Doshas, in Ayurveda, are elemental energy types which are believed to circulate the body and regulate much of our physiological, mental, and emotional processes. In Ayurveda, it is believed that a person’s health is largely based on individual doshas. Every person is governed by a unique ratio of these three doshas. If you want to figure your dosha type, I would recommend taking this quiz: https://chopra.com/dosha-quiz
Of the 3 Ayurvedic doshas, Vata types embody the elements of air and ether. When balanced, those who are Vata types are creative, enthusiastic, adaptable, and inspired. When unbalanced – the light, adaptable and airy qualities of vata dosha increase excessively; this tends to manifest as restlessness, high anxiety, spacey behavior and disorganization.
To combat imbalance and soothe the jittery, overactive mind, it is beneficial to establish a comfortable rhythm or reliable routine. We’ve talked about how to pacify Vata imbalance through nutrition in our previous article “Staying Vibrant for Vata Season: Tips on how to Stay Balanced!”, in this article we will discuss Mantra meditation as an additional pacification tool.
As a Vata type myself, I find the rhythmic repetition of mantra helps to slow a racing mind and increase attentibility and overall focus. A string of beads, similar in purpose to a rosary, termed ‘mala’ in Sanskrit is helpful for tracking mantra repetitions. The beads on a mala acts as a tangible anchor as we repeat the repetition of the mantral several times over. Even without the use of the beads, we can repeat the mantra for any given period of time until we are aided into deep, focused relaxation.
Try this simple mantra:
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
This mantra can help center and focus your mind, body, and spirit once again. Repeating “shanti” in the Pali language when repeated three times symbolizes one’s mind, body, and spirit.
To go even simpler you can also try:
Om
Om is believed to be the sound of the universe and the original vibration of all life. It is believed to even be the sound of birth, death, and re-birth. Simply repeating Om helps to ease racing thoughts.
If you’re just beginning, try meditating on your selective mantra chant for about 10 minutes and dedicate the later 5 minutes to complete silence. You can speak the chant outloud or repeat it silently in your head. Extend the chant and meditation for as long as needed.