Movement as Medicine: Choosing the Right Yoga Style for Your Dosha + Day

How to intuitively choose between yin, hatha, vinyasa or breathwork based on how you feel, not what's trending

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What does movement as medicine mean?

• How I balance my yoga practice with my lifting routine
• The issue: So many women are stuck in movement routines that are based on trends, pressure, or what they “should” do.
• Introduce the idea of movement as medicine — a healing, seasonal, intuitive tool.
• Doshas + daily energy rhythms can guide their practice.

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Part 1: Why Movement Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All 

• What works for one woman may deplete another — Ayurveda helps us honor that.
• Yoga isn't just about strength or sweat — it's about balancing your energy.
• Talk about the difference between doshic balance and current fitness culture.
• Bring in the idea of tuning in daily: What do I need right now?

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Part 2: Dosha Overview & Movement Tendencies 

Vata (Air + Ether)

• Out of balance: anxious, scattered, fatigued, dry
• Tends to skip movement or overdo fast practices (HIIT, hot yoga)
• Best medicine: Grounding, warming, slow movement
  → Practice styles: Slow Hatha, Earthy Vinyasa, Restorative, Walking, Gentle Yin
  → Focus: Root down, build structure, stay present

Pitta (Fire + Water)

• Out of balance: irritable, inflamed, overachieving, burned out
• Tends toward overexertion (hot yoga, power flow, bootcamp)
• Best medicine: Cooling, softening, spacious practices
  → Practice styles: Yin Yoga, Cooling Breathwork, Moon Salutations, Gentle Hatha
  → Focus: Let go of competition, move with ease, stay cool

Kapha (Earth + Water)

• Out of balance: heavy, lethargic, stuck, unmotivated
• Tends to avoid movement or stick with super gentle practices only
• Best medicine: Invigorating, uplifting, dynamic movement
  → Practice styles: Invigorating Vinyasa, Dancing, Brisk Walking, Breath of Joy
  → Focus: Build heat, get unstuck, increase circulation

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Part 3: Tuning In Daily — How to Choose What You Need Today

• Ask: How do I feel right now — physically, mentally, emotionally?
• Offer a quick check-in ritual:
  → Energy level (1–10)
  → Emotions (anxious, irritable, tired, calm?)
  → Body sensations (tense, cold, heavy, energized?)

Movement Suggestions Based on Your Daily Energy:

Feeling	Practice
Overstimulated	Yin, Pranayama, Yoga Nidra
Lethargic	Vinyasa, brisk walk, dancing
Hot/fiery	Cooling moon salutes, left nostril breathing
Ungrounded	Slow hatha, gentle weights, walking
Unmotivated	10 minutes of intuitive movement (just start!)

• It's time to release the rules and move based on internal cues, not guilt.

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Part 4: What If You Only Have 10 Minutes?

• Mini movement medicine options:
  • 10-minute cooling breathwork for pitta days
  • 10-minute intuitive dance or kapha-pacifying flow
  • 10-minute grounding yin pose + breath
  • 10-minute walk with a mantra

Your practice doesn’t have to be long to be effective. It just has to be aligned.

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Closing 

• Experiment this week: Try choosing your movement each day based on how you feel — not what you planned.
• I have a 3 day Mini-Cool-down challenge coming on July 22nd-24th and it's totally free! I built this with my fellow pitta doshas in mind to stay grounded and calm all summer long!