Your Ayurveda Body Type: Kapha

Learn More About Your Specific Body Type

You are interested in Ayurveda and you just have gone through our Dosha Questionnaire? Great! And you have received your result and your constitution is Kapha. So what does this mean? How is this relevant for you and what practical advice do we have for you?

As you probably know already, your unique Ayurveda body type or individual constitution (Prakriti) is one of the most important concepts of Ayurvedic medicine. According to the Ayurvedic doctrine, we all have a very unique constitution that determines how we “tick” or function metabolically and how we tend to respond to stimuli from the environment. Being someone with a Kapha constitution means that you will have different proclivities to certain illnesses than other constitutions. There also will be completely different dietary precautions that apply to you as compared to other constitutional types. You have certain strengths that you can use to your advantage and certain weaknesses that you should control with your diet and lifestyle choices for example.

Here’s All You Need to Know

People with Kapha constitution like yourself often have a strong or solid physique and are prone to have heavy bones and lots of flesh or thick skin covering their bones. Men tend to have pronounced chests and women larger than average breasts. The teeth of Kapha types are usually large in size, white in colour and well formed. Their eyes are large as well, with thick, long and prominent eye lashes while their facial expression is calm and soft in general. In a balanced Kapha type, the whites of their eyes are truly white and clear, without any of the discolourations we know from the other 2 mono-doshic types (Pitta and Vata). The hair of a Kapha type is thick, oily and often wavy and voluminous. Their skin is oily and generally cold to touch, often clammy as well. Just like their bones, their nails are strong. Kapha types like yourself do not sweat as much a Pitta types and you probably only really sweat when you do exercise and your sweat is of average amount. So much for some of the physical features that characterize a Kapha type.

Kapha individuals move slowly and steadily and they can be quite lethargic. They often feel the need to kick start the day by taking stimulants such as coffee. Kapha types love to sleep and since their sleep is usually very deep, it takes quite some effort to wake them up. They also tend to feel lazy about everything that involves physical activity. Once they are moving though, they can move for a long time due to their natural physical endurance. Since their digestion is slow and sluggish, it is important for a Kapha type to stay physically active and regulate his/her food intake strictly. Otherwise, s/he without doubt will put on weight. Their bowel movements are regular and the stool is well lubricated, oily, solid and well formed. Since Kapha types put on weight easily, they often suffer from obesity and related problems. The good thing is that once they commit and get started to a course of action, they have a lot of stamina and perseverance and usually stick to whatever it is they have decided to do. This is quite the opposite to Vata types. Intellectually, people with Kapha constitution are intelligent but it might take them a bit longer to fully grasp something. Once they understand it however, they won’t forget it anymore and are able to recall it quite easily – again, quite unlike Vata types, who comprehended and forget things in the blink of an eye. As regards to the way Kapha types approach work, they usually are methodical and steady and like to do things at a slower pace. They sometimes can come across as being too passive about things, and while this might be true for some, Kapha types can also be very caring, compassionate and patient people. They just go about things at a slower pace and would much rather avoid conflict than charge into it like Pitta types often do. Kapha types are loved for their calm, affectionate, forgiving, good-willed and tolerant nature. Their stable character greatly complements Vata’s inherent nervousness and their accommodating and slow-to-anger nature can cool down hot-headed Pitta types.

How do I recognise my Kapha Imbalance?

Let us first look into the symptoms that are often associated with increased Kapha. Kapha mainly increases due to wrong diet and wrong lifestyle. It is Kapha’s natural tendency for physical inactivity, in combination with their slow and sluggish digestion and their love for (the wrong) food that gets them into trouble. Eating heavy, oily or fried food is a really bad idea for Kapha types and eating those foods at the wrong time enhances the negative effects on the body significantly. On a physical level, a Kapha imbalance is often associated with excessive sleeping and a general feeling of heaviness in the body. People with a Kapha imbalance tend to feel tired after eating and they are often quite overweight. They also often suffer from stagnation and congestion, fluid retention, cysts, allergies, asthma, excess mucus and sinus problems. On a mental level, a Kapha imbalance makes people very lethargic, unclear and dull. People with a Kapha imbalance often describe their mind as being foggy and heavy, and they can become excessively greedy and attached to things. Emotionally, Kapha imbalances can trigger sadness, melancholy and depression. If out of balance, people with Kapha constitution become stubborn, greedy, possessive and complacent. In balance, they are fun to be around and loved for their happy, affectionate, compassionate and accommodating nature. In order to remove excess Kapha from your body, Ayurveda recommends a procedure (or rather procedures) called Panchakarma. The 5 techniques that are collectively called “Panchakarma”, remove excess dosha (Vata, Pitta or Kapha) and restore physiological balance. Once you have restored a new equilibrium, you should ensure that you do not again progressively accumulate Kapha dosha in your body. Here are some tips that you should know.

Fast weight gain
Tired after eating
Feeling heavy in body
Sinus problems
Asthma or allergies
Fluid retention
Excess mucus
Congestion
Cysts
Lethargy
Dull, unclear mind
Stagnant
Greedy, attached

In order to remove the excess Kapha from your body, Ayurveda recommends a procedure (or rather procedures) called Panchakarma. The 5 techniques that are collectively called “Panchakarma”, remove excess dosha (Vata, Pitta or Kapha) and restore physiological balance. Once you have restored a new equilibrium you should ensure that you do not again progressively accumulate Kapha dosha in your body. Here are some tips that you should know.

