Breath--

--I practice Hatha yoga related to the Sivananda school. My teacher's teacher is Satyananda, of Bihar school, a disciple of Sivananda.

--I am way Vata.

--And yes, regular Asana practice of a slow, measured, strength-building postures and vinyasas is very beneficial. So long as it is complimented by regular schedule, lots of sleep, and an appropriate diet.

hope that helps!

Hey Breath,
great to meet another Vata! (I am a vata -pitta to be exact)
Most vatas (if expereincing an increase of this constitution) will be reading this late at night-drawn in by the light of the screen but also the vast and infinite ideas and imaginitive playgrounds on tribe:) *so much inspiration- so litttle time--who needs sleep?? ;) Vatas embody the nature of idea, imagination, intuition, ideals, psyche, the 'unseen' etc. it is also the nature of movement (whether in the bodily processes, in the mind, in nature's processes etc.)\
That being said, my study of Ayurvedic Philosophy (and very beginner practical understanding of it) has led me to the wisdom of listening to your body for the answers.
For example: when you try a yoga tradition...are you overheating? is your mind quietened at the end?, do you feel unified or exhausted, or relatively unchanged? etc.
I have read an article that details how one can practise yoga according to their constitution...Vatas needing more meditative and fluid yoga asanas, Pittas (Fire) needing cooling ones that dont aggravate fire and Kapha (Earth/Water) asanas that stimulate and move and are generally more vigorous in order to unite the mind and body. It is my experience that the best practise encompasses all energies to varying degrees.
So, choosing a practise is simply aligned with the belief system and general nature of the energy archetypes who benefit from it. All you have to do is know your constitution first!
If ayone is interested, I will go find those notes and pass them on... for now I am using my good friend's book: the Sivananda Companion to Yoga printed by The Sivananda Yoga Centre. I would like to practise with more people regularly, so if you are in Vancouver! :)

Also, I am happy to find your question about Sivananda yoga because, thankfully, as I started my search for a suitable yoga practise, I settled upon Satyananda yoga for this reason: Uniting the wisdom from all paths of yoga, accepting that individuals will resonate with one or a few branches over others, seemed the most inclusive and reasonable in nature, and also empowers the wisdom of listening to oneself and internalizing the wisdom developed by many devoted yogis.


For those who do not know, Swami Satyananda was a student of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh who has passed on the synthesized approach of this type of Integral yoga practise *encompassing Hatha, Raja, Mantra, Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, and Kriya yoga branches.
The course in this text is systematic, scientific, and all encompassing--it gives the background to breathing techniques and asanas and so much more- I highly recommend this book to anyone of any tradition: A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
One practise I find very useful for any constitution however especially for vatas Yoga Nidra- practise of deep relaxation. I find this balances out rigorous or heating asanas and is most effective in relaxing any attachments to thought, images, dreams to let them just pass through.

Id love to hear what you find most helpful in harmonizing your body/mind in your practise or any intuition on a more suited practise


namaste