Kapha is the principle of water and earth. It manifests itself as a material and building element of the physical body. It is the essence of the growth and development of cellular and body structure. The function of this dosha is connected with the immune system and the overall resistance of the body.
Kapha represents the body structure in the form of bones, joints, muscles and body fluids. Water is the basic principle of life, making up the human body with almost seventy percent. The main areas of this dosha are: chest, lungs, stomach, pancreas, lymph nodes, joints, plasma, fat tissue, white matter, mouth, throat, nasal and frontal cavities along with the sense of smell and taste. The Kapha principle is in charge of cell and tissue regeneration, the process of wound healing, the formation of joint lubricant and good physical condition. Accumulated Kapha dosha brings a feeling of comfort, laziness, lethargy, passivity, indifference and attachment.
Psychosomatic Characteristics of the KAPHA Type
People with predominant Kapha principle are usually strong figures with a developed body structure and wide chest or pectoral muscles. They gain weight easily, do not like humid and rainy weather, tend to have smooth, thick skin, oily hair and sweat excessively. They are characterized by big and clear eyes. They are friendly cordial types with a mild and calm nature, have a good memory with a tendency to be refractory and stubborn. On the other side, they are reliable, patient, persistent and tolerant. They do not like to change their habits and accept new incentives. They like to stay in the same place, enjoy their safety and prefer a sedentary lifestyle. They love food, sitting and doing nothing. They are slower in their activities, rather passive and they suffer from lack of motivation. They need a very strong and repeated impulse or direct confrontation to change their self-imposed habits. They have a good sense of cooperation and like to work in a group. They are generally in good health with tendency to mental depression and are prone to drowsiness, laziness and inactivity. Typical symptoms include colds, coughs and runny nose, diseases of the lungs, bronchi and nasal cavities, nausea, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity.
Typological Manifestations of KAPHA
Kapha people are mostly dutiful and modest people who like their peace. They usually work in offices and institutions as bankers, real estate agents, officials, chefs or social workers. They are good and reliable employees with a sense of teamwork. They create stable and a solid background in any work environment. They tend to be passive and without significant initiative. According to Ayurveda, this is the most satisfied and least conflicting type. It is best to treat such people like a child.
Restoring Balance of KAPHA Dosha
Kapha types should avoid heavy, oily, stewed and fatty foods. They should prefer the consumption of spicy and bitter meals and reduce excessive sleep, overeating and consumption of dairy products. Suitable sports are long-distance running, rowing, bodybuilding and weightlifting. To restore their balance, Kapha types should allow enough light, spicy and warm diet, regular exercise, frequent change and variety of daily activities.
Suitable Diet for KAPHA
The most suitable taste for Kapha is hot and bitter. Especially sweet, but also salty and sour flavours are not recommended. These types of people are usually large eaters and gain weight easily. Therefore, they need to consciously reduce appetite and increase physical activity. They should not eat after sunset and go to bed after eating. Most cereals are heavy and earthy, so they are not a very ideal diet except for: barley, buckwheat, corn, couscous or polenta. Most vegetables are suitable: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, peas, corn, asparagus, lettuce, green pods, potatoes, spinach, peppers. The fruits contain a lot of liquids, so it is suitable seasonally in smaller quantities: apple, apricot, cherries, berries, peach, pear, raisins and dried fruit. Legumes are very good because they tend to dry out the body: tofu, beans, peas, lentils. Limited consumption of dairy products of all kinds and especially cow's milk is very beneficial. Occasionally only soy or goat milk can be used. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds can be a suitable supplement. The only recommended sweetener is honey. Oils of all kinds are heavy and increase body fat. Only almond or sunflower oil can be used in small quantity. Hot spices help to speed up metabolism: pepper, garlic, horseradish, mustard, cinnamon, hot pepper, ginger, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, coriander, mint, basil and cumin. The best drinks are pure water, herbal teas, black tea and occasionally coffee.