Tips to keep Your Kapha in Balance

Wake up before sunrise

Waking up before sunrise activates your hormone system and sets the right framework for hormone production and function and once the first sun rays hit your eyes, your body starts to produce adrenalin to kick-start your metabolism. On the other hand, when the sun goes down and it is dark, the body produces melatonin, signalling other systems of your body to rest, repair and start cleansing processes. All this is governed by melatonin. If you go against this natural rhythm, you violate deeply evolutionary rules and you are not only taxing your body by not allowing it to do what it is genetically programmed to do but you are also increasing inflammation in your body. Similarly, if you do not wake up from sleep when the sun is out, you are signalling your metabolism to delay its activities. This is a bad idea in general, but in particular for Kapha constitutions. If repeated over a prolonged period of time, it can seriously mess up your hormone system and the functions of your metabolism, leading to insulin resistance, obesity, lethargy, depression, tiredness and lack of inspiration.

Start your day with exercise

Waking up early and starting your day with some physical exercise routines together with practicing breath work and mindfulness, has many benefits for all constitutional types. Kapha people will find that it brings them into the right frame of mind in which choosing the right food becomes much easier for them. Also, the time between 6 am and about 10 am is the time when Kapha is at its peak. If you eat at this time, you involuntarily increase Kapha in your body. Delaying your first meal and replacing it with some exercises will kickstart your rather sluggish digestion and activate your metabolism. This will help you to stay fit and keep your tendency to gain weight in check.

Eat only 2 meals per day

We have just recommended you to skip breakfast and replace it with an exercise routine instead. But what about the actual meal times and the food that is recommended from an Ayurvedic perspective? Food in general should be “sattvic” in nature – this is the opposite to heavy and bulk increasing “tamasic” food. Sattvic foods are fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains for example, and it is important that you as Kapha type focus on eating food of sattvic nature. Eat only when you are hungry and reduce the amount of food, and in particular carbohydrates for dinner. In general, you should not eat more than the amount that fits into your cupped hands. This ensures that there is still space in your stomach for Vata to move, which is important for proper digestion. Have an early dinner – before or around 6 pm and keep it light. Dink herbal teas like ginger, peppermint or green tea and sip warm water throughout the day. This will help you reduce the feeling of hunger and cravings. Here are some of the food items that you should strictly avoid in order not to increase Kapha in your body:

Wheat
Dairy
Soy
Nuts (almonds ok in moderation)
Bananas
Sour food (except lemons and apple cider vinegar)
Any form of sugar
Simple carbohydrates (white rice, noodles, pastries, bread rolls etc)
Oily & fried food

Engage in new activities & set yourself new challenges

Engaging in new activities, meeting new people, learning new skills and setting yourself new challenges will keep you on your toes and help you to stay active and flexible. Yes, we understand that this can be somewhat challenging for you, but the overall benefits largely outweigh the initial feeling of discomfort. So go ahead and get out there!

Bedtime between 10-11 pm

As you probably know, sleep is very important for our physical and mental well-being. While we sleep, our body repairs tissues, restores energy levels, builds hormones and other substances, repairs cells and does many more essential things to maintain health and balance. On a mental level, sleep increases concentration and memory, the ability to think, decide, discriminate, analyse and it reduces stress levels. The time from 11 pm onwards to about 2 am in the morning is what Ayurveda has long ago identified as “Pitta time”. Pitta, with its transformative power, is extremely active during this period and will, if allowed, drive essential processes that are related to repair, detoxification and rejuvenation. And the way we allow it to do its job properly is by being passive (sleep). If we do go against this natural rhythm, Pitta’s energy will turn against us and show its destructive side. For Kapha types like yourself, this will happen slower and less intense than for Vata and Pitta types, but it will happen nevertheless. While your Kapha nature protects you somewhat from destructive processes that get triggered when we go to bed late, there is another negative aspect that is particularly relevant for you: snacking. We tend to start snacking and drinking when we stay awake into the night. These extra calories are not only an unnecessary burden to your digestive system (and your waistline), they also will increase Kapha further, affect the quality of your sleep and will make it difficult for you to wake up in the morning and start your exercise routine.

Fasting once per week

Fasting once a week will give your digestive system a temporary rest and will allow your body to complete unfinished digestive processes. Depending on your body type and strength, we recommend to either dry-fast or just on water, vegetable broth, or clear vegetable soups.

Balance your Ayurveda Body Type at AmrtaSiddhi Ayurvedic Resort

At our Ayurvedic Health Centre, we offer Ayurvedic treatments and programs that are specifically tailored to your Kapha constitution. Our treatment plans include a food menu that is adapted to your individual constitution and imbalances, as well as herbal medications, yoga and meditation and many authentic Ayurvedic protocols. We also offer professional and authentic Panchakarma procedures to remove excess Kapha from your body and bring you back to a deeply balanced state of well being.

Book an Ayurvedic Consultation

Do you want our experts to help you verify your individual Ayurvedic body type and share with you more ways how you can stay in shape, prevent imbalances and diseases and create an action plan with you? Simply book online.

We are happy to help you on the path to a more relaxed, healthier and happier you!

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