Kapha dosha, one of the three fundamental energies in Ayurveda, is associated with earth and water elements. It governs structure, stability, and lubrication in the body, providing strength and endurance. However, when Kapha gets imbalanced, it can lead to issues like sluggish digestion, weight gain, congestion, and a feeling of heaviness or lethargy.
Balancing Kapha requires a multidimensional approach to diet, lifestyle, and daily habits. By incorporating warming foods, stimulating activities, and detoxifying practices, you can restore equilibrium and maintain vitality. In this blog, we’ll explore effective ways to pacify excess Kapha and cultivate lightness, energy, and mental clarity.
General Guidelines for Kapha dosha balance
Prefer warm over cold : Kapha dosha represents water element in the body and therefore increases because of cold things, be it a cold season, food or cold water so always use warm water for drinking or bathing. Keep the body warm . Include spices like turmeric, aseofitida, dry ginger, cummin seed in the diet.
Choose Dry over Moist: Kapha is moist in nature so it will need dry and light things to keep it balance. Use oil and ghee in moderation for cooking.
Take light food : To keep kapha in balance one should avoid nuts, seeds, milk, ghee, coconut that provide nourishment because kapha dosha itself is nourishing. All the above food will increase with nourishment.
Best Taste for pacifying Kapha
Add a bit of Spices (Katu Ras) : The food that are pungent in taste ( katu ras) helps to keep water element in kapha dosha under control. Most of the spices are pungent in taste , therefore adding more spices helps to balance kapha dosha.
Enjoy the Bitter (Tikth Ras) : Bitter taste helps to improve digestion and is also helpful in pacifying the kapha in body.
Kashay (Astringent) ras is healthy :Yes when there is increase in water and earth element in the body intake of food rich in astringent taste helps in pacifying this dosha.
Food Choices for pacifying Kapha
Drinking lukewarm water is very helpful for people having this type of personality .
Ginger or Tulsi water is also helpful in balancing the kapha . It is also good for keeping the digestive system healthy.
Buttermilk with garlic paste ,dry ginger and blackpepper is helpful for keeping excess kapha in check.
Cereals for pacifying Kapha
Wheat is not a good choice for balancing as it is sweet and nourishing . Instead prefer millets like jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), and nachni (red millet or finger millet)
Old rice should be prefered instead of newly harvested rice.
Kapha pacifying lentils ( Dal)
Among lentils like Kulathi( horse gram), Masoor dal (red lentils), Moong dal (split green gram ) are good choices. However Ayurveda literature says that among all lentils Moong dal is the best.
Moreover these people should avoid chana dal (split chicpeas), matar ( green peas), chola ( chicpeas), rajma (kidney beans).
Kapha pacifying Vegetables & fruits
Vegetables that are prefered in aggravation of kapha or in people having kapha prakriti ( body constitution) are
Lauki ( White flowered gourd), Parwal ( Pointed gourd), Tinda ( Indian squash, apple gourd), karela ( bitter gourd), suran (yam ot elephant foot yam) munga phalli ( drumstick), methi leaves ( fenugreek leaves), mooli (radish ) palak (spinach) are good choices to balance this dosha.
Use pudina ( peppermint), adrak (ginger), lahsun( garlic) while preparing above vegetables.
Fruits that are bitter and astringent like apple, nashpati (pears) , papaya, amla ( indian gooseberry), jamun (black plum or malabar plum), are more useful. Others fruits can also be eaten in moderation.
Spices, Nuts and Seed
Spices such as Turmeric (haldi), fenugreek seeds( methi dana), dry ginger (sonth), black pepper( kali mirch) ,peppermint( pudina), cumin seeds(jeera), aseofidita (hing) are good.
Nuts such as Almonds, walnuts, black raisins, are helpful in keeping kapha in balance.
Seeds like sunflower seed and pumpkin seeds are also helpful.
Lifestyle advice for pacifying Kapha
- Those who are facing the problems because of Kapha aggravation or have same prakriti should
- Use warm water for bathing.
- Apply sesame oil to all over body before bathing. .
- More and more exercise in recommended . Heavy workouts are allowed in people who have more water and earth elements.
- Must keep there body warm and surrounding warm.
- These people should sleep early in night and avoid awake till late night.
- Must not hold natural urges like urine, burping, gas, crying.
- Must Avoid sleeping during day time as it increases the kapha.
- These people must avoid eating anything untill and unless they feel hungry.
Yoga & Meditation
Following yogic exercise are very beneficial for people with Kapha problems.
Surya Namaskar : According to Ayurveda, practicing Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is particularly beneficial for people with a dominant Kapha-Vata dosha as it helps in generating internal heat. It also helps to calm the nervous system.
Paschimottanasan( Seated forward bend) : It is a excellent Vata- Kapha pacifying yoga pose because it promotes grounding, stability and relaxation. It helps to massage internal organs and helps improve digestion.
Ardhchandrasan ( Half Moon) : Stimulating the side waist is a good way manage mandagni or slow digestion, because it moves and awakens the digestive organs and streches the entire abdomen. The side to side motion also offers spaciousness to the lungs, where excess kapha.
Yoga Nidra : It is a deep relaxation technique that guides you into a meditative state between wakefulness and sleep , making it extremely beneficial for balancing Tri dosha.
This Article is written by Dr. Ashutosh Tiwari B.A.M.S, PGDCR Director of Risha’s Health And Ayurvedaa Solutions.He is having more than 20 years of experience in field of Ayurvedic medicine.
