In early 2025, there was a publication online by Stanford Medicine explaining how gut health is linked to overall brain functionality. Stanford Medicine called the gut a second brain, as the gut also has neurons.
In December 2025, ScienceDirect added that bacteria Bacillus (like Lactobacillus in yogurt and fermented food) in our diet is not only connected to gut health—it also improves brain functionality by improving gut health.
In other words, how our gut health controls our brain’s efficiency.
It perfectly matches with the principle of Ayurveda—doshas and how their imbalance affects our overall health. Dosha describes what you have in your body—a large intestine that reaches your gut eventually.
I heard this term in my childhood from a rural Vaidya who was living next door: “Oh, that person has ‘Vichar-Vayu’; do this, this, and this—he will be alright.”
I always wondered what that ‘Vichar-Vayu’ meant.
After studying ‘Charak Samhita,’ I understood the term and meaning of. “Vichar” means “thought,” and “Vayu” means “air.” Vichar-Vayu means mental disturbance caused by Vata imbalance.
Related Presentation
If you prefer listening, this 14‑minute talk from a regional Ayurveda conference explains vichaar vayu beautifully. I’ve added a simple summary below so you can absorb it at your own pace.
This talk explains vichaar vayu — the movement of Vata in the mind that affects thoughts, clarity, and emotional steadiness.
When it becomes imbalanced, it shows up as restlessness, overthinking, worry, and scattered focus.
The speaker also shares how gentle abhyanga helps calm Vata under the skin and sends a soothing signal to the brain, supporting a steadier, more grounded mind.
Yes, Vata dosha is the main culprit behind all brain problems—mainly any issues caused by vagus nerve malfunctioning. Other than that, Vata imbalance also causes gut-related issues.
I would say another link between gut health and brain health is Vata dosha.
Vata in the Mind (Vichār‑Vāyu): When Thoughts Start Moving Too Fast
In Ayurveda, Vata doesn’t only move through the body — it also moves through the mind. When this movement becomes irregular or excessive, it’s called vichār‑vāyu, the subtle form of Vata that governs thoughts, ideas, imagination, and mental speed.
A little movement keeps you creative and intuitive. But when Vata rises too high, that movement becomes scattered, jumpy, or overwhelming.
Vichār‑vāyu shows up in everyday life more often than we realize. It’s the feeling of having too many tabs open in your mind, jumping from one thought to another without finishing the first.
It’s the sudden rush of ideas at night when you want to sleep. It’s the overthinking that spirals into worry, or the mental restlessness that makes it hard to stay present.
Ayurveda describes this as the mind being “lifted by the wind” — light, fast, and easily unsettled.
This kind of Vata imbalance in the mind often begins quietly. A few irregular meals, disrupted sleep, too much screen time, or a stressful week can be enough to push Vata upward.
Once it rises, digestion feels lighter or more sensitive, sleep becomes lighter, and the mind becomes busier. The body may still feel grounded, but the mind feels like it’s moving ahead of you.
The good news is that vichār‑vāyu responds quickly to grounding routines. Warm meals, predictable rhythms, gentle touch, and calming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or ghee‑based drinks help bring the mind back into the body.
Even small rituals — a warm shower before bed, a slow walk after meals, or a few minutes of deep breathing — can settle the mental wind and restore clarity.
Understanding vichār‑vāyu helps you see that mental restlessness isn’t a flaw or a lack of discipline.
It’s simply Vata asking for steadiness. When you support the mind with warmth, routine, and nourishment, the thoughts slow down, the breath deepens, and the inner space becomes calm again.
How to balance Vata
We show multiple symptoms of Vata imbalance; however, it may differ from person to person. Everyone has different Prakriti, and so every body reacts differently to certain imbalances.
Balancing Vata isn’t a one‑size‑fits‑all process.
Here are general methods that help calm Vata overall, but the specific way to bring Vata back into balance always depends on the root cause of the imbalance—whether it’s digestion, stress, sleep, travel, cold weather, or irregular routines.
Each cause needs its own approach, its own rhythm, and sometimes its own recipe or practice.
I’ll be sharing these one by one in upcoming posts so you can understand not just how to pacify Vata, but how to match the solution to the exact trigger behind your symptoms.
Eat regular meals:
👉 Vata gets aggravated in an empty stomach as well as overeating. That means small, healthy meals, as per your needs, are significant to balance Vata.
👉 Do not fast or stay hungry for longer, even if you start intermittent fasting; start with minimum hours at first and increase fasting window hours gradually.
Walk around:
👉 People with Vata imbalance may not have that energy to do HIIT or any extensive exercises. Go for a walk or add a few minutes more to your walking schedule.
👉 Do chores or just walk around in the house.
👉 If you are doing desk work, get up in your breaks and walk around a few times a day.
Include healthy fats
👉 Fat pacifies Vata; include good fats in your diet like ghee, coconut oil, Avocado.
Drink more water
👉 Drink warm water, or room-temperature water at least. Do not drink cold drinks or drinks with ice; favor warm teas.
Limit beans and legumes:
👉 Use beans and legumes in the midday meal; avoid them at dinner to minimize the Vata.
👉 Add spices like black pepper or carom seeds while cooking dry beans or legumes.
Favor cooked vegetables:
👉 Use cooked vegetables more and raw vegetables less in your diet.
👉 Cook them with ghee or coconut butter for added benefit.
Eat warm oatmeal—**cooked well.
**Cook 1/2 cup instant oatmeal in 1 cup water with a pinch of salt & a pinch of black pepper, three dates finely chopped, and a few walnuts. Add half a teaspoon of ghee before eating.
Recent gut–brain research and Ayurveda are surprisingly aligned: both recognize that the gut and mind are deeply connected, and both show that when digestion becomes irregular, the nervous system follows.
Modern studies highlight how changes in the microbiome, stress, and digestive overload can disrupt gut–brain signaling.
Ayurveda describes the same pattern through Vata imbalance. The language is different, but the insight is the same
Vata Mobility
Even though Vata originates from the bottom half of our body, it affects the upper body more. In general, air moves up, the same way air in the body moves up too. It feels like an ache in the stomach when it is trapped in the intestine between heavy food.
Based on the same principle, hiccups can be alleviated with this trick:
- Bend down from your west.
- Sip water slowly while in that position.
- Take 4–5 sips, wait 4–5 minutes, and stand up.
- Repeat these steps a few times if you are comfortable or until hiccups are gone.
Vata dominance is more common in older people. If you noticed, grandparents are expelling (via fart or burp) air after dinner. As they age, their frequency increases.
How can they minimize it?
Brioveda Tips:
👉 Walk 10–20 minutes before dinner.
👉 Eat a very light and cooked dinner.
👉 Eat very slowly; chew every bite well.
👉 Stay upright for at least an hour (ideally three hours) after eating.
If you want to verify whether you have Vata dominance or not, take this Dosha quiz.
