Slow to learn but then they never seem to forget, these people can often be mistaken for being slow or dumb, especially when they are younger. If their teachers don’t have the time or patience to spend extra effort going over things with them, they quickly fall behind at school.
Kaphas are most happy in their own company or being with family. They won’t go out of their way to make friends as they can find friendships exhausting as they always seem to be the ones giving.
Though ruled by earth and water, the qualities of Kapha are most like water – moist, slow, cool, heavy, dense, cloudy, unctuous, stable and viscous. They have soft well-lubricated joints and often their bodies feel cool, soft and slightly moist to touch. They feel the cold and tend to have an aversion to the cooler months. Their heaviness is evident in their body shape but is often more of an issue for these types mentally as it can give them a heavy outlook on life. They are also heavy sleepers who like to sleep for longer periods of time. Kaphas are slow walkers, talkers and thinkers, and won’t be rushed into decisions about anything; Kaphas are always calculating their energy and whether the effort is worth the expenditure. They seem to have a stubborn aversion to change and will often get stuck in unhappy relationships or work situations for long periods.
They are good savers and like to accumulate wealth and have a stable bank balance as this provides them with a strong sense of security. Kaphas love routine and stability but this can work against them if they are in an unhealthy situation. Kaphas can be very attached to the material world; they have a tendency to ground themselves in the world through food, people and possessions. They can become hoarders if this is not kept in check. Their home is everything to them as this is the place they devote to nurturing their families and loved ones. Kaphas are providers and nurturers, and they love to indulge in things they love. Kapha mothers need to be very aware this doesn’t turn into smothering their children as they age and want to move away from home. Kaphas can fall into the trap of loving home so much they isolate from the world, especially in the cooler, damper months. This can lead to them becoming lazy, lethargic and gaining weight.
Kaphas have strong, dense, stable bodies and Kapha types are said to be the most resilient of all the doshas when in balance. They have strong bones and when physically fit they develop strong muscles and great endurance, especially once they are committed to a task.
Exhaustion and depression can be a symptom of Kapha imbalance. It is important that these types rise early, between 6am–10am is Kapha time of day and when they feel most sluggish. If they don’t move their body in the morning, they can easily spend the rest of the day feeling tired, sluggish and unmotivated. Under stress, Kaphas will oversleep, overeat and do their best to avoid addressing whatever is bothering them. For more information on Kapha out of balance, see pages 32–4.
See Balancing the doshas on pages 22–41 for the causes of an ‘imbalance’ and what can make someone dominated by particular doshas unwell, and recommendations on diet and lifestyle to help balance your dosha.
Be ground. Be crumbled so wildflowers will come up where you are. You’ve been stony for too many years. Try something different. Surrender.
–Rumi
Balancing the doshas
Balancing your dosha is pretty straightforward and if I could give you one bit of advice, then that would be to ‘keep it simple’. It takes a little while to get to know the qualities of your dosha but once you have familiarised yourself with the main characteristics of your dosha you will find it becomes second nature to remove things from your environment that are aggravating you.
Knowing the elements that govern your dosha is essential. Vata is ruled by air and space, Pitta by fire and water and Kapha by earth and water. Overexposure to the elements that govern your dosha will send you out of balance.
The principles behind balancing the doshas are guided by the Ayurvedic approach to health (see pages 42–6) and circadian rhythms (see pages 47–63).
The recipes I have written for this book are all designed to balance your doshas and have been carefully designed to maintain that balance, particularly in the season that your dosha will be more vulnerable. For Vata types I have created warming nourishing meals with ingredients that help to calm and soothe the anxious energy in the body and to stimulate the digestive system. Pitta recipes are more cooling and wholesome, designed to satisfy the strong Pitta appetite and moderate heat in the body, particularly in the warmer months and climates. The Kapha recipes I have created are naturally a little lighter and purposed with spices and ingredients to absorb the excess moisture and weight that Kapha types hold in the body.
To help you to shop and make your food choices, refer to the food charts for Vata, Pitta and Kapha at the back of the book on pages 240–5. I still use these tables a lot even after all these years, especially if I’m Vata imbalanced, as the foods differ quite a bit to the Pitta foods I normally favour.
VATA
To summarise what we have discussed earlier, Vata individuals tend to have thin, light frames; they are quick thinkers and can be quite nervy and excitable.
The Vata dosha is responsible for communication, movement and elimination of all wastes from the body. Someone may be either Vata in their constitution or they may have a Vata imbalance. Vata imbalances are very common for people who reside in cities and have busy lives.
Air and space dominate this dosha and they also aggravate it. They are susceptible to the cold and wind so it is essential they keep warm, maintain a routine and nourish themselves with warm cooked foods; it is logical that elements that decrease and calm this dosha are earth, fire and water.
They are aggravated by bitter, pungent and astringent tastes, and calmed by sweet, sour and salty.
Elements
Time of day
Each dosha has a time of day when it is more obvious in the body and mind. For Vatas it is 2am–6am and 2pm–6pm. Vata types may find themselves becoming more anxious or fearful at this time of day, they may also wake at night and not be able to fall back asleep, especially if they are worried about something.
Time of year
In autumn and early winter Vata can be more aggravated in the body. The wind at this time of year can aggravate Vata types and it is important that they stay warm and out of the wind if it bothers them. When it gets windy and cold, the time has come to slow down and eat grounding, nourishing meals. Flavours that calm in autumn are the sweet, salty and sour.
Vata types struggle at this time of year as