floor is one of the main locations of vata, and can carry considerable tension for pregnant folks as the belly expands, especially if you have experienced chronic tightness and/or pain in the pelvic floor prior to pregnancy.

The downward flow of birthing is a vata function, therefore supporting and relaxing the pelvic floor will support the labor experience!

Practice intentional exhale focused breathing (check out a practice by Melissa here!) in postures that feel restful to you and allow for your belly to relax. Bringing awareness to the exhale supports your body’s inherent ability to soften and let go. Long, smooth exhales also help to reduce anxiety and ruminating thoughts. As you practice this, Repeat to yourself: “Let go and release”.
Gentle pelvic tilts (either standing or lying down) can help increase flexibility in your lower back and pelvic floor, which can encourage blocked vata to flow freely..

Practice exploring what you can release!

In a season of life when the to-do list can feel neverending, and the state of the world can ignite anxiety around what it means to be a parent, continuously practicing releasing and letting go is more important than ever. Could it be an activity that no longer resonates with you? People who are triggering the feeling that you’re not doing enough? Releasing tension and tightness in different areas of your body?

Practice releasing expectations with regular tasks like going to the bathroom! Straining and putting undue pressure on your body can increase the risk of hemorrhoids as well as your frustration. Try the following releasing exercising:

Sit on the toilet and first perform a brief body scan from head to toe simply observing sensations that you may be experiencing both externally and internally, without judgment.
Take 2-3 slow exhales and try to relax the belly. Visualize where the bladder and bowel are located and imagine them emptying. Let go of any tension as best as you can.
Send a little message of gratitude to your body and all its incredible parts and functions!

How to begin! Expecting: Meditation Program

From our extensive experience in working with pregnant and postpartum folks, one of the challenges we’ve seen is finding wellness practices that resonate with you and see you for the wholeness that you are. This is why we created the Expecting Meditation Program, to affirm your unique experience and all those who haven’t felt seen in pregnancy and postpartum wellness spaces. This program draws from generations of ancestral wisdom and combines it with a compassionate understanding of the challenges of being pregnant and postpartum in today’s world.

TL:DR: Pregnancy can be hard, and building a meditation practice can allow for more glimpses of calm, connectedness, and attunement to your body. Don’t forget, you exist as more than a vessel, and having accessible practices are key to support your whole wellbeing.

Learn more about our Expecting Meditation Program here.

DOWNLOAD OUR MEDITATION PROGRAM!