Signs of Kapha Imbalance: Physical and Emotional Symptoms

Then kapha accumulates in the system and leads to physical, emotional, and mental imbalances of the kapha variety. Physical problems will tend to be related to the water principle, such as colds, flu, sinus congestion and other diseases involving mucus, such as bronchial congestion. Sluggishness, excess weight, diabetes, water retention, and sinus headaches are also common. Emotionally, when kapha becomes unbalanced, these individuals may suffer from greed, attachment, envy, possessiveness, lust, and laziness, leading to kapha-type depression.

Interestingly, kapha can become aggravated as the moon gets full because, as biologists have discovered, there is a tendency toward water retention in the body at that time. Kapha women may suffer from PMS symptoms such as excessive emotionality, water retention, white vaginal discharge, and overurination. They may feel attachment, greed, and lethargy at that time and will probably have a tendency toward excess sleep. General Guidelines for Balancing Kapha Get plenty of exercise Avoid heavy foods Keep active Vary your routine Avoid dairy foods Avoid iced food and drinks Avoid fatty or oily foods Eat light, dry food How to Use This Knowledge Knowing your Ayurvedic constitution (prakruti) has many benefits for your life and health: • Self-understanding, which is the foundation of life, is greatly increased.

Ayurveda says that every person is a unique and divine book. To read that book is a great art. The knowledge of prakruti can help you to read your own book, which is your life. By understanding your constitution, you can better understand your psychological tendencies, your strengths, and your weaknesses, as well as your physiological strong and weak areas.

• You may see that your habits and tendencies, such as erratic lifestyle and schedule (vata), irascibility (pitta), or laziness (kapha), or physical problems such as overweight (kapha), ulcers (pitta), or constipation (vata), are directly related to your constitution. The tendency toward such imbalances is inherent in the way your mind-body system is designed. • When you can anticipate the kinds of illnesses and imbalances you are likely to have, you can take precautions to prevent them from arising. You can adjust your lifestyle—daily routine, diet, amount or type of exercise, and so on—to keep your doshas in balance and your health at its best.

• You can also use the knowledge of constitutional types to understand others with whom you are related, whether in your personal life or at work. To succeed in relationships, which is such a confused and problematic area today, it is helpful to know the constitution of your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. Understanding one another brings clarity; clarity brings compassion, and compassion is love. Such a relationship brings happiness, joy, and longevity.