Ayurveda Healing: Kapha Dosha

If you've read my other blogs on ayurveda healing and are feeling left out because none of them seems to describe you- fear not! You may be predominately kapha, the third dosha.

If your prakriti is kapha though you probably weren't disturbed by the fact that nothing sounded like you. Unlike Pitta which would be angry and Vata that would respond in a different way every day, Kapha is really slow and steady in personality. Not too much bothers Kapha people.

The Kapha dosah is comprised of the two elements water and earth. This means, the dosha is very "down to earth" The basic theme to characterise Kapha is "relaxed". People who are predominantly kapha usually have endomorph body types. They have strong, well-built bodies that tend to be thickset with wide hips and shoulders. There is a tendency for kaphas to gain weight easily. Kaphas often have cool, smooth, thick, pale skin that is often oily. Large, soft eyes are common to this group.

Kaphas have steady energy. They move, eat, and speak slowly but their stamina exceeds that of other types. They are rarely drained by physical fatigue and will have paced themselves slowly. Kapha's like to store everything- money, energy, words, food, possessions, and fat.

When out of balance, Kapha's tend towards obesity. The fat is typically first stored in lower parts of the body- thighs and buttocks. They may suffer from sinus congestion, chest colds, allergies, asthma and painful joints when out of balance. An out of balance kapha can become lazy, stubborn, and depressed. Kapha's tend to not like cold damp weather and their natural reaction to this is to eat more comfort food and sleep longer- the hibernating bear syndrome. They rarely have trouble with insomnia but oversleep instead. It typically takes them a long time to get started in the morning but then they will feel energetic until late at night.

In order to balance Kapha, the key is stimulation. Out of balance kapha's need new sights, sounds, people, and events. It is important not to overeat if you are a kapha. Dry toast, crackers, apples, tumeric, raw vegetables and ginger tea are all foods that help balance Kapha. When out of balance, Kaphas should avoid sweets which includes ice-cream, milk, butter and wheat breads- all favorites of kaphas! Kaphas should exercise regularly. Kaphas tend to be natural athletes when they are young but may have turned into sedentary adults. A return to regular exercise can be very helpful to keep this dosha in balance. Kaphas are strong and often have a high threshold for pain so they often push themselves when they are sick. Kapha's in particularly need to be aware of the slow signs of illness and pay attention to their bodies.

If you're still not sure what your prakriti or dominant dosha is, go back a couple of blog entries and take the on-line test. Or pick up one of the thousands of books on the subjects- almost all of them include ways to determine your predominant type. One I recommend is "Perfect Health" by Deepak Chopra.

Perhaps the biggest keys to health are self-discovery and self-respect. Ayurveda principles stress the importance of honoring your inherent self and the elements that you are comprised of in order to achieve true health and well-being.

Ayurveda Healing: The Pitta Dosha

According to ayurveda, everyone is composed of three doshas in varying combinations. The Pitta dosha is formed from the elements fire and water. This combination creates a "steam powered" personality for people with pitta as their prakriti or dominant constitution.

The Pitta personality is often considered the "type A" individual. They are often astute business types with keen intelligence and a sense of efficiency and order. They are intense.

The physical characteristics of the pitta dosha relate to the mesomorph body type- medium, muscular build. They may have fair, light brown or red hair if caucasian, with a reddish complexion. Their hair tends to be straight, may be prematurely grey, and may be thin or receding.

Pitta's are always hungry and never miss a meal. They are ruled by their watch and may stick to very rigid meal times. They usually have energetic metabolisms so they don't have a lot of problems keeping their weight down.

When pittas are unbalanced,they tend to fly into a rage. They can become intensely angry and impatient. The physical symptoms of imbalance are often related to fire and water and tend to be inflammations, infections, sore throats and fevers as well as ulcers and colitis. When unbalanced, pittas often crave the things that would throw them even more off balance, like hot spicy foods.

Because they are hot themselves, Pittas tend to dislike and avoid heat and the sun. They sweat profusely and often succumb to heat exhaustion. They may wake up at night over-heated and extremely thirsty.

Cool, soothing foods help balance an over-active Pitta. Sweet fruits, cottage cheese, mint teas, and green leafy salads help pacify pitta. Fried, oily hot foods are not usually good for pittas and red meats can cause pitta imbalances. Processed and fast foods are particularly disturbing to pittas as they respond much better to pure or natural foods.

The key to balancing pitta is moderation. Many workaholics are pittas out of balance and they have a tendency to burn out unless they slow down, wind down, and decrease stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, empty calories, and more work. To balance over active pitta you should avoid strenuous exertion and opt for more calming activities like meditation, walks in nature, or yoga.

For Pitta's, laughter may well be the best medicine. They are very good at taking themselves seriously, and sometimes a funny movie, laughter with friends and enjoying the lighter side of life can provide all the balance that is required.

If you're not sure what dosha you are - go back to the first blog on ayurveda healing ( 2 entries ago) where I suggest an online site that can help determine your type.

Ayurvedic Healing: The Vata Dosha

If your body type looks the most like the ectomorph picture from yesterday's blog, you tend to have dry skin, experience cold hands and feet, and are introverted and creative with an active fantasy life- your dominant prakriti may be that of the vata dosha.

This dosha is comprised of air and space so there is a lightness and spaciousness to the prakriti. When balanced, this person often has a thin, light build (can be either very tall or quite short), performs activity quickly, is enthusiastic, vivacious, talkative and has an active imagination.

For a Vata person, mental and physical energy comes in bursts, without the steadiness some of the other doshas have. Vata's can be hungry at any time of day or night, love excitement and change, go to sleep at different times every night, skip meals and have irregular habits. They may be lanky and thin as adolescents (able to eat anything without gaining weight) and overweight in middle age with digestion difficulties. They can digest meals well one day and poorly the next, display bursts of emotion that are short-lived and quickly forgotten, and they love to multi-task. They even walk quickly.

When the vata person is not in balance, they tend towards worry, impatience and depression as well as loss of mental focus. They may experience insomnia or restlessness and an inability to relax. Physically, this imbalance may manifest as digestive problems (constipation or irritable bowel syndrome), high blood pressure, back and skeletal pain, intolerance to cold and wind, weight loss, and acute nerve pain.

In ayurvedic healing when a person is out of balance, it is usually because of "too much" of a dominant dosha such that it overrides the others. Because Vata is a cold dosha, cool weather, cold foods, and cool emotions can increase Vata. Dry seasons and environments can also increase the dry qualities of Vata so that skin becomes dry and chapped for instance.

A Vata individual does well with warm noruishing mushy foods like soups and stews althought "too heavy" foods or too much food at one sitting can disrupt their digestion. Salt, sour and sweet tastes all decrease Vata so should be predominant in the Vata person's diet. Vata types don't do as well with cold salads, iced drinks or raw vegetables as they do with slow-cooked casseroles, fresh-baked bread and fruit pies. Many Vata's have an energy slump in the late afternoon that can be balanced with a hot tea (non-caffeine- it can irritate) or some sweet food. Although sweet is good for Vata, refined sugar can create an energy and spike and crash that can be unsettling. Warm milk, grains and natural sweets are better for the dosha.

Although contrary to the Vata personality, a routine can be very beneficial to the person that is out of balance. Regular meals, regular low intensity exercise like walking or yoga, and rising and going to bed at the same time every day can help balance.

The key for a Vata person out of balance, is to take a look at their Vikriti- their current condition and see if it is grounding, moist, warming, smooth, oily and stabilizing. Those principles can be applied to emotions, food, exercise and the people around you! And to a good warm bowl of vegetable stew!!