‘Even though I slept 12 hours, I’m still tired. I don’t feel like doing anything or seeing anyone. Also, please don’t throw out that thing I haven’t used in 2 years I might use it someday.’

This is a Kapha imbalance. Lethargic, melancholy, and attached to something they most likely will never use. 

We need more balanced Kapha’s

The world needs more balanced Kapha’s. They truly are the rare creatures we need more of to balance out us Vata’s and Pitta’s.

Earth and water are the elements of Kapha. When mixed together what do they create? Mud.

If you think about the qualities of mud what comes to mind?

Cool, heavy, dense, slow, smooth, and oily. 

A Kapha (very slowly) walks into a bar

Kapha’s are known for their non-intentional slowness. My husband has a lot of Kapha, and my Pitta self can get a little aggravated when it takes us 5 minutes to leave a parking space. He pauses, finds a good song on Spotify, fixes the temperature, chats a bit, and then we leave. Me – my car is in reverse before I have my seatbelt on! Just kidding, I don’t recommend that.

Kapha’s are slow and methodical which is why us fast doers like Vata and Pitta need this energy to balance us out!

Kapha’s have the largest and densest bones of all of the dosha’s. They are naturally bigger boned and no matter how many times they go to the gym or calories they reduce, they may never be the size of a very lean Vata. Why? Because their bones literally aren’t made that way! They also have the strongest muscles out of the bunch. 

If you are of Kapha nature, take the pressure off and gracefully accept that this is your natural body structure. Your curves are beautiful, and some women (including myself) would love to have your voluptuous figure. 

Kapha’s have a rounder face, larger lips, larger bridge of their nose, and large round eyes. The natural oiliness of their skin keeps their skin looking youthful for longer. These are the 50 year olds that still have a babyface and barely any wrinkles. What my Vata self wouldn’t do to have some of that Kapha oiliness!

Let’s look at a few Kapha celebrities such as Lizzo, Amy Schumer, and Kelly Clarkson.

As you can see by their natural body shape that they have more curves then the small boned Vata.

Take your right hand below the left wrist bones, wrap your wrist with your middle finger and thumb. If your fingers do not touch then you have a Kapha bone structure (if they are almost touching then this could be Pitta).

The mental and emotional characteristics of a Kapha are stable and personable. They tend to be slower speaking, slower moving, and in the mind they grasp concepts slowly but never forget. They tend to have this mother/father figure energy where you can feel safe and supported by them. 

Imbalanced Kapha

When a Kapha natured person is out of balance they tend towards slower digestion. This means that their agni (digestive fire) is dampened and not burning as hot as it should. 

Someone with Kapha digestion may not be hungry until later in the day and one large meal a day is satiating to them. They may experience dull hunger cues and eat out of habit. After eating, lethargy, heaviness, or burping 4 hours later, and still being able to taste the food, are signs of a Kapha digestion imbalance. 

The sluggish digestion can lead to weight gain or even obesity. The accumulation of ama (toxins) does not allow the body to detoxify so the ama begins to form as fat. Due to the mental aspects of the imbalance, which is low energy and dullness, this person may be less motivated to go to the gym or eat healthy. It’s not only low physical energy, but mentally they aren’t in a place where they have the drive to change diet or lifestyle.

Although constipation (hard/dry stools) is a sign of a Vata imbalance someone experiencing elimination issues such as skipping a few days with really heavy sticky stools points more towards Kapha. These are the types of stools that sink to the bottom of the toilet, are large in quantity, and stick to the sides of the toilet bowl. Mucous in stools is also a symptom. 

Water retention, edema, swelling, and restricted hypo-mobile joints are also common signs of an imbalanced Kapha dosha. 

The seat of Kapha is the chest and lungs so respiratory issues can occur more often. This can look like colds or coughs with thick white mucus. Most children have lots of mucus in their childhood because childhood is the Kapha season of life. 

Lethargy, depression, melancholy, and feeling sad often are related to Kapha. While Vata’s become anxious, Pitta’s become angry, Kapha’s are more prone to dullness and sadness. 

Kapha’s also can become easily attached to people, experiences, or things. Have you ever heard about the show Hoarders? That is a Kapha disorder. It’s like the object is a part of themselves and they can’t imagine their life without it. They need to practice letting go and living in the present moment knowing that no person or object adds to their inherent worth.

Kapha type menses are prolonged periods where they feel like they will never start. Once they begin, they last for a long time which can be anywhere from 5-7 days. The first few days may be a heavier flow with bright red blood with the last couple of days tapering off to light flow or spotting. Brown blood or clotting that looks mucousy can occur.

Reproductive challenges such as PCOS and polyps are both Kapha imbalances because these are growths. 

Balancing Kapha Dosha

If we go back to the qualities of Kapha which are cool, heavy, dense, slow, smooth, oily, and we consider the analogy of mud, what would it take to balance Kapha dosha?

• Warm to offset cool
• Light to offset heavy
• Fast to offset slow
• Dry to offset oily. 

This person needs to get going and dry out all of that dense water within them!

Light and well spiced

Due to the heavy nature of Kapha, the food choices should be on the lighter side. This will help them digest easier and reduce the heaviness they can feel post-meal. 

Balancing the Kapha dosha with a diet that includes bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes. The bitter taste can come from of leafy greens, pungent from garlic and onion, and astringent from vegetables. 

Using warming spices, or even hot spices if you can stand it, will be great to invigorate and aid their dull digestive fire. Warmer spices such as cayenne, chilies, black pepper, oregano, and thyme are wonderful for Kapha so really spice up your food!

Drinking a small cup of ginger tea 30 minutes before a meal will jump start the digestive ignition. Even eating a small piece of fresh ginger with a drop or two of lemon juice and a pinch of salt can help you digest and assimilate more efficiently. 

Sautéed or steamed vegetables (never raw) such as broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, and green beans are wonderful. Quinoa, amaranth, or barley are the preferred grains. Lighter forms of protein like white meat and egg whites are the best for an imbalanced Kapha.

Lifestyle choices

Someone with a Kapha predominance, or imbalance, needs to spice up their life and find invigoration! While a Vata or Pitta needs a chill pill, Kapha needs the opposite. 

Getting their day started before the sun rises, drinking a warm cup of water with a squeeze of lemon, and dry brushing all three ways to set the tone of the day.

Dry brushing in lieu of abhyanga is great because the rough and penetrating strokes move the lymph and increase internal energy. If you’d prefer anhyanga then try this Kapha oil from Banyan Botanicals.

Daily sweat-inducing exercise is great for Kapha. This naturally increases endorphins and energy. HIIT, strength, and cardio are all great options. Even try different exercise classes a few times a week which will incorporate spontaneity.

Sipping hot water throughout the day will begin to breakdown stagnant ama and increase digestion. Be careful not to overdo fluid intake as a symptom of Kapha is edema and water retention. 

Sleep can be reduced to 7 hours a night as Kapha’s do not need as much sleep and this can lead to further imbalance. Absolutely no napping! Instead try a short yoga nidra and meditation if you need to calm the mind. 

Hopefully by now you can sense a theme when balancing the Kapha dosha. Invigorate, excite, and light! Call up your Vata friend and go have a fun afternoon around town!

If any of these symptoms feel familiar then you may have a Kapha imbalance. 

Check out the Vata and Pitta blogs to learn more about balancing those doshas!

Book a 1:1 consultation to determine the root cause of your imbalance including diet, herbs, and lifestyle choices you can make to bring the body + mind + spirit back into alignment. 

Leave a comment below or shoot me a message if you have any questions!