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Money and Your Ayurvedic Type:
How the Doshas influence your financial style
Did
you know that your "dosha" (physical constitution) has an influence on
how you handle your finances? Your primary dosha will have a
significant impact on your default mode when it comes to money, in
addition to the influence of how your parents managed their finances.
(To find out what your type is, click here to download your free copy
of the ebook "Ayurveda Basics.")
Spending Habits of Vata, Pitta, Kapha
In
general, people who are predominantly Vata may have a hard time holding
onto money. When money comes in, Vata has a tendency to want to
immediately send it on its way. Movement is quality of Vata, so vata
individuals will have a strong urge to keep the money moving, often to
the detriment of their savings account. If the Vata dosha is
"deranged," with its attendent confusion and spaciness and lack of
focus, they may not pay close attention to their bank balances or pay
bills on time due to scattered thinking. With its qualities of
lightness, Vata does not liked to be weighed down with too many
possessions or too much to keep track of; this is especially true if
they see money management as a big responsibility. This is not to say
they won't buy a lot of things, but they may constantly be rearranging
their possessions, discarding some things, and acquiring new items.
Pitta-type
individuals are often good in business, overseeing and managing
others. They may have a tendency to be workaholics due to excess Fire,
but on the upside, they make their money work for them and are often
good investors and business people. They are goal-oriented and can get
overly focused on the competitive aspect of making money just for the
sake of making money, rather than on how the business serves the needs
of their customers. When Pittas go into debt, it's often because
they're overly focused on a goal and are not seeing the bigger
picture. Pittas are the risk-takers of the three doshic types and are
most likely to lose money due to taking chances on uncertain
investments, although sometimes this bold thinking pays off
Kaphas
when out of balance may fall into greed, wanting to have as many
possessions and as much money as possible. On the plus side, Kapha
types can be great savers, planning ahead for retirement and making
good, relatively nonrisky investments. Kaphas also can be very
generous by nature, giving money to charities out of their natural
tendency to nurture.
You
can see how these different financial styles could wreak havoc in a
relationship. Pittas would be driven crazy by Vata's spending habits,
and Vatas could be frightened by the boldness or single-mindedness of
Pitta. Kaphas are more mellow, but would probably feel hounded by Vata
and Pitta to "do more" with their money (like spend it or invest it).
How can this knowledge of the doshas help you manage your money more wisely?
If
you're a Vata person, calming Vata with lifestyle and proper diet
steadies the mind. This time of year especially, stay warm and out of
cold drafts, eat warm, lightly spiced foods at regular mealtimes with
no distractions. Meditation and light exercise calm Vata nerves.
Take
a deep breath or two, set aside a time each day and each week to go
over your financial situation, and create a plan. You may need to meet
with a financial counselor, someone who can be objective about your
situation, or perhaps work with a coach to have someone to check in
with as you make changes in how you handle money.
Make
money management a priority. Be aware of how much is in your checking
account on a daily basis, and how much is in your wallet. Create a
system for paying bills (twice a month, once a week, whatever works
best) and stick to it. Avoid credit card debt like the plague it is,
and "pay yourself first." This means putting a percentage into savings
or investments before paying your other bills. After a time, you'll
feel calmer because you'll be more organized and the stress of late
bills, late charges, and trying to do holiday shopping without knowing
how much you truly have to spend will be a thing of the past.
If
you're a Pitta, you need to relax a little. Take the time during this
winter season to reprioritize, making sure your business and financial
decisions are in line with your true core values. Refocus on why
you're in business or in your job. How does it serve others? Does
your work have meaning for you? Why?
I
invite you to play with the idea that money is a form of energy -- we
as a society have deeply held agreements that place specific values on
it. At its best, it's a tool of exchange that allows us to place
definitive boundaries on our time and energy. At it's worst, we judge
our inherent value by how much of it we can bring in to our bank
account. We agree to spend time (that we won't ever get back) working
for others in exchange for it. Without this huge agreement that's
attached to it, money is just metal and paper.
