Dosha Specific Meditation Recommendations

Meditation is perhaps the most profound way to bring a sense of balance and peace into your life. So, why does meditation leave so many of us feeling stressed out, frustrated, or overwhelmed? We often feel that way because we are trying to meditate in a way that does not draw on the inherent qualities of our true nature. In the same way our physical yoga practice should be adjusted to work with our dosha, so too should our meditation practice. Put a kapha predominant person in yoga nidrā and their mind is likely to feel too dull to focus, sit a vata predominant person in a quiet vipaśyanā meditation and they’ll most definitely get distracted, ask a pitta predominant person to practice walking meditation and they might just turn it into a race to see how quickly they can finish. If you want to find ease and sustainability in your meditation practice try matching your practice to your dosha.

VATA:

A great meditation technique to try if you are vata predominant is japa meditation. Japa is rhythmic repetition of mantra as a point of focus. Traditionally mālā beads would be used to count the number of repetitions, but you can set a timer and just repeat your mantra until your timer goes off if you don’t own a set of mālā beads. You can choose any mantra or prayer that resonates with you, but one of my favorites is the mantra “so ham” (pronounced so-hum). So ham means, “I am that”. Simply repeat the phrase rhythmically in your head or out loud while focusing your attention on the mantra.

Why this works well for vata: Japa meditation is ideal for vata predominant people or those experiencing elevated vata. The rhythmic, repetitive nature of japa meditation soothes vata, and helps to provide a container for her airy, etheric qualities.

PITTA:

Pitta predominant people can benefit from yoga nidrā. The Sanskrit word nidrā means “sleep”, so this type of meditation is often called yogic sleep. Yoga nidrā is a guided meditation practiced lying down in savasana. It’s best to practice yoga nidrā with a recording to guide you, but once you’ve learned the template of the practice you can guide yourself through a short nidrā.

Why this works well for pitta: Pitta predominant people, or those experiencing elevated pitta need a practice that will be calming and relaxing, and that doesn’t present any way to “compete”. Fiery pitta can easily burn out and benefits greatly from rest. Practicing while lying down is perfect for pacifying pitta.

KAPHA:

Kapha predominant folks can try walking meditation. This active form of meditation provides the stimulation that kapha needs to get motivated. Simply find a spot to walk, and then slowly and mindfully place your feet with each step. Focus on slowly lifting, swinging, and placing one foot at a time. This article by Thich Nhat Hahn beautifully describes walking meditation and its benefits.

Why this works well for kapha: Due to kapha’s heavy and dull qualities seated and/or lying meditation is not stimulating enough for kapha dosha. Rather than focusing the mind, kapha predominant people tend to build dullness in the mind when they are still. Walking meditation is a stimulating, yet soothing way to pacify kapha and help bring a more etheric quality to the mind.