– Obesity – Bloating – Asthma – Diabetes – Indigestion – Excessive sleeping
– Disinterest in activities – Dull mood – Depression – Stubbornness towards challenges in life
– Possessiveness – Greed – Sluggishness
Kapha dosha symptoms have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. They can be dealt with by balancing excessive dosha. To do so, one must:
When in excess, kapha makes a person dull as it is a cold and heavy dosha by nature. To counter it, one must seek out and try new things to stimulate the kapha. This stimulation can be physical, through exercise or playing a sport, or mental, in the form of a hobby.
Coldness can be counterproductive when dealing with excess kapha. So layer up, use heating equipment and consume warming foods to soothe yourself. Surrounding yourself with warm colours will also help.
Do a juice cleanse or detoxification diet once a week to clear out the gut and remove any negativity congesting the system. High fibre foods will be your friend at this time. An Ayurvedic neti cleanse will assist in decongesting the nasal passage.
Decongest your mind to put it at ease. Clear out and arrange your working and living space, donate or get rid of excess and make lists to bring order to your cluttered mind space.
Apart from the life changes, you can also try effective home remedies for kapha to balance it out. The effects of excess kapha can be reversed without any synthetic medicines or expensive treatments, by adopting the following home remedies to treat it.
Consider going on a liquid diet or juice cleanse once every week. It should include only fresh fruits and veggies. They can be consumed as juices, smoothies or light soups. Avoid all solid food, heavy or fatty liquids, dairy liquids (like milk or yoghurt). Meditate and have a quiet mind to help you through it.
Consumption of dairy, sweeteners (other than honey), salt, fatty nuts and seeds, meat, grains like rice, wheat, and oats should be reduced. The ideal diet in this scenario should consist of grains like buckwheat (kuttu), barley and corn, fresh leafy vegetables, and light fruits. They can be cooked in less oil or ghee.
You should have beans (except soybeans) and warm ginger tea in your regular diet. As a rule of thumb, prefer foods that have a sharp taste and warm characteristic as they are stimulating.
All kinds of spices, other than salt can be consumed as they provide warmth and calm the kapha. Look for spices with a strong smell and sharp taste. They may be mustard, turmeric, pepper, or any other local spice that fits the bill.
It is a traditional Ayurvedic recipe that is like a paste in consistency and can be made from kitchen ingredients. It is then massaged all over the body. This stimulates circulation and provides warmth to the body, apart from being an excellent exfoliant.
This is an Ayurvedic technique to stimulate blood flow and warmth in the body. It involves dry-massaging the body either with hands or a wooden massage tool.
As a method of detoxifying the body, indulge in activities that induce excessive sweating. You can try sunbathing and sauna. Remember to increase hydration proportionately.
Engage in exercises that involve rigorous physical activity. They can be a high-intensity workout, swimming, high speed or long-distance running or brisk walking. You can also take up a sport that interests you. The idea here is to sweat it out while stimulating the body and mind.
Lethargy is both a cause and a symptom of excess kapha. So make an active effort to avoid laziness. Don’t sleep in the day and avoid naps. Wake up early and set goals to keep you motivated throughout the day. Involve your friends, family and co-workers to keep you on track, if you can.