Yoga and Ayurveda

Sister Sciences of Wellbeing

Yoga and Ayurveda are traditionally considered sister sciences - branches of the same Vedic tree. Where Ayurveda focuses primarily on the body and its health, Yoga addresses the mind and its liberation. Together, they form a complete system for human wellbeing at every level.

Complementary Purposes

Ayurveda aims to maintain and restore health in the body, creating the foundation for spiritual practice:

• Balance the doshas
• Optimize digestion
• Clear the channels
• Build ojas
• Prevent and treat disease

Yoga aims to still the mind and liberate consciousness:

• Quiet the vrittis
• Develop discrimination
• Cultivate dispassion
• Realize the Self
• Attain kaivalya

Neither is complete without the other. A diseased body cannot sit for meditation. A disturbed mind cannot maintain health.

Constitutional Yoga

Just as Ayurveda prescribes according to constitution, yoga practice should be modified for prakriti:

Vata Types

Challenges: Restlessness, anxiety, difficulty grounding, irregular practice

Recommended practices:

• Slow, steady asana with long holds
• Grounding, calming sequences
• Extended savasana
• Gentle, regular pranayama (avoid breath retention initially)
• Mantra and chanting
• Meditation with visualization or mantra (not empty focus)

Cautions:

• Avoid overly vigorous practice
• Don’t practice when depleted
• Maintain routine and consistency
• Keep warm during practice

Pitta Types

Challenges: Competitiveness, intensity, overheating, pushing too hard

Recommended practices:

• Cooling, lunar sequences
• Moderate pace, not competitive
• Forward folds and twists (cooling)
• Moon salutations rather than sun
• Sitali/sitkari pranayama (cooling breaths)
• Meditation on surrender and devotion

Cautions:

• Avoid overheating (hot rooms, midday practice)
• Let go of achievement orientation
• Practice with ease, not intensity
• Include restorative poses

Kapha Types

Challenges: Lethargy, resistance to practice, heaviness, attachment to comfort

Recommended practices:

• Vigorous, heating sequences
• Dynamic flow practices
• Chest openers, backbends (stimulating)
• Sun salutations
• Bhastrika, kapalabhati pranayama (activating)
• Active meditation (walking, mantra with movement)

Cautions:

• Don’t give in to inertia
• Practice in the morning (kapha time of day requires balancing)
• Include challenge and variety
• Keep practice stimulating

Addressing Imbalances

When a dosha is aggravated (vikriti differs from prakriti), practice can be therapeutic:

Vata Aggravation

Symptoms: Anxiety, scattered mind, insomnia, dryness, pain

Therapeutic yoga:

• Abhyanga (self-massage) before practice
• Very slow, gentle movement
• Long holds in supported poses
• Extended, slow pranayama
• Yoga nidra
• Warm, quiet environment

Pitta Aggravation

Symptoms: Irritability, inflammation, criticism, burning sensations

Therapeutic yoga:

• Cooling, calming practice
• Avoid midday sun and heat
• Forward folds, supported inversions
• Extended exhalation practices
• Meditation on peace and compassion
• Letting go of goals in practice

Kapha Aggravation

Symptoms: Depression, congestion, lethargy, weight gain

Therapeutic yoga:

• Vigorous, stimulating practice
• Early morning practice
• Chest-opening poses
• Inversions (stimulate thyroid)
• Activating pranayama
• Dynamic meditation

Seasonal Practice

Just as Ayurveda recommends seasonal routines (ritucharya), yoga practice should adapt:

Winter (Vata/Kapha Season)

• Practice indoors, warm room
• Vigorous practice to counter heaviness
• Warming pranayama
• Build practice gradually; don’t start cold

Spring (Kapha Season)

• Morning practice especially important
• Emphasize twists, backbends, chest openers
• Kapalabhati, bhastrika pranayama
• Detoxifying sequences

Summer (Pitta Season)

• Practice in morning or evening, avoid midday
• Gentler, cooling practices
• Moon salutations
• Sitali, sitkari pranayama
• Avoid overheating

Autumn (Vata Season)

• Establish consistent routine
• Grounding, stabilizing practices
• Oil massage before practice
• Warming but not depleting

Agni and Practice

Ayurveda emphasizes digestive fire; this has implications for yoga:

Practice timing:

• Practice before eating (empty stomach)
• Allow 2-4 hours after meals before practice
• Light eating after morning practice

Practice effects on agni:

• Moderate practice stimulates agni
• Excessive practice can exhaust it
• Twists and forward folds particularly support digestion
• Pranayama regulates metabolic fire

Prana: The Common Ground

Both sciences work with prana - the vital energy:

Ayurveda addresses prana through:

• Food (prasad, prana-rich food)
• Herbs (pranic medicine)
• Lifestyle (proper rest, right action)
• Treatment (massage, panchakarma)

Yoga addresses prana through:

• Pranayama (direct work with breath/prana)
• Asana (removes pranic blocks)
• Bandhas and mudras (direct pranic locks and seals)
• Meditation (refines pranic awareness)

When prana flows freely, both body and mind function optimally.

Integration in Practice

A truly Ayurvedic approach to yoga:

1. Know your constitution: Understand your prakriti and current vikriti

2. Adapt practice accordingly: Modify asana, pranayama, and meditation to address your needs

3. Consider timing: Practice at times that balance your constitution and the season

4. Observe effects: Notice how practice affects your doshas; adjust accordingly

5. Maintain balance: Don’t let yoga practice create imbalance (too vigorous, too heating, too depleting)

6. Support with diet and lifestyle: Yoga practice works best when supported by appropriate Ayurvedic living

The Complete System

Together, Yoga and Ayurveda address the whole person:

• Body: Ayurveda heals and maintains
• Energy: Both work with prana
• Mind: Yoga addresses mental fluctuations; Ayurveda supports mental health through body
• Spirit: Yoga leads to liberation; Ayurveda creates the vessel capable of that journey

When practiced together, these sister sciences form one of humanity’s most complete systems for living well and awakening fully.

Know Your Constitution

Understanding your Ayurvedic constitution transforms how you approach yoga practice. Take our free Prakriti Quiz to discover your dosha balance, or get the Personalized Prakriti Guide for detailed guidance on adapting practice to your constitution.