What is Kapha Dosha?

Kapha Dosha is composed of Earth and Water energies. Kapha Dosha is present in ALL of our bodies and serves many important functions. A Kapha constitution, however, means that you have predominantly Kapha Dosha present in your body, slightly stronger than Vata and Pitta Doshas. This manifests in different body characteristics which we will explore more here.

What does Kapha Dosha control in the body?

Kapha dosha is primarily responsible for structure and lubrication within the body. Earth and Water are grounding and stabilizing. The Earth element is a building block by which new tissues and cells can form within us. A few duties of Kapha Dosha are the following:

• It controls the initial phases of digestion with the saliva and the mucous lining of the stomach.
• It keeps the colon and cellular membranes from drying out, allowing a medium for nutrients to pass through.
• It is the source of lubrication in the joints.
• It provides the solid structure of the bones.
• It controls your sense of taste.
• It protects the spine, brain, and nervous with a fluid layer.
• It keeps your body at a healthy weight.
• It controls fertility.

On a subtler level, Kapha Dosha is related to “Ojas,” which is related to our immunity and strength. Without a healthy flow of Ojas, we would not be able to live a healthy, active, vibrant life. We would also not be able to forgive, stay present, and be mentally strong for all of life’s happenings.

How do I know if I am a Kapha constitution?

All five elements (Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth) are present within all of us. However, due to many factors such as our parents’ constitutions and body types, the time of conception, mother’s emotion during fetal development, and other influences, we are born with certain elements being more pronounced than others. Kapha Dosha has the following qualities:

• Stable
• Heavy
• Solid
• Cold
• Oily
• Cloudy
• Wet
• Soft

The “heavy/stable” qualities give Kapha types a larger build (“big-boned”), and they tend to be overweight. They have thick, oily, white skin with smooth texture that is cold to the touch. They tend to have large facial features, with bright whites in their eyes and large white teeth. They have thick, oily, curly hair.

They usually have one bowel movement a day and low appetites. They can easily skip a meal, but they can overeat when imbalanced. They are nurturers, motherly-like, grounded, trustworthy, jovial types who like to stick to a routine. They are your social workers, caretakers, volunteers, and stay-at-home parents. They can be resistant to change, but when they do change, they stick to it loyally. They also have great memory.

What happens when Kapha Dosha is out of balance?

When imbalanced, the Earth and Water elements can create feelings of heaviness, lethargy, edema, swelling, and congestion. It creates accumulations of fluid and tissue, which causes stagnation of flow of lymph, blood, and nutrients. Mentally, they can become possessive and greedy. If an excess of Kapha Dosha goes unchecked for many years, it can develop into diabetes, heart disease, lung disorders, endometriosis, and tumors.

How to find balance with a Kapha constitution?

Kapha types need to be energized with a diet that has Fire and Air elements, such as millet, raw/steamed cruciferous veggies, beans, corn, and rye. They can benefit from fasts and vigorous exercise to increase the heat in their bodies and melt away the excess Earth and Water. Great exercises for a Kapha type would be hot yoga, spinning, and cardio work.

You can find specific recipes to balance Kapha Dosha in the Recipe section !

Do you have a current Kapha imbalance?

If you are experiencing some of the symptoms of imbalance above, you may have an excess of Kapha Dosha in the system. There may also be several Doshas affected, which can cause Kapha Dosha to increase. If you would like to learn more about your constitution and how to balance your unique body type, sign up for my newsletter above to stay up to date on future E-books that will help each dosha find their unique balance through diet and lifestyle.