Portrait of Kapha

Kapha = Water + Earth             Key word: Stability

Kapha people are blessed with a strong, healthy, well developed body. Their chests are broad and expanded, and they have strong muscles and large, heavy bones.  One of the dominant qualities of Kapha is softness, which manifests as soft skin, soft hair, soft gentle speech, a soft nature, and a soft loving look. Kaphas tend to gain weight and their metabolism is slower than in other doshas. As a result, they tend to carry excess weight and to be on the chubby side. They have large, strong, white teeth, large attractive eyes with very white eye whites. Their hair tends to be thick, dark, soft, wavy, and plentiful. They have hair everywhere!
They act and think methodically – they need a long time to digest information and food and are slow to get out of bed in the morning. Kaphas have quite a sweet tooth and are generally attracted to sweet, salty, and oily food, which isn’t good for them as it contributes to water retention and weight gain. Their bodies do better with bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes (see Food list for Kapha).
Kapha individuals are peaceful, patient, tolerant, caring, compassionate, and forgiving. They are slow to comprehend but their long-term memory is excellent. Their tendencies toward groundedness and stability help them to earn and hold on to money, and they are good at saving.
Despite their strong bodies and great stamina, Kaphas shun exercise. Vigorous exercise is good for them, but they prefer to sit, eat, and do nothing.  They are slow and steady in every way. They eat slowly and are slow to decide and slow to act.
Kapha dosha is aggravated by such food as watermelon, sweet fruits, candy, cookies and dairy products. Cold and frozen food and drinks, sleeping in the daytime, and sitting and doing nothing all increase Kapha. Excess Kapha slows digestion and metabolism and the person may become chubby or even obese. Physical problems will tend to be related to the water principle, such as colds, flu, sinus congestion and excessive mucus.
Emotionally, when Kaphas become imbalanced, they may suffer from greed, attachment, envy, possessiveness, lust, and laziness, leading to depression.
Balancing Kapha
Get plenty of exercise (see Yoga postures for your dosha)
Avoid heavy foods (diary, fatty, oily, iced food and drinks)
Emphasize bitter, astringent, and pungent food (see Six tastes)
Eat light, dry food
Keep active
Vary your routine (see Life style for Kapha)

TODAY’S  TIP: The difficult time of year for Kapha individuals is winter and early spring, when the weather is heavy, wet, cloudy, and cold. Give special attention to your day routine and diet at that time.