Imbalance Is Not a Flaw: Understanding Your Body’s Signals Through Ayurveda and Science
Life isn’t built for perfect balance. It’s full of demands, responsibilities, stressors, and unexpected shifts. Whether it’s work, school, parenting, caregiving, grief, or just trying to get dinner on the table, most of us aren’t living in ideal conditions. That’s not a failure. That’s just reality.
In Ayurveda, imbalance isn’t a flaw, it’s a signal. It’s the body’s way of saying:
“Hey, I need a little help here.”
But too often, we treat imbalance like it’s a moral weakness, like if we were better we’d never feel scattered, sluggish, irritable, or anxious.
Let’s change that story. Let’s talk about imbalance with honesty, science, compassion, and hope.
What Is Imbalance in Ayurveda?
Your Prakriti is your original constitution, the unique blend of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha that was set at conception. It’s your Ayurvedic fingerprint. But your Vikriti is your state after conception. It arises due to the influence of lifestyle, environment, diet, seasonal changes, and more. Vikriti is not just a surface-level disturbance; its roots run deep.
According to Ayurveda and the Vedic tradition, imbalance stems from Pragya-aparadh (pronounced Praw-gee-yuh-aw-Paw-rod), the mistake of the intellect. Maharishi describes this as the loss or forgetting of Samhita (Sam-hee-tah), our inner wholeness. Through the pull of Maya, the dazzling diversity of the world, our awareness gets drawn outward and away from its source. It’s not that the Self is lost; it’s just forgotten. This disconnection gradually pulls us out of alignment with natural law. We don't stray because we mean to. We simply lose our inner compass.
The result is a misalignment in thought, speech, and action, and over time, the doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) fall out of sync. This is the deeper meaning of Vikriti: an imbalance in the field of consciousness that becomes expressed in the body and mind.
Healing is the journey back to memory. Back to Samhita. Back to the wholeness that was never truly lost.
Here’s the key:
imbalance is temporary.
It’s fluid.
It’s fixable.
But only if we understand what it looks and feels like.
How Each Dosha Looks in Imbalance
Vata Imbalance may look like anxiety, forgetfulness, poor sleep, dry skin, bloating, constipation, headaches, pain, or feeling “ungrounded.”
Pitta Imbalance often shows up as irritability, inflammation, acid reflux, diarrhea, red & inflamed skin, inability to fall asleep, impatience, or burnout.
Kapha Imbalance might feel like fatigue, depression, congestion, sluggish digestion, greed or hoarding, or resistance to change.
Too often, we mistake these imbalances for personality traits. “I’m just an anxious person.” “I’ve always had a short fuse.” “I’m naturally lazy.” These aren’t truths., they’re adaptations. They’re signs you’ve been carrying more than your body is built for.
The Science of Chronic Stress and Why It Matters
Recently, I spoke with a friend who’s highly educated in health and wellness. They know the benefits of meditation, movement, nourishing food, and rest. But life has thrown them off balance, and they haven’t been able to keep up with their usual practices. They were being really hard on themselves.
So I reminded them of something crucial:
when the body is under chronic stress, it shifts into survival mode.
Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline flood the system. When this happens repeatedly, the body starts conserving energy by shutting down “nonessential” functions, like the logical thinking of the prefrontal cortex. Decision-making becomes reactive instead of thoughtful. The part of your brain that makes rational, aligned choices goes offline.
This pattern has a name: the Stress-Induced Deliberation-to-Intuition (SIDI) model. Under pressure, we revert to habitual behaviors because it requires less mental effort. The brain chooses what feels familiar, even if it isn't aligned with our goals.
That’s why you’ll reach for cake instead of a salad on a hard day. That’s why routines crumble when you’re overwhelmed. That’s not a failure. That’s your body doing its best to survive.
For more on the effects of stress on the body I highly suggest reading "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" by Robert Sapolsky. It is a great and scientific deep dive into why chronic stress, well...sucks.
Healthy Isn’t Binary. It’s a Spectrum
Now that you understand the ancient wisdom and modern science behind stress you also need to know this...
Health isn’t a checkbox. It’s not “you’re either doing everything right or you’re failing.” We need to let go of the all-or-nothing mindset.
Health is a spectrum. And doing one small thing, like drinking warm water throughout the day, breathing for a minute, or choosing veggic sticks over chips, is a win.
So if you haven’t been eating perfectly or meditating daily, please hear this: you’re not failing. You are in a moment. And that moment will pass. Progress isn’t made in perfection. It’s made in presence. It’s made every time you choose to listen to what your body needs and offer it a little kindness instead of judgment.
A Somatic Awareness Practice: Listening to the Body’s Whisper
Imbalance doesn’t always speak in words. Sometimes it shows up as tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, a restless belly, or a heaviness in the chest.
The body carries what the mind won’t say out loud.
By tuning into those sensations, you can begin to understand what your body is asking for.
Try this simple exercise:
Pause and find stillness.
Sit or lie down in a comfortable, quiet space. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.Take 3 deep breaths.
Inhale slowly through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Let your belly rise and fall. Let yourself arrive.Scan your body.
Gently bring your attention from the crown of your head down to your toes. Don’t rush. Ask:
Where do I feel tension? What feels dull, heavy, or tight? What feels open, warm, or alive?Notice without fixing.
Choose one area that calls your attention. Just sit with it. What is this part of your body trying to tell you? Is it asking for movement, rest, nourishment, release?Respond with kindness.
Place your hand over that area and take one more deep breath. Say to yourself:
“I hear you. I’m here.”
Let this practice be a conversation, not a correction. Over time, you’ll begin to rebuild trust with your body, and you’ll start to catch the whispers before they become cries.
You Are Allowed to Be In Progress
There is nothing shameful about needing time. About starting again. About adjusting what health looks like depending on the season you’re in.
You are not behind. You are not broken. You are not a problem to fix.
Imbalance is not failure.
It’s just your body waving a flag and asking for your attention.
Start small. Be gentle. Begin again.
Homework: The First Step Toward Balance
As I write in my book Breaking the Cycle: Identifying & Removing the Habits That Hold You Back, you can’t change what you can’t see. The very first step in reclaiming your balance is awareness.
So here’s your invitation:
Start noticing. Without judgment, begin to track what throws you off and what brings you back. What drains you? What restores you? When do you feel most yourself?
Journal Prompt: Where in my life am I feeling off balance? What are the habits, environments, or patterns contributing to this?
Don’t rush into fixing. Just start to see. Awareness is the beginning of every transformation.
If you want more support, structure, and encouragement in this process, Breaking the Cycle walks you through it step by step. You can find it on my website and through the link in my bio.
References
American Psychological Association. (2021, October). Stress in America 2021: Stress and decision-making during the pandemic. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2021/october-decision-making
Kanbara, K., & Fukunaga, M. (2016). Links among emotional awareness, somatic awareness and autonomic homeostatic processing. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 10(16). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-016-0059-3
The Decision Lab. (n.d.). How stress redesigns decision making. https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/health/stress-redesigns-decision-making
Walden University. (n.d.). How stress impacts decision making. https://www.waldenu.edu/online-masters-programs/ms-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/resource/how-stress-impacts-decision-making
Well+Good. (n.d.). Anxiety and decision-making: How stress impacts your brain. https://www.wellandgood.com/anxiety-stress-decision-making
Yu, R. (2016). Stress potentiates decision biases: A stress-induced deliberation-to-intuition (SIDI) model. Neurobiology of Stress, 3, 83–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2015.12.006