Is metal and
paper worth making someone else feel like a loser? Is it worth raising
your blood pressure and giving you headaches? Money is an incredible
tool to manifest our life purpose, to use our skills for the benefit of
others and to provide ourselves and our families with the necessities
of life. We need to keep all aspects of earning, saving and spending money in perspective.
The
best thing Pittas can do this winter to balance their dominant dosha is
take time to deepen your friendships, be social, get involved with
community projects, and play. This will boost your creativity and
recharge your batteries, so when spring comes, you're ready and rarin'
to go. It will also deepen and expand your business and social
network. This is important for Pittas who tend to want complete
control -- allow some teamwork to come into play so you and others
derive more benefit than if you're doing everything on your own.
On
the other hand, Kaphas are already pretty mellow and involved with
others. Financially speaking, Kaphas need to create a specific
intention for how they manage their money. Take the time to focus on
making your spending and saving habits reflect your values, and then
take action on these plans.
The Doshas and Debt
Of the three doshas, Kapha may be the most
likely to fall into credit card debt due to greed. If you're in debt
in this way, use tax season to reflect on how this
happened. Reorganize how you track your expenses and income. Be willing to be ruthlessly honest with yourself about your
spending patterns. There are many books available about how to do
this. When you create a plan, draw upon the positive Kapha tendency to
save, and make sure you pay yourself first each month. You might also
consider meeting with or hiring a Pitta financial coach who can
motivate you to take appropriate action. To balance Kapha which can be
challenging in the early spring months, make sure you stay warm, and get
a lot of vigorous exercise (health and medical advice from your doctor
permitting). Eat hot, spicy meals, and avoid cold, sugary foods at all
cost.
Pittas are most likely to get into debt because they may want instant
gratification. Instead of having the patience to save up for
something, credit cards allow them to have it right now, which is
highly satisfying to Pitta. Pittas need to develop more of Kapha's
patience, and use Vata-type creativity to make do until the object of
desire is truly available to them. Pittas can draw on their
hard-working, goal-oriented nature to make it happen and the reward
will be that much greater.
Vatas get into debt because they may have a hard time keeping proper
track of their money and simply don't want to deal with it to the
extent one must. This is where teaming up with the strong suites of
Pitta and Kapha will help them. Pitta, to coach and teach them, and
Kapha to help calm them down. Vatas may use credit cards out of the
fear that if they don't grab it now, they'll never have it. Vatas are
also natural optimists and will think, "I'll buy it now, and I'll pay
it off next month, no problem!" assuming they have enough in the bank.
Although
I've done a lot of reading and study about debt and money management,
I'm not an expert. These are ideas to show you how Ayurveda can be
applied in all areas of life. When this concept of money management
and the doshas clicked for me, I realized how much Vata was running my
life. I encourage you, whatever your doshic type, to pay extra
attention to money in the upcoming year. As a culture, with our
extraordinary focus on consumption of goods and immediate
gratification, we as a nation and as individuals have gone into a debt,
the amount of which would have absolutely staggered our ancestors. As
they say, change begins at home, and peace begins within each
individual. It will take the desire for movement and change from Vata,
the focus and determination of Pitta, and the endurance and stamina of
Kapha to turn this around.
Wishing you health and prosperity,
Jan Fiore
Important disclaimer:
All
information contained on this website is educational, given for
purposes for self-care only and is not meant to take the place of
standard medical treatment.
Ms. Fiore does not diagnose or prescribe
but offer information about alternative healing philosophies, leaving
the choice of how this information is used up to the individual. The
product descriptions on this web page contain information on the
traditional healing properties and uses of various plants.
This information has not been evaluated
by the FDA and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, but
only to apprise the reader of some of the many applications of the
Ayurvedic healing system and other holistic approaches, the possible
uses of plants, herbs and products for wellness.
The information and products listed on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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