Here in Minnesota, there is a subtle change that takes place in mid to late January, give or take. The dry, mobile, light qualities of late fall and early winter (in Ayurvedic terms this is known as Vata, the energy of movement, inspiration, change) give way to the heavier, stagnant, cold qualities of late winter-- these qualities describe Kapha, the energy of inertia, stability, and solidity. In other words, it's not just the cold temperatures that make you feel like your get-up-and-go got up and went.
Kapha is not a bad thing. We need it in our bodies (think structure and stability), our minds (groundedness, being on an even keel) and nature (the Earth herself). But when Kapha goes out of balance, problems can arise. How do you know if your Kapha is out of balance, and how do you pacify it? Read on to find out.
Kapha In Balance, vs. Kapha Imbalance
Whether or not you know what your prakrti is (your constitution, for example Kapha-Pitta), you can learn about how the energy of Kapha behaves when it is in balance and when it goes out of whack. If you tend towards these out-of-whack symptoms, it could be a sign that Kapha is part of your prakrti. Regardless, knowing the signs of both in-balance and out-of-balance Kapha can help you quickly course-correct when you need to.
Kapha in balance is stable, grounded, and calm. Love without neediness. Enjoyment without excess. Physically strong, without getting fatigued. Good stamina. Kapha-type bodies tend to be larger, robust and well-lubricated.
When Kapha has increased too much, you might find that stability has turned to lethargy. Sinus congestion, cold and cough, lots of mucus. Neediness and jealousy in love relationships. Water retention. Grasping. Overconsumption of food, drink, material possessions. Weight gain is a sign of Kapha imbalance too; note that Ayurveda does not look at the number on the scale, or BMI, or clothing size to determine whether weight is an issue, but rather how an individual feels in their body. Do you feel stagnant or capable? Weighed-down or strong? An exercise of writing down qualities that you feel in your body and mind can be really helpful to determine if you have imbalances.
When you look at this list of signs of Kapha imbalance, keep in mind that it shows up differently in everyone, and you need not be experiencing the entire list in order for it to apply to you. An ongoing stuffy nose alone, for example, that's Kapha. But often the symptoms show up together.
Pacifying Kapha
When it comes to pacifying a dosha that has gone out of balance, the most important thing to remember is that “like increases like, and opposites balance.” The specific qualities that have increased (in the case of kapha, think heavy, oily, static, and cold) can be pacified by introducing foods, habits and experiences that hold the opposite qualities (light, dry, mobile, and warm). Here are five simple things that can help you pacify excess Kapha and relieve many of the symptoms of imbalance listed above.
Get Moving!
Kapha is static, so one of the best ways to pacify it is simply to introduce more movement. A brisk walk, a yoga practice (the primary series of Ashtanga yoga is particularly good for Kapha, due to its pattern of movement and stillness which is both predictable and challenging), a dance class. Inertia is part and parcel of Kapha, which means “an object on the couch is likely to stay on the couch, but an object that gets moving finds it easier and easier to keep moving.”
Dry Brushing OR Abhyanga
I recently wrote about Abhyanga (self massage with oil) here-- dry brushing is its kapha-pacifying cousin. This one is slightly tricky, though, because while Kapha season (think late January through March or let’s be honest, April or May in Minnesota) is wetter and more oily than Vata season (dry, windy, fall weather), due to indoor heating the “dry” quality is still very present. If you personally feel more dry than oily, abhyanga is a great way to increase circulation, decrease stagnation, and warm up your body from the outside in-- be a little more vigorous, use more pressure, and faster strokes than you would for a slow, languid Vata-pacifying abhyanga. If, however, you feel rather unctuous-- your skin tends toward being oily and soft, even in winter-- dry brushing might be a better alternative for you. Just like abhyanga, dry brushing is done before a warm shower, round strokes on the joints, long strokes on the bones, and with a good amount of pressure as long as it doesn’t irritate your skin.
Break Up Your Routine
I know, I know, routine is paramount in Ayurvedic self-care. However, Kapha can get stuck in a rut, and if it is in need of pacification, one of the best things you can do is to be open to new experiences and spontaneous fun. A new hiking trail, a Zoom-ba class (sorry, one can pun even during a pandemic), a spontaneous walk with a friend.
Spice Up Your Meals
If you’re a Kapha type who can handle hot peppers, go for it! Spicy food warms up the body, gets sluggish digestion to move, stimulates the appetite, and stimulates the mind. If you’re not a fan of chili pepper, no worries-- this also means black pepper, ginger, cumin, coriander seed, garlic, cinnamon, and one of my personal faves, hing. (You can get hing, or asafoetida, at an Indian grocery store, but I like this kind. Open the jar and you’ll be able to smell it on the other side of your house-- I love the scent, but some find it too much. To each her own.)
Sleep, But Not Too Much
Sleep is so important. It’s crucial for health, immunity, mental and emotional stability, and for so many more reasons. But Kapha out of balance can sleep too much sometimes, so it can be useful to look at how many hours you’re getting and, if necessary, cut back a titch. Like everything else in Ayurveda, it’s important to build a practice of self-awareness so you know whether you’re sleeping in excess because you are truly exhausted and need the sleep, or because of inertia and it’s not actually serving you. A practitioner can help you figure out the difference, if you are not sure. In general, those with a Kapha imbalance-- or a Kapha-dominant prakrti, even in balance-- should not nap during the day, or sleep more than eight or nine hours at night. (I’m remembering back before kids when I would sometimes take 2+ hour naps in the afternoons before an evening work shift, and I would be just wrecked for the rest of the day, sluggish and dull-feeling. That was my Kapha having a field day.)
That’s it for your top-five Kapha pacifying ideas. Try a few and let me know how they work for you!