YOUR MIND & BODY TYPE IS AIR + FIRE (Vata + PITTA)
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In the AIR + FIRE type, AIR—which drives passion, creativity and adventure— combines with the action-oriented nature of FIRE—which goes through life with strong willpower. This type can also be described as the ‘creative leader’.
MIND
AIR + FIRE individuals are often described as fun, loving, passionate, creative and intense. They are generally intelligent, ambitious, full of ideas, and certainly love travel and adventure. They tend to have a light-hearted, bright and alert mind, a charismatic personality, and a well-developed sense of spirituality. They also love to learn and are both very insightful and highly capable of holding a big vision. When they have a vision, they are a go-getter, and know how to get things done. Although their intensity drives them, they also have a healthy enthusiasm for life that allows them to enjoy themselves along the way—as long as they take time to do so.
They are generally creative, but can also be impulsive and conflicted within. As a result they often put themselves under excessive pressure, which can lead to disappointment and burnout. When they are not careful, they often end up over-committed and/or over-extended, which can leave them feeling stressed, anxious, or depleted. Other imbalances they can experience include feeling ungrounded, with a lack of emotional security, insomnia, light-headedness and headaches.
BODY
The AIR + FIRE individuals have a small, trim, lean to medium frame, with a steady yet often, under-average weight. Their skin is dry, sensitive and prone to inflammatory conditions, freckles and moles. Their light, quick and agile body along with their competitive nature keeps them active and on the move. They tend to have a level of energy and stamina that their friends envy and that they enjoy putting to use in pursuing projects they deeply care about. Having said that, they can easily overestimate their reserves of strength and have a tendency to overexert themselves. When imbalanced, AIR + FIRE type is prone to insomnia, skin inflammation, digestion disorders at varying ends of the spectrum (both constipation and diarrhea), bloating, heartburn, migraines, low blood sugar, inadequate nourishment and restlessness.
HOW TO BALANCE AIR + FIRE
Ever wonder how to feel more balanced in your everyday? Ayurveda shows us that small lifestyle and diet changes can have a huge impact on our overall wellbeing.
Browse through the following guidelines to understand how to balance your AIR + FIRE Mind & Body Type. As you read through the suggestions below, keep in mind that no one expects you to shift your lifestyle and diet overnight. Slow and steady shifts are huge wins and, based on our experience, you’ll feel them right away.
PACIFYING LIFESTYLE
Food: What we eat is at the crux of our wellbeing so take a look at the food guidelines below and try to follow them as much as you can.
Daily routine: Try to instill a daily routine in your life to stay grounded. It may sound boring but AIR + FIRE types are the ones who can get off balance the easiest so they benefit from a lot of consistency in their life, it grounds their body and mind. E.g. try going to bed, waking up and eating at the same time everyday then you can make the stuff in between as exciting as you’d like!
Workouts: Keep workouts non-competitive with yoga, hiking, swimming, tai chi, or rowing.
Sleep: Make rest and sleep a priority – AIR + FIRE types need loads of sleep so getting 8 hours of sleep on average and having a bedtime routine can help. Read more: How to finally sleep better
Self-care: Nurture and self-care through daily Ayurvedic self-massage using oil… think of it as a replacement for applying body lotion after your shower. It is soothing and grounding for AIR + FIRE types. Read more: Self body massage with oil
Rest: Take a break with contemplative activities like meditation. AIR + FIRE types have a hard time resting but they should leverage their impressive ability to concentrate for giving their mind the break it needs to achieve their many goals without feeling burnt out.
Climate: Avoid extreme weather conditions like situations of intense cold, dry and windy conditions as well as excessive heat or humidity.
Eat 3 meals a day: Don’t skip meals, AIR + FIRE individuals needs three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be about the same size. They should not eat too much or too little. If you’re hungry 3 hours after a meal is that your portions were too light, if you’re still not hungry 6 hours after: then the meal was too heavy. Regular meals times is very important for this type. Snacking should be avoided between meals.
RECOMMENDED HERBS
Nourishing & grounding: Shatavari: Due to its heavy nature, it’s grounding and nourishing to AIR + FIRE individuals. These herbs be taken in the morning and in the evening.
Metabolism, digestion & elimination: Amalaki: detoxifies the GI tract by cleansing the colon, eliminating excess toxins and heat while supporting healthy bowel movements. These herbs can be taken upon waking and before bed.
Calm mind: Ashwagandha: increases energy while combatting stress and assisting in calming the mind for a restful sleep. These herbs can be taken in the morning and in the evening.
PACIFYING FOOD GUIDELINES
FAVOR
Sweet tastes: Eat naturally sweet & carbohydrate-rich foods. Not desserts and processed foods but ripe fruits, grains, root veggies, milk, zucchini, tapioca, squash, ghee, eggs, oils, nuts, cinnamon and lean meats are all grounding to an AIR + FIRE individual.
Cooked and warm over scolding hot or freezing cold foods: Raw and cold foods such as iced drinks, raw vegetables, and sushi are too difficult to digest for AIR + FIRE types. Favor warm soups, stews, Kitchari, hot cereals and cooked foods over salads or raw dishes.
Moist over dry: Avoid rice crackers, popcorn, dried fruit, granola and all things dry. Instead, enjoy a moderation of healthy fats like ghee, butter, oils, nut butters & avocados which will be stabilizing for AIR + FIRE types. Foods like berries, melons, summer squash, zucchini, and yogurt are also a great choice as they help to cool & hydrate AIR + FIRE individuals.
Grounding and nourishing over light: AIR + FIRE types are already light. They need foods with sustenance like cooked grains (oat, whole wheat, basmati rice, quinoa and amaranth), root vegetables, ripe fruits, nuts, and seeds. Similarly, stimulants such as caffeine, and alcohol should be minimized or avoided because they tend to undermine AIR + FIRE types’ need for grounded stability.
AVOID
Pungent tastes: Avoid spicy, hot foods like chilies, radishes, turnips and raw onions as they are very drying to the system and aggravate they hot qualities of FIRE and dry qualities of AIR. Also, avoid coffee as it over stimulates an naturally stimulated mind.
Bitter tastes: If you’re feeling dry & cold, especially in the Fall & Winter seasons, avoid bitter greens like kale or dandelion greens, sunchokes, eggplants and chocolate as they are all cooling, rough, drying and light – aggravating the AIR qualities of an AIR + FIRE individual.
Astringent tastes: Avoid unripe fruits, black beans, chickpeas, soybeans, raw apples, cranberries, artichokes, broccoli, rye, crackers as they are all drying and rough in nature.
Sour tastes: A squeeze of lemon juice, sour fruits like green grapes, oranges, grapefruits and pineapple could be too heating for AIR + FIRE types. Instead of lemon, use lime which is more cooling.
Salty tastes: Reduce foods with a salty taste - like salt, soy sauce, celery, tuna, seaweed, cottage cheese - especially in the Summer time as they can be too heating for your FIRE side.
*This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.